My Liberation Notes

My Liberation Notes is a 2022 South Korean television drama written by Park Hae-young and directed by Kim Seok-yoon. It aired on JTBC from April 9 through May 29, 2022, in a 16-episode run, and was also released internationally through Netflix. The series stars Lee Min-ki, Kim Ji-won, Son Suk-ku, and Lee El as four adults confronting exhaustion, loneliness, family pressure, and the desire to live with greater freedom. The story centers on the Yeom family, who live in the fictional rural village of Sanpo in Gyeonggi Province while commuting to Seoul for work. The three Yeom siblings—eldest sister Ki-jung, middle brother Chang-hee, and youngest sister Mi-jung—feel trapped by repetitive routines and difficult personal circumstances. Their parents operate a business producing and selling sinks, and the siblings’ daily travel between Sanpo and Seoul underlines the distance between their ordinary lives and their hopes for change. Kim Ji-won plays Yeom Mi-jung, a reserved office worker who struggles with social isolation and unhappiness. Rather than seeking conventional romance or career success, Mi-jung speaks directly about wanting to be “liberated” from the emotional weight she carries. Lee El’s Ki-jung is outspoken and frustrated by her romantic disappointments, while Lee Min-ki’s Chang-hee dreams of becoming wealthy and escaping the limitations of his family’s life. Son Suk-ku plays Mr. Gu, a mysterious man who arrives in Sanpo and works for the Yeom family. He lives alone, drinks heavily, and initially reveals little about his past. Mi-jung approaches him with an unusual request: she asks him to “worship” her, meaning to regard her with complete attention and value. Mr. Gu accepts, and their relationship becomes one of the drama’s central threads. His eventual history connects him to a violent criminal organization and a former life in Seoul. Park Hae-young’s screenplay is known for its quiet conversations, unhurried pacing, and focus on interior emotion. The writer previously created the acclaimed dramas Another Miss Oh and My Mister, and My Liberation Notes similarly explores people whose outwardly ordinary lives conceal deep dissatisfaction. The series gained substantial attention for its dialogue, especially Mi-jung’s wish for liberation and Mr. Gu’s unusual response to her. It also received praise for Son Suk-ku’s performance, which significantly expanded his public recognition. Rather than resolving every conflict through dramatic twists, the drama follows its characters as they make incremental choices toward honesty, connection, and self-respect.