On the May 16 broadcast of the JTBC drama We’re all trying hereGo Youn Jung’s character Byun Eun Ah was shown comforting Hwang Dong Man, played by Koo Kyo Hwan.
After signing an endorsement contract with the Korea Film Council, Hwang Dong Man blew out the candles on a celebratory cake baked by Byun Eun Ah. However, instead of wishing for success, he began to regret his past mistakes. He confessed that he has finally realized the desperate emotions of people who once wished others would fail, only understanding their pain after facing their own struggles.
Sensing Hwang Dong Man’s fear and emotional instability, Byun Eun Ah told him, “If you want to escape, I will help you escape somehow.”
He then made Hwang Dong Man put on the clothes he was wearing, enveloping him in his embrace as he said: “If you ask me to run away with you, I will run away with you. If you say we should hide forever, then I will hide with you forever too.” Resting in his arms, Hwang Dong Man calmly replied, “I like that.”
Shortly after the episode aired, the scene sparked an intense reaction from viewers online.
Many criticized the moment with comments such as: “As a woman, this is humiliating” “It sounds like a mother comforting a whiny child, which made me uncomfortable,” AND “Watching a young woman hug an older man like a mother in a drama is disgusting.”
Other viewers also reacted harshly, including leaving comments “Creeping” AND “Repugnant.”
The controversial scene quickly spread across online communities and social media platforms, with many netizens debating whether the emotional dynamic between the two characters crossed the line into discomfort rather than romance or healing.
Sources: Daum
