Temptation of a Wife

Temptation of Wife (Lure of Wife)
Format	Drama
Created by	Starmax
Starring	Jang Seo Hee Byun Woo Min Kim Seo Hyung Lee Jae Hwang
Country of origin	South Korea
No. of episodes	129
Production
Executive producer(s)	Go Hong Sik Oh Se Gang
Running time	Monday through Friday 7:20pm (KST)
Broadcast
Original channel	SBS2
Original run	November 3, 2008 – May 1, 2009
External links
Website

Temptation of Wife (Lure of Wife) (아내의 유혹) was a highly watched drama in South Korea broadcast by SBS. It began to air in 2008 and continued through the early quarter of 2009, ending on May 1, 2009. Despite many controversies about the questionable content of the drama, it currently remains to be one of the most highly watched dramas averaging around 30% each day, and the cast winning several awards including the Daesang (Grand Prize) for lead actress Jang Seo Hee at the SBS Drama Awards.^[1]

Synopsis

Goo Eun Jae (played by actress Jang Seo Hee) graduated as a make-up artist major at a university and began preparations to study abroad in France. Her dreams to study in France are halted by a pregnancy with Jung Gyo-Bin (played by actor Byun Woo-Min) after he took advantage of her when she was drunk. She decided to marry him and give up her dreams in order to be a responsible mother for her unborn child. Eun-Jae's pregnancy soon ended in tragic miscarriage. Eun-Jae was trying to protect her mother in law, Baek Mi-in, when she was pushed down the steps by a creditor of the said in-law. Eun-Jae fell and lost her baby. It took a long time until Eun-Jae became pregnant again.

At about the same time when Eun Jae found out about her second pregnancy, Shin Ae-Ri (played by actress Kim Seo Hyung) returns from her five-year long from France (where she studied about make-up).

Shin Ae-Ri grew up in the same household as Eun-Jae ever since she became an orphan when she was about 7–10 years old. Her family was on the way to the Goo Household in order to have dinner with them when Ae-Ri threw the clothes and doll her mother was supposed to give to Eun-Jae as presents to her father who was driving. Also because her father was driving during a storm, they ended crashing the car. Both Ae-Ri's parents died and the Goo Family has then taken Ae-Ri in since and raised her for 20 years along with Eun-Jae, treating her as if she were their own daughter. Later on, Ae-Ri became the girlfriend of Eun-Jae's brother Goo Kang-Jae. Then she left for France, revealing that someone was taking care of her tuitions for her.

After 7 years of living the Jung Family as Gyo-Bin's housewife (and also as the housekeeper to the Jung Family's mansion), Eun-Jae soon found out that her husband had been cheating on her with Ae-Ri. It turned out that he was the one giving out the said funds for Ae-Ri's travel to France. To add to this insult, Ae-Ri revealed that she had Gyo Bin’s child five years ago, named Jung Nino.

Eun-Jae's brother, Kang-Jae, gained knowledge about the situation, whereupon he set out in anger to assault Gyo-Bin. This event gave Gyo-Bin and his mother, Mi'in, reason to force Eun-Jae into signing up consent for a divorce. After the divorce, Gyo-Bin and Ae-Ri got married while Eun-Jae moved back to her own family's house. Ae-Ri went to pay a visit to Eun-Jae, demanding her to get an abortion. Eun-Jae refused to do so in which Gyo-Bin dragged her to a gynecologist in Sokcho, forcing her into aborting their baby. Eun-Jae again refused. Gyo-Bin then drove her to Sokcho Beach, throwing her necklace, given by her father-in-law as a promise not to give up on Gyo-Bin, into the sea.

Eun-Jae tried to save the necklace, but not knowing how to swim, she soon found herself being dragged by the waves. Eun-Jae begged Gyo-Bin to save her baby but Gyo-Bin ignored Eun-Jae and abandoned her at sea to drown and die. Ae-Ri and Gyo-Bin decided to keep this all a secret, lying that Eun-Jae had committed suicide. Ae-Ri faked Eun-Jae's suicide note (or will) which she gave to the police and Gyo-Bin thereafter told everybody that he had not seen Eun-Jae the whole day.

In the midst of all this, Min Gun-Woo (played by actor Lee Jae Hwang), the adoptive son of Lady Min, was near Sokcho in a search for his missing stepsister, Min So-Hee.

Min So-Hee loved Gun-Woo and wanted to marry him. When her mother, Lady Min, refused, So-Hee told Gun-Woo to marry her secretly anyway. Gun-Woo had decided not to tell his mother what was happening, as So-Hee had ran away from home. Lady Min arranged for another girl to marry Gun Woo, hoping that So-Hee will give up and come back. So-Hee's arranged marriage to Gun Woo was on the same day as Lady Min's arranged marriage. Gun-Woo decided to follow his mother's orders and marry the other girl. So-Hee, devastated that he did not come, then walked into the sea to drown herself.

Gun-Woo, searching for So-Hee, found Eun-Jae's unconscious body instead. He then took her to a doctor who revealed that she had another miscarriage. Through the help of Gun-Woo and the doctor, Eun-Jae was allowed to live in the hospital for free where she worked at the same time to show gratitude.

Lady Min, thinking Eun-Jae's experience was similar to hers, introduced Eun-Jae to her home. Thereafter, Eun-Jae took on the identity of Min So-Hee, in order to sought out revenge against Gyo-Bin and Ae-Ri who destroyed her life and tried to kill her. Gun-Woo fell in love with Eun-Jae in the process and Eun-Jae with Gun-Woo, but Eun-Jae decided to hold her feelings back for him in order to fulfill her revenge.

Ae-Ri gets suspicious of the woman claiming to be Min So-Hee. One day the two women met and Heidi was positive that this So Hee was Eun Jae. Eun Jae acted well and said that Ae Ri was crazy. Ae Ri didn't want to lose her man, so she went to Lady Min's house and ruined everything. Gyo Bin divorces Ae Ri and married So Hee. Gyo Bin kicks Ae Ri out of her house, but keeps Nino, Ae Ri's son. Nino is rude to So Hee because of the stories his mother tells him about her.

Ae Ri gets even more suspicious and calls Gyo Bin when So Hee and Gun Woo embrace. So Hee re-assured that she loved Gyo Bin that's why she married him, ensuring him that Gun Woo and her are just close siblings. Gyo Bin wants to have sexual intercourse with So Hee, but she bought twin beds instead of one big bed, and refused his advances. Ae Ri begs for Gyo Bin and his family to give her son to her. Ae Ri gets Nino, but Nino gets injured and Ae Ri pities her son, for now she was poor and could not give him a comfortable life. She returns Nino to Gyo Bin's family.

So Hee soon became worried about her true identity to be revealed by Ae Ri, with the help of Lady Min they went to her parents and told the truth which helped to have her true identity still covered. In order to complete her revenge, she tricks Gyo Bin to give all his family assets to her and her "mother" Lady Min, his father's company, their house, his mother's house and land and causes their family to go bankrupt. Lady Min had a history with Jung Ha Jo, Gyo Bin's father. They had a child together (they were not married) named Ha Neul (meaning Star). To Lady Min, Ha Jo supposedly killed Star due to a sickness that was never treated and killed Lady Min's father by stealing their land. Lady Min gets revenge by telling Ha Jo to give all his assets (including Cheonji Constructions) and selling his house because of items on properties that was created by Gyo Bin to Lady Min. Because of this, Ha Jo complied and gave them up. To humiliate Ha Jo's family further, Lady Min gets his family to switch houses with Eun Jae's family, or Ha Jo's large house will be auctioned and sold away. Gyo Bin's family is now poor while Eun Jae's family is now living more comfortably. Gyo Bin says that he now loves Eun Jae and tries to force her to stay with him, since they are still lawfully wedded but the disgusted Eun Jae hates him.

The real So Hee comes alive and she was suffering from serious depression. She gets mad at Eun Jae because Gun Woo fell in love with her and they planned a wedding. So Hee crashes the wedding. One day Eun Jae went to work and everyone was praising her because of her make-up artist skills. So Hee tells all the workers that she was the real daughter of Lady Min and she proclaims herself the owner of Min Beauty Shop. Ae Ri saw this and asks So Hee to cooperate with her to ruin Eun Jae's life. At first, this works out. Later, Ae Ri will be the reason why Gun Woo divorced So Hee, this collaboration ended.

So Hee persuaded her mother to tell Gun Woo to marry her. (Min So Hee is Lady Min's real daughter and Gun Woo was adopted) Lady Min told Gun Woo that he had two choices: marry So Hee and Eun Jae's alliance will be better than ever or marry Eun Jae and Lady Min will never talk to Gun Woo or Eun Jae again. Gun Woo married So Hee because he thought her depression would get better and So Hee won't ruin Eun Jae's life. So Hee does the complete opposite.

Eun Jae continued to become the best make up artist and lives now with her family. One day, Gun Woo went to work to sign a contract with Harrison. Ae Ri wants to be back with Gyo Bin and bring back the position he had before and also the construction company, so she told Gyo Bin to sign the contract. Meanwhile, So Hee ruins Eun Jae's artwork and rips a page out. While they fight, Ae Ri calls Gun Woo about how Eun Jae is getting terrified. Gun Woo turns the car and drives to the Beauty Shop. He sees So Hee ripping the page and tells her to divorce him. Gun Woo is now late for his meeting, so Ha Jo tells Gyo Bin to sign the contract instead. Gun Woo now decides to divorce So Hee no matter what.

Ae Ri comes back to the family. She makes Gyo Bin sleep with her, making her pregnant. While she is pregnant, she has an advanced stage of stomach cancer. Doctors tell her to get an abortion so she can have the cancer surgery, but she refused. She thinks the baby is the only way to keep Gyo Bin and her together.

Ae Ri and Eun Jae join a make up competition that has three stages. On the first stage, Ae Ri, another lady, and Eun Jae won and would be competing. In the second stage, Ae Ri and Eun Jae won and would be competing against each other. In the third stage, Ae Ri gets desperate so she bribes the judges. In the competition, there were different judges. Ae Ri tells Eun Jae's model that a French make-up artist would talk to her. Ae Ri gets Eun Jae another model, but she was allergic to natural make-up, which was about this competition. The judges ask Eun Jae why she kept erasing the model's make-up. Eun Jae admits about the model's problem and tells them that the model has a rash. She covered the rash with her concealer. The judges proclaim Ae Ri as the grand prize winner. The judges find out in time that Ae Ri bribed the judges, so they change the winner to Eun Jae. Ae Ri had a miscarriage but Ae Ri and Eun Jae became true friends again. Eun Jae insists Ae Ri to get the cancer treatment surgery, but Ae Ri is scared that she will die.

In the last episode, Ha Neul (who is the real, living Star) becomes pregnant with her husband Kang Jae. Ae Ri and Gyo Bin went on vacation. During this vacation, Ae Ri made a sea shell necklace for Nino. Ae Ri makes two letters: one for Gyo Bin and one for Eun Jae. Ae Ri went to the sea to drowns herself but Gyo Bin tried to save her. Ae Ri was screaming for him to let go because he needed to take care of Nino and that she was going to die anyway. He said he wasn't going to let go and he was going to save her. They were so tired that they were talking in their minds. Ae Ri's mind said to take good care of Nino. Gyo Bin's mind told her that he let go of Eun Jae's hand once, and he didn't want to make the same mistake with her. In the end, the couple dies.

The entire family attended their funeral. Eun Jae gives Nino the sea shell necklace saying, "This is the last present your mother is giving you." Nino goes on the street and a car nearly crashes into him. He states his mother and father were on the other side of the street. Everybody assumed that they were protecting their son from danger. Ae Ri's letter to Eun Jae said to bury her ashes on the beach where Eun Jae almost died in.

So Hee and her mother decides to go to America together. Lady Min gives Ha Jo the papers to own Cheonji Constructions again. Gun Woo met Eun Jae while she was spreading the ashes. He said that he was very sorry for hurting her feelings and that he won't do it again. He feels that Eun Jae should be his wife. So Hee gave Eun Jae two rings and a note sayingI broke you two up. Here's the chance to get back together again." Gun Woo puts his arm around Eun Jae and looks at the sky with her. They were sure that they saw Ae Ri and Gyo Bin together. The whole drama ended by having the two couples smiling at each other. Ae Ri and Gyo Bin were wearing white, and looking back at their friends.

Cast

Original names in Hangul and names in English included

• Jang Seo Hee: Goo Eun Jae (구은재) / Angeline Goo

Eun Jae is responsible, caring, compassionate and rather naive. She has big dreams and desires to be a successful makeup artist. She is always concerned about her family who has always suffered from poverty and is always willing to sacrifice for her family. She graduates from a prestigious art university where she studied to be a makeup artist. Because of pregnancy when she was taken advantaged of by her boyfriend Gyo Bin, she has no choice but to give up on her dreams as she marries Gyo Bin. Although it was a hard decision, once she chose to marry Gyo Bin without love, she tries her hardest for her husband and in-laws and learns to cook and becomes an excellent house wife. Gyo Bin's family abuses her for the 7 years she was there, forcing her to act as a servant to them. However, she soon learns that the life she chose is full of lies and betrayals.

This forces her transforms into a different type of woman. Her near death experience becomes a chance for her to be born again. Now, posing as So Hee, she is smart, cunning, sharp-eyed, stylish, talented, ruthless, mean and successful in all she does. She plots revenge against her husband and her adopted sister.

• Lee Jae Hwang: Min Gun Woo (민건우) / Nigel Min

As an orphan, he suffered through hardships but his life turned when Lady Min adopted him as her son. He cared for Lady Min's daughter So Hee, thinking that it was the right thing to do for Lady Min but when he realizes that So Hee loves him, he tries to let her down as gently as possible. After So Hee's apparent suicide, Gun Woo feels responsible for the ordeal but he meets Eun Jae and falls in love with her. He works with Gyo Bin in the construction company as an architect although he is He has warm and caring characteristics as well but remains composed. But he has the ability to act recklessly in order to be with Eun Jae.

• Byun Woo Min: Jung Gyo Bin (정교빈) / Marcel Jung

Since his school days, Gyo Bin had always been lazy and dependant on his family's money. He was never studious and graduates barely by bribery. Gyo Bin is lazy, dependant on others, useless, selfish, easily deceived, arrogant, irresponsible, a womanizer and quick to push the blame on others.

After graduation, he learns the business of real estate from his father. He had been interested in Eun Jae since high school but she ignored his efforts. He forces himself on her resulting in their marriage but after the miscarriage, Gyo Bin becomes tired of Eun Jae and cheats on her without any feeling of responsibility. He starts to be interested in Ae Ri and when she shows strong interest in him as well, he uses her dreams to go to France to study as a way to get her away. But when Ae Ri comes back looking better than before, and with their love child Nino he feels attraction again and listens to her advice filing for a divorce. He soon gets his just deserts as Eun Jae gets her revenge by destroying his family's assests.

• Kim Seo Hyung: Shin Ae Ri (신애리) / Heidi Shin

Ae Ri is the daughter of Eun Jae's father's friend and when Ae Ri's parents are killed in an accident, Eun Jae's father took her in. Because she lived in another family's home since she was young, she acquired the wisdom to win favors of others around her. Ae Ri is cunning, sly, quick-witted, proud, ruthless, hard-hearted, money- and power-hungry and will do anything to get what she wants. Her desire for success is stronger than most people, and bears grudges when people insult her. She receives unconditional love from Eun Jae's brother Kang Jae and Eun Jae's parents had accepted Ae Ri as their daughter in-law for the future. Although she assumes the perfect role in front of others, inside she dreams of raising her social status and was never satisfied with Kang Jae. She had always been interested in Gyo Bin and is jealous when Eun Jae marries him. As the series progresses, her mental state becomes uninhibited and she transforms into desperate monster.

She has always felt second next to Eun Jae, and is able to humiliate Eun Jae's family without conscience, even though her family has raised her since young. When she is approached by Gyo Bin, she will do anything to live the life she has always dreamed.

Eun Jae's Family:

• Kim Yong Gun: Goo Young Su (구영수) / Abner Goo

Although he is indifferent to his wife's hard work, when it comes to his children, his love for them is extraordinary. He is a former singer who does not make much money for his family.

• Yoon Mi Ra: Yoon Mi Ja (윤미자) / Minda Goo

She is the typical mother and with her resourcefulness leads the family. She works as a house cleaner to provide for here family and meets Lady Min by chance.

• Choi Jun Yong: Goo Kang Jae (구강재) / Leo Goo

With a unique personality unlike both of his parents, he lives for justice but occasionally when he gets angry, he is like fire with his hot temperament. But even for him, he is willing to do anything for Ae Ri.

Gyo Bin's Family:

• Kim Dong Hyun: Jung Ha Jo (정하조) / Romeo Jung

He interprets everything with money and only understands money. He betrays Lady Min who practically fed him and sent him to college and acquired wealth. Helater one became the chairman of Chunghee Construction with a strip of land stolen from Lady Min.

• Geum Bo Ra: Baek Mi In (백미인) / Stella Jung

As the only daughter of a wealthy family, she is ignorant and loves to spend money. She believes she is in control of her husband but in reality, her husband is more interested in money than her. She demands her daughter in-law Eun Jae to take lessons in cooking and flower arrangement but loves to gamble with her friends during the day.

• Oh Young Sil: Jung Ha Neul (정하늘) / Madel Jung

Everyone knows of Ha Neul as Ha Jo's very young sister but the truth is that Ha Neul is the daughter that was born between Ha Jo and Lady Min and is the older paternal half-sister of Soo Bin and Gyo Bin. She has the capacity of only a ten year old but sometimes knows how to say the right thing at the right time. Her character provides comic relief.

• Song Hui Ah: Jung Soo Bin (정수빈) / Pinky Jung

Soo Bin attended Eun Jae's high school and is also the latter's sister-in-law. She has an entirely different mentality than that of her family and isn't focused on wealth. She's kind, caring, and considerate and helps out Ha Neul as well as Eun Jae in times of need.

Gun Woo's Family:

• Jung Ae Ri: Min Hyun Ju/ Lady Min (민여사) / Yolanda Min

She is a successful owner of her own beauty shop company and vows to never trust another man after she is betrayed by her first love Jung Ha Jo. She has a daughter So Hee and later adopts Gun Woo in to the family. Although she is a ruthless as a business owner, she is warm and caring to her family.

• Chae Young In: Min So Hee (민소희) / Chantal Min

When her mother was out for work, she was cared for by her adoptive brother. She starts to love Gun Woo without realizing it. She needs to have whatever she wants and thus, cannot give up on her feelings toward Gun Woo. After being rejected by Gun Woo, she commits suicide coincidently at the same beach where Eun Jae drowned.

Ae Ri's Family:

• Jung Yoon Suk: Jung Shin Ni No / Nino Shin Jung

Ae Ri's son with Gyo Bin.

Controversy

Temptation of a Wife has been widely criticized because of the content and production. For example, there was much criticism from audiences when Eun Jae comes back as So Hee, drawing a mole on her right cheek and everyone fails to recognize her as Eun Jae. Other characters also believe that So Hee is not Eun Jae because of the different personalities. Eun Jae was sweet and friendly while So Hee is mean and ruthless.^[2] Other controversies have dealt with the speediness of the drama and overly set up plot. Further, there has been a lawsuit by author Jung Hye Kyung who claimed that 'Temptation of a Wife' plagiarized her book Janus' City.^[3]

Some people also believe that the drama is too harsh and unrealistic in terms of content.^[who?]

See also

• Temptation of an Angel - Male version of the series

References

1. ^ "'휘청하던 '아내의 유혹', 뒷심 발휘! (Staggering 'Temptation of a Wife', Comes Back Strongly!)" (in Korean). http://www.datanews.co.kr/site/datanews/DTWork.aspitemIDT=1002910&aID=20090420101254187. April 20, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
2. ^ "막장 논란에 마음 고생 평생 욕 다 먹은거 같아' (Pains caused by Controversies)" (in Korean). http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/04/16/2009041661456.html. April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
3. ^ "'아내의 유혹' 표절논란 결국 법정으로…정 작가-SBS "법적 대응"('Plagiarism Controversy Leads to Lawsuit')" (in Korean). http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/04/02/2009040201394.html?Dep0=chosunnews&Dep1=related&Dep2=related_all. April 02, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2009.

External links

• Official Korean Site (Korean)
• Official English Site (English)