Korean dramas are rife with intrigue and emotion that seem real, but with certain stories, they can even feel downright familiar. Take the series Queen of Tears as an example, as fans are speculating its characters may be inspired by the real-life marriage of a Samsung heiress and an employee.
“Queen of Tears” Theory: Is the K-Drama Based on the Real-Life Marriage of a Samsung Heiress and Employee?
In the K-drama, Kim Soo Hyun fills the shoes of Baek Hyun-woo, a lawyer who hails from humble beginnings. During his earlier days at a company, a romance soon brews between him and his fellow intern Hong Hae-in, played by Kim Ji Won. Little does he know, Hae-in happens to be a third-generation heiress of the conglomerate they work for.
Despite their vastly different social backgrounds and Hae-in’s disapproving parents, the couple strived to make their relationship work. But after wedded bliss came the pressures and the tumultuous reality, as Hyun-woo began to reconsider their marriage to the point of divorce.
The Real-Life Story of Samsung's Lee Boo Jin and Im Woo Jae
Viewers of the show found the story eerily familiar, comparing it to a highly-publicized marriage in South Korea during the late ’90s until 2020. Much like Kim Ji Won’s Hong Hae-in, Lee Boo Jin is rooted in an affluent background, being the daughter of Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun Hee.
Similar to Queen of Tears’ female lead, Boo Jin possessed an acumen for business that was akin to her father. As its president and CEO, the billionaire helms Hotel Shilla, revered as one of Seoul’s leading lodging and conference centers. Meanwhile, in the fictional world, Hae-in leads the Queens Group conglomerate as its executive director, and is particularly known for her hardworking albeit arrogant ways. The two are both known to sport stylish ensembles, with Boo Jin a favorite for Korean fashion enthusiasts.
Boo Jin’s personal life went under scrutiny of the Korean public when she wedded Im Woo Jae in 1999, a then-employee of Samsung Group’s security service affiliate. According to reports, the couple met in 1995 while volunteering at a care facility for people with disabilities, where Boo Jin worked as an entry-level employee and Woo Jae, a graduate of computer engineering, worked as part of its security arm.
After their marriage and persuaded by his new in-laws, Woo Jae earned an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He rose in the ranks at the conglomerate, becoming a Samsung Electro-Mechanics executive, managing director, and eventually, its vice president. In the drama, Soo Hyun’s Hyun-woo was also tasked to pursue an MBA despite being a lawyer.
But just like the K-drama, Boo Jin and Woo Jae’s marriage wasn’t the stuff of happily-ever-afters. Woo Jae had been vocal about the pressures he had encountered from his in-laws. “I did not speak a word of English at the time and had to prepare to go to the US to study. I felt so much pressure that I tried to kill myself. My wife and I cried together,” he said in a previous interview.
In February 2015, Boo Jin filed for divorce with claims of having experienced domestic violence. However, Woo Jae denied it, saying that her lawyers had fabricated "lies" about him being a "money-grubber" and that he abused her. After a legal fight over five years, their divorce was settled in 2020, as Boo Jin was ordered to pay 14.1 billion Korean won in an asset split, with her having the sole custody of their only child.
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