During my summer break, somewhere between my back-to-back binge sessions of Korean dramas, I stumbled upon Reply 1988 (2015–2016). I didn’t know much about it except that it had good ratings… but was it something I’d actually like? I wasn’t so sure.
As I was hunting for shows that Park Bo-gum had worked in, Reply 1988 popped up on my watchlist, and I figured — why not give it a chance? (Yes, the dedication of a fan is real!)
The Characters of Reply 1988
The drama opens with a couple in their mid-40s filming an interview. The wife begins reminiscing about life back in 1988, in the small, tight-knit neighborhood of Ssangmun-dong, Seoul — when she was just 18 and inseparable from four boys of the same age who all lived on the same street.
Let’s meet them as they were in 1988:
Sung Deok-sun (played by Lee Hye-ri): The only girl in the group — and our narrator. She’s the middle child of the Sung family, with Bora as her older sister and Noeul as her younger brother. Her father is a simple, good-hearted man who works at a bank, while her mother is a homemaker.
Kim Jung-hwan (played by Ryu Jun-yeol): Deok-sun’s neighbor from the floor above. Jung-hwan and his older brother, Jung-bong, grew up in a family that was once dirt poor — until one day they won the lottery and their lives changed overnight. Jung-hwan’s father is a lighthearted man who loves cracking jokes and pulling pranks on his wife.
Sung Sun-woo (played by Go Kyung-pyo): The class president — diligent, responsible, and the perfect son. After his father’s untimely death, Sun-woo became the pillar of strength for his mother and is deeply affectionate toward his little sister, Jin-ju (around four or five years old).
Ryu Dong-ryong (played by Lee Dong-hwi): The youngest son of two working parents — his father is the dean of his school, and his mother works at an insurance company. Dong-ryong is the neighborhood troublemaker with a love for dancing and mischief.
Choi Taek (played by Park Bo-gum): The Go-game prodigy who dropped out of school to compete professionally in national and international tournaments. Taek moved to the neighborhood with his father at age four, after his mother’s death. Quiet and fragile, he was quickly adopted into the friend group by the four troublemakers, who treated him as one of their own. While he’s unbeatable in Go, in everyday life he’s hilariously clueless.
The Theme / Storyline of Reply 1988
We get to know each character not through flashy plot twists, but through the rhythm of their everyday lives — the little moments that reveal who they truly are.
1. Deok-sun’s Family
Deok-sun’s family struggles financially. Due to a poor investment, her father’s salary is deducted every month, making it hard to send three kids to school. Despite this, he can’t resist buying unnecessary items from street vendors — simply because he feels sorry for them.
As the middle child, Deok-sun is often overlooked by her parents. Her older sister, Bora, is studious, short-tempered, and constantly at odds with her. In the early episodes, I found Bora insufferable — entitled and unnecessarily picking on Deok-sun. But as the story unfolds, we see her warmer side — responsible, hardworking, and far-sighted, perhaps the most grounded of the three siblings.
In contrast, Deok-sun is carefree and academically challenged, her grades consistently on the lower side. She spends her days fantasizing about fairytale-like romance with her two school friends, or simply hanging out with her neighborhood crew at Taek’s house.
2. Jung-hwan’s Family
The firstborn, Jung-bong, has been attempting the college entrance exam for years without success. He’s kindhearted, passionate, and has obsessions about… well, almost everything except studying.
Jung-hwan, on the other hand, is a top student (often tying with Sun-woo). Despite winning the lottery years ago, their father remains extremely frugal — a childlike man who loves cracking jokes but also has a surprisingly sensitive side. Their mother is kind and resourceful, the quiet anchor of the family.
One scene that stayed with me was when Deok-sun was about to go on a field trip but her family had no money to give her. Her mother was hesitant to borrow cash, but Jung-hwan’s mother quietly left some money for Deok-sun so she could enjoy her trip without her family feeling embarrassed.
3. Sun-woo’s Family
Sun-woo’s family is the poorest among the five households after his father’s passing. His mother takes up manual labor jobs to save for his college tuition. Sun-woo, mature beyond his years, never asks for anything unnecessary and remains deeply close to his mother — always sharing school updates and neighborhood gossip, which fills her with pride.
His little sister, Jin-ju, is adored by the entire neighborhood, spoiled not just by family but by every ajumma and ajusshi around.
4. Dong-ryong’s Family
We meet Dong-ryong’s family much later in the series. He’s often seen outside, even sleeping in public study rooms, to avoid his strict father — the dean of his school. His mother is too busy to even pack him a lunchbox. While he’s the life of the group, always pulling pranks and stirring up mischief, Dong-ryong quietly longs for the family time his friends enjoy.
Eventually, we learn more about his parents. His father is strict because he sees too much of his own carefree, mischievous younger self in Dong-ryong. His mother, though loving, has been absent due to the demands of her job. Beneath the surface, both parents care deeply — they just don’t always know how to show it.
5. Choi Taek’s Family
In the first few episodes, you barely see Taek. He’s shy, usually holed up in his room practicing Go, or away competing in tournaments across the country and overseas. His room becomes the group’s unofficial hangout spot — a place to watch movies, play music, and share endless bowls of ramyeon.
His father, Mr. Choi, is the calmest man in the neighborhood — quiet, thoughtful, and never one to pick a fight. His gentle, composed demeanor sometimes makes people mistake him for being emotionless. In the second half of the series, we see his perspective and discover his warmth. He’s not great at verbalizing affection, but in his quiet way, he’s a devoted father, always willing to help others and putting his son’s well-being above all else.
Romance in Reply 1988
Romance in Reply 1988 feels more like a gentle undercurrent than the main theme — family and friendship take center stage. But of course, when you have five childhood friends in their teens, love is bound to sneak in.
1. Sung Bora & Sung Sun-woo
At first, everyone assumes Sun-woo has a crush on Deok-sun — he’s always visiting her house, always kind to her. Deok-sun herself thinks he’s her first love… until her heart shatters upon learning that Sun-woo actually likes her older sister, Bora.
😊 I was laughing so hard at the scene where Deok-sun would roll on floor and throw kicks in the air in frustration after learning the truth.
Feeling wronged and unworthy of love, Deok-sun quietly steps back. Sun-woo, however, takes a straightforward approach with Bora. At around 18, he confesses to the 20-year-old Bora, but she rejects him, citing their age gap and her current relationship. Eventually, after persistent but respectful persuasion, Bora accepts his feelings. Even though she often paid for their meals (Sun-woo was broke), he proved to be a loving and loyal boyfriend — someone who could reach the warmth she kept hidden behind her rude exterior.
They eventually break up when Bora’s family finally supports her dream of studying law. She throws herself into preparing for the bar exam, and a heartbroken Sun-woo cuts off all contact, channeling his energy into medical school to fulfill his parents’ dream.
Six years later, Bora is an attorney, Sun-woo is a medical intern, and she takes the first step to mend their relationship. Just when things settle, their parents object — at the time, marrying someone with the same first name wasn’t legally allowed. A new bill eventually changes that, and the whole neighborhood gathers to celebrate their wedding.
2. Jung-hwan & Deok-sun
After Sun-woo’s rejection, Deok-sun becomes disheartened about love — and that’s when Jung-hwan starts developing feelings for her. She doesn’t notice at first; after all, he’s the friend she’s always squabbling with.
Guarded about his feelings, Jung-hwan hides his affection behind constant teasing. Yet, his care peeks through in small ways — waiting for her outside to go to school “by coincidence,” staying up late to make sure she gets home safely from the study room, lighting up at her silly dance routines, or secretly buying her the gloves she wanted when she didn’t get a Secret Santa gift.
😊 I adored Jung-hwan in the scene where he puts himself between the bus crowd and Deok-sun, holds the sits with all his energy to protect her from falling.
Encouraged by her school friends, Deok-sun tries to confirm her suspicions — asking if she should go on a blind date to see if he’d get jealous, or persuading him to attend a concert with her. But before anything could truly happen, Jung-hwan discovers Taek’s feelings for her and quietly steps back. Once again, Deok-sun is left without answers, starting to doubt her own worth.
3. Choi Taek & Deok-sun
Taek — the shy, introverted Go genius — admits to the boys one day (in the middle of their teasing) that he likes Deok-sun. Since he doesn’t go to school or join the group every evening, his feelings aren’t obvious to her at first.
His love language is neediness — asking her for small favors again and again. While he’s polite and accommodating with everyone, he doesn’t hesitate to cling to Deok-sun. He can’t always comfort with words, but he offers medicine when she’s sick, keeps her company when she cries, and quietly stands by her side.
Taek plans to propose to Deok-sun, but after learning about Jung-hwan’s feelings, he also steps back for a while.
4. Deok-sun’s Endgame
From the start, we know the narrator is Deok-sun, but the drama keeps her husband’s identity a mystery until the end. Fans spent the airing period analyzing every tiny clue — but since I binge-watched while also reading fan discussions, I already knew before the reveal.
By 1989, poor grades and failing to get into college push Deok-sun to focus on studies and self-improvement. Six years later, the friends reunite: Deok-sun is a flight attendant, Jung-hwan is a fighter jet pilot, and Taek remains a living legend in the Go world.
Both Jung-hwan and Taek still love Deok-sun, but Jung-hwan finally accepts that his chance is gone, giving Taek his blessing. Deok-sun has always cared deeply for Taek, and for him, she’s been a place of comfort and peace — the one who sees the side of him the world doesn’t. After tournaments, an exhausted Taek would rest his head on her shoulder; she’d quietly protect his innocence from the harshness of the world.
When Taek proposes, Deok-sun smiles wide and confesses her love, too. They keep their relationship quiet until the chaos over Bora and Sun-woo’s romance settles. After officially dating for barely two months later, they marry.
For Taek, there was never a single defining moment when he fell for Deok-sun — she’s been there since childhood, wrestling him to the ground, holding his hand when he was hurt, piggybacking him to school when he was sick. For Deok-sun, too, her care for Taek was instinctive, the kind of love that grows quietly and naturally. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been so touched by a love story like this.
5. Sun-woo’s Mother (Sun-young) & Taek’s Father (Mr. Choi)
Mr. Choi lost his wife when Taek was just a toddler and had little will to go on. Sun-young (Sun-woo’s mother), the younger sister of his childhood best friend convinced him to move to Ssangmun-dong — where father and son would eventually find a bigger family to help them through their loss.
When Mr. Choi fell seriously ill, Sun-young and the neighborhood ladies took care of him like family. Around the same time, she was about to lose her home, Mr. Choi helped her out without a second thought. Two single parents, both having lost their spouses and struggling to raise their children, found comfort in each other’s presence. Mr. Choi treated Jin-ju like his own, and Sun-young never drew lines between Taek and Sun-woo.
Once their children gave their blessing, they married and co-parented the kids together. No messy drama, no ugly fights — just a love that grew naturally, rooted in mutual respect and shared burdens.
6. Jung-bong’s Relationship
…Which I’m skipping, because honestly, this blog is long enough already and that side plot didn’t hold my interest the same way.
My Fangirl Commentary
Honestly speaking, I didn’t fully grasp all the historical or pop-cultural references of 1988’s Korea. But the theme of family and friendship resonated deeply with me — even as someone from a different time, place, and culture. And that, to me, is the mark of a successful storyteller.
There are so many scenes I adored from the show, and I’d feel unsatisfied if I ended this blog without mentioning them.
1. In one of the early episodes, when Deok-sun’s grandmother passed away, she grew frustrated seeing the adults behave almost normally at the funeral house, while she herself couldn’t stop crying. But after the last rites, when all the guests had left, the adults finally broke down in private. Deok-sun reflects on how grown-ups often have to hold back their emotions because of their responsibilities.
2. I loved Sung Bora’s arc — studying relentlessly to become an attorney and eventually paying off her family’s debts. We also see her complex relationship with her father: unlike Deok-sun and Noeul, who easily express affection, Bora struggles to show it. Yet she remains the precious eldest child — the one her parents lean on when it truly matters.
3. Taek’s innocent gaze and pouty expressions could make anyone root for him. There’s a sequence where, after a big win, he brings expensive fruits for everyone since he couldn’t buy other gifts. When Mr. Choi is packing the fruits for the neighborhood, he sets aside the bananas just for Jin-ju, her favorite. Taek takes one banana (with permission) and goes to visit Deok-sun, who rarely gets to eat such treats due to her family’s situation. When he offers it, she lights up like a child, immediately offering him half. He politely declines, watching her enjoy something so simple with pure joy — until Noeul walks in, and she ends up sharing the other half with him anyway.
Deok-sun may be a hot mess, a hopeless romantic, and academically clueless, but she’s the kind of kind-hearted soul everyone needs in their life.
4. So many Deok-sun and Taek moments are quietly heart-melting — Deok-sun taking care of him during a tournament without letting him know, Taek cancelling an important tournament just to watch a movie with her when she was stood up, their late-night alleyway encounters where he’d lean on her shoulder after a long day, or Deok-sun teaching him bad words with the perfect delivery.
5. Deok-sun breaking down after seeing Bora’s study room still sticks with me. She had always imagined Bora living comfortably after moving out to dorm, only to find a cramped matchbox room and instant ramen meals. Overwhelmed with guilt, she realizes how wrong her assumptions had been.
6. Jung-hwan’s final “confession” to Deok-sun — passed off as a joke — and his monologue on why fate didn’t side with him are enough to make your heart ache.
7. The neighbors were truly like one big family. The mothers shared their best meals with each other even when they had little for themselves — which is how Taek and his father often enjoyed warm, home-cooked food with many side dishes Mr. Choi couldn’t make alone.
8. The whole neighborhood coming together to build a snowman for Jin-ju as her Christmas present was so heart-warming.
9. The unshakable friendship between the three ladies — Deok-sun’s mother, Sun-woo’s mother, and Jung-hwan’s mother — was gold. They cooked together, danced and drank together, lent each other money while protecting the receiver’s dignity… their bond was a show in itself.
10. My favorite OST from this show is Hyehwadong by Park Bo-ram — a song that wraps you in nostalgia and tugs at your heart until you tear up.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Reply 1988, even after watching it with full spoilers. The characters, the families, their struggles — and that bittersweet ending where everyone moves out of the neighborhood and drifts apart — left me with both warmth and a quiet emptiness.
Overall, I’d rate Reply 1988 a solid 8.8/10.
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