# Alone in Love

Alone in Love (Korean: 연애시대; Hanja: 戀愛時代; RR: Yeonaesidae; MR: Yŏnaesidae; lit. Love Generation) is a 2006 South Korean television series starring Kam Woo-sung, Son Ye-jin, Gong Hyung-jin, and Lee Ha-na. It is based on the Japanese novel Love Generation (Japanese: 恋愛時代, Hepburn: Ren'ai Jidai) by Hisashi Nozawa, which was published in 1996 and won the 4th Shimase Literary Prize for Romance in 1997, and tells the story of two ordinary people, as they come to terms with their relationship. The series aired on SBS from April 3 to May 23, 2006, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 (KST) for 16 episodes.
The series won critical acclaim for its subtle and realistic portrayal of love, marriage and divorce.

## Synopsis

Yoo Eun-ho (Son Ye-jin) and Lee Dong-jin (Kam Woo-sung) meet one day at the bookstore where Dong-jin works, and are immediately drawn to each other. They fall in love after subsequent meetings, and eventually marry. Two years later, they divorce.
Dong-jin still works at the bookstore, while Eun-ho works at a fitness club. A year and a half after their divorce, the two still meet in their favorite bakery for breakfasts, quarrel over trivial things like a married couple, and eat dinner on their wedding anniversary with a free meal coupon provided by the hotel where they got married. The narrative is punctuated by either character's internal monologue on their past and current relationships, as new love interests enter their lives.
All of this makes them wonder whether these lingering feelings are love, although both are too afraid to start over, and even more afraid to end the relationship completely. With neither brave enough to confront each other about the misunderstanding on the day Eun-ho had a stillborn baby, they are unable to move on.

## Cast

| Actor | Character | Description |
| Kam Woo-sung | Lee Dong-jin | 33 years old, born in Seoul. He has a laid back personality, and has loved books since he was a child. He works in a major bookstore located in the commercial district. Cool-headed and decisive in his professional life, Dong-jin is indecisive when it comes to his love life. He falls in love with Eun-ho, a customer in his bookstore, and succeeds in winning her heart, but their marriage does not last. |
| Son Ye-jin | Yoo Eun-ho | 29 years old, born in Busan. Eun-ho is a retired swimmer who won national competitions in her prime years as an athlete. She now works as a swimming instructor at a sports center. Outgoing and tomboyish on the outside, she has a feminine sentimentality and a soft heart on the inside. She doesn't like to express her feelings, but is very stubborn once she has made a decision. |
| Gong Hyung-jin | Gong Jun-pyo | 33 years old. A gynecologist in a university hospital, Jun-pyo has been Dong-jin's best friend since elementary school. When Eun-ho was pregnant, he was her gynecologist. He is the only person who knows why the two got divorced. After a traumatic experience, Jun-pyo faints every time one of his patients is giving birth. |
| Lee Ha-na | Yoo Ji-ho | 24 years old. Eun-ho's younger sister. Like Eun-ho, Ji-ho headed to college in Seoul and is now a senior. She has already given up hope of getting a good job because of the high unemployment rate. She has an odd and "alien-like" personality, and plots with Jun-pyo to get her sister back together with Dong-jin. |
| Moon Jeong-hee | Jung Yoo-kyung | She is a chef, specializing in traditional Korean food. She was Dong-jin's first love in middle school, and after they reconnect years later, they fall for each other and get married. |
| Oh Yoon-ah | Kim Mi-yeon | 29 years old. She is an old friend of Eun-ho's, and has a daughter from a previous marriage. Though attractive, her brittle-like cheerfulness masks an insecurity caused by her divorce. |
| Lee Jin-wook | Min Hyun-joong | 26 years old. Eun-ho's charming stalker is secretly a second-generation chaebol, but decided to turn his back on his father's money. |
| Seo Tae-hwa [ko] | Jung Yoon-soo | 38 years old. He is a psychology professor and is taking swimming lessons from Eun-ho to overcome his extreme aquaphobia. Kind and gentle, he gathers the courage one day to ask Eun-ho out. |
| Go Hye-young | Choi Young-in | Elegant and rich, she and Yoon-soo have a troubled marriage and are currently separated. |
| Jin Ji-hee | Cho Eun-sol | 7 years old. Mi-yeon's daughter. Too solemn and precocious for her age, she unexpectedly bonds with Dong-jin while he's dating her mom. |
| Ha Jae-sook | Na Yoo-ri | 28 years old. She is a pro wrestler and one of Eun-ho's close friends. They often have dinner at a local restaurant where the barman never talks. |
| Kim Kap-soo | Yoo Ki-young | Eun-ho and Ji-ho's widowed father. He is a pastor and a talk radio host. Eun-ho often calls in anonymously on his show to ask for advice. |
| Gi Ju-bong | Lee Dae-hoon | Dong-jin's father. |

## Production

The Korean adaptation was written by Park Yeon-seon (screenwriter for My Tutor Friend and Too Beautiful to Lie). This is the first TV series directed by film director Han Ji-seung (who won a Grand Bell award in 2001 for A Day).

### Filming locations

Most of the filming locations were in Bundang District, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Eun-ho and Ji-ho's house is in Bundang-dong near St. John's Cathedral. Dong-jin's house is the Ewha Villa. The Dunkin' Donuts branch that Dong-jin and Eun-ho frequent is in Jeongja-dong. The hospital where Jun-pyo works is Bundang Jesaeng Hospital near Seohyeon Station. Eun-ho's everyday bike route is along Tancheon Bicycle Road in Imae-dong.
The bookstore where Dong-jin works is the Kyobo Bookstore near Gangnam Station. The fitness club where Eun-ho works is the Suwon World Cup Sports Center, behind the Suwon World Cup Stadium. The beach where Dong-jin proposes to Eun-ho is in Jeongdongjin. The Grand Hyatt Seoul is where they have their faux anniversary dinner. Dong-jin's wedding to Yoo-kyung takes place on the Hanriver Land Ferry.

## Soundtrack

| Album information | Track listing |
| Alone in Love OST Released: May 8, 2006 Label: EMI Music Korea Ltd. Composer: Noh Young-shim | Track listing Love Is... 만약에 우리 (Original bossa nova ver) - Jinho Breeze - Lee Jae-joon 아무리 생각해도 난 너를 사랑이 사랑에게 묻다 사랑이 사랑에게 말하다 보내지 못한 마음 (The Heart You Can't Send Away) (Piano ver.) 독백 영국 런던 그리니치 천문대 나폴리 피자 우린 이미 끝났는데 은솔이와 실전화 아저씨 - Lee Jae-joon 그녀 미소 When I Saw You (내 사랑을 바다에 맹세해,부서지는 파도에 맹세해) I'm Still With You - Jinho 모빌 박스 긴 슬픔 그건 바로 사랑이었을까 당신의 행운을 돌려드립니다 Frankly Speaking - Choi Woo-hyuk 만약에 우리 (Samba ver.) - Jinho/Kim Jung-bae 보내지 못한 마음 (The Heart You Can't Send Away) (Piano & Guitar with Strings) After Love (그 남자의 20kg 감량에 대한 열망) YK259 Zipper 보내지 못한 마음 (Full ver.) |
| Album information | Track listing |
| Alone in Love Special 2CD OST Released: October 11, 2006 Label: LOEN Entertainment Composers: Noh Young-shim, Lee Moon-se CD1 | Track listing 연애란 어른들의 장래희망 같은 것 (That Thing Called Love that Adults Hope for in the Future) - Narration by Eun-ho and Dong-jin 그때 내가 미처 하지 못했던 말 (The Things I Couldn't Say Back Then) - Lee Moon-se 사랑을 묻다 (Burying Love) - Narration by Eun-ho 그대여 안녕 (Goodbye to You) - Cho Won-sun 사랑은 언제 끝나는 걸까 (When Does Love End?) - Narration by Eun-ho 첫사랑 (First Love) 아직도 그런가봐 (It Still Must be That Way) (Guitar ver.) 사랑은 사람을 아프게 한다 (Love Hurts People) - Narration by Eun-ho 슬픔과 함께 걷기 (Walking with Sadness) 고마워 (Thank You) - Son Ye-jin 어디서부터가 사랑일까 (Since When Was It Love?) - Narration by Dong-jin 그럼에도 불구하고 운명이었다면... (Still, If It was Fate...) - Narration by Eun-ho 피클병 (Pickles) 보내지 못한 마음 (The Heart You Can't Send Away) (Guitar ver.) Breeze Up (Samba ver.) 아버지 말씀 (Dad's Words) - Narration by Eun-ho ...Happy Ending - Narration by Eun-ho 당신의 연애시대, Love is 2 (Your Age of Love, Love is 2) - Lee Ha-na |
| Alone in Love Special 2CD OST Released: October 11, 2006 Label: LOEN Entertainment Composers: Yoon Jong-shin, Jung Won-young CD2 | Track listing 비온 뒤 (After the Rain) - Han Choong-wan Memories of You - Han Choong-wan 청각장애 (Deaf) - Bremen 너 때문이야 (It's Because of You) - Bremen Joy - Seba Waltz Amabile - Seba Elegy for Reminiscence - Seba Flying Free - Seba Gift - Jung Won-young Band 내겐 천사 같은 (Like an Angel to Me) - Jung Won-young Band 사과 (Apology) - Bulldog Mansion 좋아요 (I Like It) - Bulldog Mansion |

## Ratings

In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | Average audience share |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 1 | April 3, 2006 | 12.9% | 14.5% |
| 2 | April 4, 2006 | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 3 | April 10, 2006 | 12.6% | 13.4% |
| 4 | April 11, 2006 | 12.9% | 14.2% |
| 5 | April 17, 2006 | 12.3% | 13.6% |
| 6 | April 18, 2006 | 14.1% | 15.8% |
| 7 | April 24, 2006 | 13.1% | 14.7% |
| 8 | April 25, 2006 | 13.4% | 15.1% |
| 9 | May 1, 2006 | 13.2% | 14.8% |
| 10 | May 2, 2006 | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 11 | May 8, 2006 | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| 12 | May 9, 2006 | 14.8% | 16.9% |
| 13 | May 15, 2006 | 13.5% | 15.2% |
| 14 | May 16, 2006 | 14.9% | 17.1% |
| 15 | May 22, 2006 | 13.8% | 15.7% |
| 16 | May 23, 2006 | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Average | Average | 13.5% | 15.0% |
Source: TNS Media Korea

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2006 | 33rd Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best Drama | Alone in Love | Won |
| 2006 | 33rd Korean Broadcasting Awards | Best Music | Noh Young-shim | Won |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Kam Woo-sung | Nominated |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | Son Ye-jin | Won |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries | Gong Hyung-jin | Won |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries | Oh Yoon-ah | Won |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Kam Woo-sung | Nominated |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Son Ye-jin | Won |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Lee Jin-wook | Won |
| 2006 | SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Lee Ha-na | Won |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Drama | Alone in Love | Nominated |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director | Han Ji-seung | Nominated |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress | Son Ye-jin | Won |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actress | Lee Ha-na | Nominated |
| 2007 | 40th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival | Platinum Remi Award (Series - Dramatic category) | Alone in Love | Won |

## International broadcast

The series aired in Japan on Hallyu cable channel KNTV in April 2007. It also aired in the United States with English subtitles on MHz WorldView in January 2010.
In Thailand, the series aired on Channel 7 from September 13, 2008, to November 2, 2008, on Saturdays and Sundays from 09:15 to 11:00 (ICT).