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This article, Seoul Sisters, is created, written, and owned by JayStev85. Please do not edit this page without his permission. Thank you, and enjoy reading. |
Seoul Sisters (Korean: 서울 자매) is a South Korean comedy-drama television series created by Baek Woo-seok and produced by VESK. It currently airs on Tuesdays at 20:30 KST on VESK TV, and is simulcast internationally on VEXcess. It stars Yoo Seul-gi and Heo Mi-young in lead roles, with a supporting cast that includes Go Tae-woo, Hwang Da-eun, Lim Yeon-seo, Noah Moon, Min Su-bin, and Kwon Jong-woo.
The series follows two non-identical 30-year-old twins, Haewon and Eunji, who move into an apartment together following the breakdown of Haewon's marriage and the destruction of Eunji's home and belongings in a house fire. Together, the pair begin to rebuild the sibling bond that has been lost after nearly a decade of no contact, all the whilst trying to improve their own lives and managing complex friendships and relationships.
Baek Woo-seok was announced to be returning to VESK in April 2024, after a decade-long stint as a commercially successful movie director, marking his first television series since Show of Life! (2008-2013) on the same network. Seoul Sisters was announced as part of VESK TV's "Tune-in Tuesdays" programming block, being the series directly following the 2024-established Battleground K: Music Dojang!.
The series premiered to over 900,00 viewers nationwide, and averaged similar figures for the duration of its first season, occasionally garnering over 1 million viewers (most notably in the first season's finale, a series peak at over 1.4 million real-time viewers). Upon release, Seoul Sisters received positive reviews for its storylines, character writing, direction, soundtrack, and cast performances, whilst the program's comedic elements were panned. It was nominated for Best Drama Program at the 1st Hangang Entertainment Awards, whilst Yoo Seul-gi won Best Lead Actress and Go Tae-woo received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the same ceremony. It was renewed for a second season in December 2024.
Premise[]
The series revolves around the lives of two 30-year-old non-identical twin sisters, Bae Haewon (Yoo Seul-gi) and Bae Eunji (Heo Mi-young), who have been estranged for almost a decade, and decide to move in together after both of their prior living situations become compromised.
Haewon married at age 27 to young technology consultant Ju Jihun (Go Tae-woo). The pair had moved into a large, modern house following their marriage. Haewon decided to divorce Jihun because he wanted children and she did not, which had caused a rift between the pair. Additionally, neither wanted to lessen their workload, leading to a high-stress environment and a lack of care for one another. As Haewon ended the marriage, she moves out, and has to find a new place to stay before she can begin to pay for the divorce.
Eunji has never had a long-term relationship. She is a Biology teacher at a high school in South Korea and a very sociable person, but does not have a lot of money. She worked for years to afford a small apartment in the city, but she loses her house - and all her personal possessions - in a fire caused by a faulty wire. With no-where else to permanently stay, Eunji takes her insurance money and uses it to invest in a place to live with her sister.
The pair move in and struggle to connect after so many years apart. Haewon struggles to understand the financial struggles Eunji faces, and becomes envious of her sister's social nature, whilst Eunji resents Haewon for her initial superficiality, and later her attempts to distance herself from Eunji, but continues to look out for her sister in any way she can. The series follows their own journeys of self-improvement, all the whilst their bond is slowly rebuilt, piece by piece.
Characters[]
Main characters[]
- Bae Haewon (played by Yoo Seul-gi)
- Haewon is an upper-middle class business manager at a mid-range finance firm in Seoul. She is recently divorced from her husband, Ju Jihun. She initiated the divorce and has moved out, initially living with her best friend, Song Yoon-ah, before moving in with her twin sister, Bae Eunji.
- Haewon is driven by her career. She is often apprehensive about meeting new people, opting for a more reserved social approach. She is afraid of betrayal after her old best friend and work colleague, Ahreum, betrayed her and leaked private emails in order to get Haewon fired and take a work promotion for herself. Haewon likes to remain active in her career, and becomes anxious when not receiving validation at work, or not having a high workload.
- Money is not an issue for Haewon. Already looking to gain a large sum of money from Jihun through their divorce, she also is in a high-earning job and has become accustomed to a lavish lifestyle. She has many connections with millionaires in South Korea. She struggles to connect with the issues of the working class, and can often be elitist and classist.
- Haewon’s work-oriented lifestyle, combined with her overbearing marriage, has led her to sever ties with many of her friends. Her fear of betrayal means she keeps her distance from her co-workers. Secretly, Haewon longs to connect to people and loosen up more in her life, but between her work, her divorce, and reconnecting with Eunji, she feels she is unable to do so.
- Bae Eunji (played by Heo Mi-young)
- Eunji is a working-class high school teacher who is short on money. Her job does not earn her a lot and rent was very high in Seoul, but she managed to make do with what she had. However, her apartment burns down due to a faulty wire in her fridge, and Eunji loses everything she has worked for. This proves to be a great knock on her morale. In a moment of desperation, Eunji reaches out to her estranged sister, Haewon, for help, and the pair move in together.
- Eunji is outgoing, sociable, friendly, and extroverted. She is a popular teacher amongst students and colleagues and maintains connections with a lot of friends she made during high school and university. She enjoys going out with friends but has failed to find success in her love life, despite wanting a boyfriend. She enjoys arts and crafts, often painting and making miniatures, and begins studying photography.
- Money has always been an issue for Eunji. She is consistently budgeting her money, not spending on anything she doesn’t deem as a necessity. She is used to struggling to cover rent and bills each week, and she thus butts heads with her sister, Haewon.
- Eunji loves coffee and often visits the Vine Tree Café in Seoul, where she is a regular. Content with her career and her life, Eunji is driven by a desire to find love and a want to connect with her sister once more. Her best friend is Heo Hayoon, and her “workplace husband” is Min Sanghoon.
Supporting characters[]
- Ju Jihun (played by Go Taewoo)
- Jihun is Haewon’s soon-to-be ex-husband. He loves Haewon, but understands and accepts the reasons behind their divorce. He is given the house from the get-go, but disagrees with the amount of money Haewon is asking for. He always wanted a child. He works as a technology consultant for a Seoul-based company. He secretly longs to get back with Haewon, although he understands this isn’t rational. He attempts to be her friend and maintain contact with her.
- Song Yoonah (played by Hwang Da-eun)
- Yoonah is Haewon’s best friend. She works in marketing for a Seoul-based fashion firm. Yoonah is similarly career-driven but is also very sociable in comparison to Haewon. She is happily married to her husband, Park Hojun, and is also very generous. She is aware of social issues and often engages in charitable events.
- Ahreum (played by Lim Yeon-seo)
- Ahreum is an ex-best friend of Haewon’s. She was a university friend and later a colleague at a finance firm alongside Haewon, and the pair grew very close, even discussing plans of starting up their own company together. Ahreum later leaked private emails of Haewon’s, where she complained about the company, when the pair were competing for a promotion. Haewon was ousted from the company and cut ties with Ahreum. Ahreum returns to Haewon’s life seeking forgiveness following a miscarriage.
- Shin Wonjun (played by Noah Moon)
- Wonjun is a barista at the Vine Tree Café in Seoul. He joins the company a few episodes into the first season, replacing Sohee, the previous barista. At 29 years old, Wonjun longs to be a film director, and is part of an improv group in Seoul. Wonjun and Eunji often flirt, and he develops feelings for her.
- Heo Hayoon (played by Min Su-bin)
- Hayoon is Eunji’s best friend. The pair met at university. Hayoon is a journalist – she has a passion for writing, and enjoys the research element of her job. She is an audiophile, collecting many audio devices and being a music fanatic.
- Min Sanghoon (played by Kwon Jong-woo)
- Sanghoon is a fellow teacher at Eunji’s workplace. He specialises in teaching Chemistry. Sanghoon has a crush on Eunji that is not reciprocated initially. He struggles to connect with his classes and is often seen as “strict”, but deep down wants the students to like him.
- Sohee (played by )
- Sohee is initially introduced as the barista at Vine Tree Cafe, before leaving early on in season one. He maintains contact with Eunji and becomes a good friend of hers.
Synopsis[]
See also: List of Seoul Sisters episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 22 | September 17, 2024 | February 25, 2025 | VESK TV |
Season 1[]
30-year-old Bae Haewon has moved out of the house she shared with her husband, Ju Jihun, following their separation, which stemmed from Jihun's desire for children which Haewon did not share, as well as neither career-driven individuals making time for one another. She moves in with her best friend Yoonah but is soon contacted by her estranged non-identical twin sister Bae Eunji, who has lost everything she owned in a fire at her apartment. The pair move in together in a modest flat in Seoul, decided on after disagreements over housing budgets which stem from Haewon having significantly more money than her sister. Although initially bonding, Haewon soon becomes jealous of Eunji's social life, causing her to pull away and creating a significant rift between the pair. Eunji's disappointment over this leads her to go out constantly to avoid Haewon in the flat, which ends after her bank account goes into overdraft. Haewon is also stuck tackling lingering feelings between her and Jihun: the pair have a heart-to-heart on their wedding anniversary where they confess they still love each other but acknowledge they cannot be together. The past comes back to haunt Haewon when her ex-best friend, Ahreum, appears at her workplace begging to speak to her after no contact for over five years, initiated by Haewon after Ahreum betrayed her in order to secure a workplace promotion. Ahreum is seeking forgiveness after two-years of soul searching following a miscarriage, but Haewon seems uninterested.
Haewon and Eunji eventually make amends and Eunji begins to work more hours at the school she works at by helping out for other classes, including the chemistry class of a teacher called Sanghoon, whom Eunji gives advice to after he confides in her that he's struggling to bond with students. Sanghoon tries to flirt with Eunji, but she instead becomes enamoured with the new barista at her favourite coffee store, Vine Tree Cafe. The barista, Wonjun, hits it off with Eunji, whilst Sanghoon becomes more overbearing. Meanwhile, Haewon is shocked when Ahreum assumes an internship at the financial firm Haewon is a Business Manager at: she is tasked with mentoring Ahreum but is told she may be rewarded with a promotion if she does so, which motivates her to put the past behind her and start a new, professional relationship with Ahreum. Haewon also tries to pursue a friendship with Jihun and the pair meet to go to the theatre and talk over the phone, which inspires a newfound confidence in Haewon. This abruptly ends however following a nightmare that she loses her promotion, which triggers a spiral into paranoia as she overworks herself to impress her bosses, all the whilst fearing Ahreum will make her look bad and take her job from her. Eunji meanwhile decides to make a move on Wonjun and asks for his number: he gives it to her, but immediately after is greeted by his girlfriend, Mya. Eunji, realising she has fallen for a taken man, impulsively decides to ask Sanghoon out to dinner for a date and begins avoiding Vine Tree Cafe. Although initially seeming to date Sanghoon to get back at Wonjun, she soon develops real feelings for her co-worker, though struggles to be intimate at the school. Jihun attempts to distract Haewon from work but this fails and she collapses due to overworking herself. After taking a day off, she returns to hear that Ahreum has completed some of her assignments, fuelling her paranoia. This subsides however when she is invited to interview for the position of Executive Business Manager at the company following the end of the internships. The euphoria she experiences from the workplace validation leads Haewon to forget all about her doubts surrounding her and Ahreum's new relationship and she deems Ahreum her friend. Meanwhile, Eunji continues to avoid Wonjun and Vine Tree Cafe until he finds her one night and tells her he misses talking to her, prompting her to talk to him again. She later takes Sanghoon to the cafe where he sees her and Wonjun interact and becomes insecure.
Ahreum's internship ends and Haewon writes a positive report about her, leading the pair to hug. Eunji expresses her doubts about this to Wonjun but Sanghoon becomes worried they're spending too much time together and tells Eunji he is scared she has feelings for Wonjun. Eunji denies this and Sanghoon asks to make their relationship official but this takes Eunji off-guard and Sanghoon apologises, with the pair agreeing to talk about it later on. That night, Wonjun calls Eunji and she tells him they should stop talking. Haewon has a successful interview at her work but the confidence is short-lived when Ahreum rings to tell Haewon she has a date with Jihun. The next day, Haewon confronts Ahreum, but Ahreum claims she never knew her and Jihun were married, stating the only connection she thought the pair had was when Jihun was briefly an intern at the company Haewon and Ahreum worked together at around 5 years ago. Haewon doesn't know whether to believe Ahreum but her anger lies more so with Jihun, so she goes to confront him. When she arrives at the house they used to share, their heated argument turns sexual and the pair kiss, before sleeping together. When she awakes, she leaves the house in disgust, telling Jihun she is going to get a lawyer and then never wants to see him again. Meanwhile, Haewon arrives at Vine Tree Cafe and confesses her feelings to Wonjun, leaving before he can respond to her. Following the next few days, Haewon ignores calls from Ahreum and Eunji ignores texts from Wonjun. On the Friday after sleeping with Jihun, Haewon is told she did not secure the position of Executive Business Manager, which causes her to breakdown and cry. Eunji goes on a date with Sanghoon where they both expect him to ask her to be his girlfriend but she goes to the bathroom midway through to listen to a voicemail from Wonjun, however he is simply confirming they cannot be together. Impulsively, Eunji returns to Sanghoon and asks him to be her girlfriend. When she returns from the date, she finds Haewon crying over the fact she is now pregnant.
Episodes[]
Season 1 (2024-2025)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Air date | Viewership (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | September 17, 2024 | 0.95 |
| Bae Haewon has a huge argument with her husband, Ju Jihun, which ends with her tearily expressing her unhappiness in their marriage and her desire to have a divorce. She eventually moves out of their shared house and into her best friend Yoonah’s apartment. Meanwhile, her non-identical estranged twin sister Bae Eunji gets home from work to find her apartment on fire. Everything inside her property has been destroyed and she has been left with nothing. Distraught, she decides to reach out to the only family member she knows: Haewon. She gets to Haewon’s house only to find Jihun, who directs her to Yoonah’s apartment. There, the two sisters see each other for the first time in ten years, where they both get emotional. The Bae sisters decide to move in together after a long night of drinking and of opening up. | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Box of Stuff" | September 24, 2024 | 0.86 |
| Haewon and Eunji begin searching for a place to live, but the differences between Haewon and Eunji’s life become apparent: namely, the sisters disagree over the budget for the residence which they live. Eunji does not want to be financially dependent on Haewon but also cannot afford the places Haewon wishes to live. Now sober, the rift between the sisters that has grown for 10 years becomes apparent. After an argument at a house viewing, Haewon leaves, only to be rung by Jihun and asked to pick her stuff up. When Haewon arrives, she realises how superficial many of the stuff she owns is, and realises there is more to life than simply living in luxury. She packs a single box, telling Jihun to throw the rest out, before finding Eunji and agreeing on a modest flat rental together. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Decorating" | October 1, 2024 | 0.88 |
| Eunji and Haewon move in to the barren flat, with Haewon’s single box of belongings serving as the only interior decoration. Haewon decides to go shopping with Yoonah whilst Eunji returns to work for the first time since her apartment burnt down. There, she meets Sanghoon, a chemistry teacher who has been covering Eunji’s classes. Although being brief acquaintances, this meeting is their first true conversation, where Sanghoon compliments her hair. Haewon and Yoonah begin spending lavishly on superficial luxury goods, without much consideration for Eunji’s needs. When they return home and decorate the flat, Haewon realises how she has fallen back into the same trap of simply spending money frivolously, and also realises she hasn’t bought anything for Eunji. Eunji returns home before Haewon can rush to the shops, where she sees the stuff Haewon has purchased. Before they can argue, Haewon apologises for buying things without Eunji’s input, promising to return the goods and to not go shopping for the flat without her. Eunji smiles and thanks Haewon, but the interaction turns awkward when neither sister wants to initiate a hug. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Warm Embrace" | October 8, 2024 | 0.93 |
| Haewon returns to work after using a large chunk of her vacation days. Although her co-workers show interest in her personal life, and offer their emotional support during her separation, Haewon brushes them off and maintains distance, opting instead to catch up on the work she has missed during her time off. During her shift, Jihun rings her, but he does not say anything when she answers. Jihun is suffering living alone in the house he used to share with Haewon, and is missing her profusely. Meanwhile, Eunji meets her best friend, Hayoon, during the both of their lunch breaks. Hayoon, a journalist, tells Eunji she’s preparing to write about social injustice and class differences in South Korea. Eunji hears this and is reminded of her new-founded relationship with Haewon. Hayoon, knowing this, asks if she can get Eunji’s perspective on what it is like living with someone who is upper-middle class. Eunji agrees, and takes part in the interview, where she labels Haewon as superficial and driven by money, and money only. When Eunji returns to the flat, Haewon is crying on their sofa. Eunji sits by her, where Haewon tells her that she feels so alone. Finally, the two sisters hug. Afterwards, Eunji rings Hayoon and asks her to pull the interview from the article. | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Here Lies The Vase" | October 15, 2024 | 0.79 |
| Haewon and Eunji head to Vine Tree Café, a place Eunji recommended to her sister. When they arrive, Eunji has banter with the barista, Sohee, which makes Haewon envious of Eunji. Feeling inadequate compared to her sister, Haewon begins to become distant. She starts avoiding Eunji when she’s in the kitchen, eating at 23:47 one night in order to not be in the same room as Eunji. Eunji recognises that Haewon is pulling away, and is sad that, despite the progress the sisters had seemingly made, the rift is ever-present. Not wanting to chase after someone who isn’t interested, Eunji makes plans to go out with Hayoon. The pair meet with more friends and go clubbing, where Eunji continues to buy drinks. When she gets home that night, she finds Jihun standing outside the flat, and she introduces herself to him, not knowing who he is. When Jihun realises Haewon has reconnected with her sister, he understands how distant he has become to her, and how much has changed in such little time, so he heads home. When Eunji enters the flat, she stumbles around and accidentally breaks a vase that was one of the only possessions Haewon brought back from her and Jihun’s house. The noise awakes Haewon who discovers the broken vase, and yells at Eunji. The pair argue over the events of the past week, with Eunji calling Haewon out for being distant and exclaiming that she’s not going to keep trying to repair their sibling friendship if Haewon doesn’t want to. With that, she storms off to her room. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Wound, Reopened" | October 22, 2024 | 0.97 |
| Haewon continues to avoid Eunji in the flat. She heads to work early, only to find her ex-best friend, Ahreum, waiting outside. When she sees Ahreum, Haewon freezes, not knowing how to respond. Ahreum tells Haewon that she managed to find out where Haewon works and says she’s there to make amends. Haewon is unable to compute this and tells Ahreum to leave. Haewon gets into her office and begins to work at an alarmingly fast rate in order to keep her brain occupied. Meanwhile, after chatting with Sohee at the Vine Tree Café, Eunji heads to work and is approached by Sanghoon in the staff room. He attempts to flirt with her by complimenting her outfit and telling her he'd like to get to know her more, but Eunji quickly realises his intentions and finds an excuse to leave the staff room. That evening, when Haewon leaves her office, Ahreum is still waiting outside, saying she just wants to talk. Haewon lashes out at Ahreum and tells her that she has not, for one second, regretted cutting her off five years ago. Ahreum says she knows, and she doesn’t recognise the version of her that betrayed Haewon. Haewon tells Ahreum to get a journal to write her thoughts in, because Haewon doesn’t want to hear them. Before Ahreum can respond, Haewon storms off. She returns home to see the vase still broken on the ground, the shards in a small pile in the corner of the flat. When she enters the kitchen, she sees Eunji. Eunji goes to greet her, but Haewon leaves and goes to her room, where she cries in her bed. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Honesty is the Best Policy" | October 29, 2024 | 0.86 |
| Eunji goes to Vine Tree Café, where Sohee asks for her number. She seems surprised by the question, but Sohee tells her it’s because he is leaving the café to work at a new luxury café elsewhere in the city, and wants to remain friends with her. She writes her number to give to him, before heading to work. During her break, Eunji walks around and finds Sanghoon’s chemistry class, where she listens in and is surprised at how strict he is with his students, especially compared to how he acts around her. Sanghoon notices her spying on his class, but doesn’t actively acknowledge it until lunchtime, where he approaches her on the school playground. She says she was just curious, and he asks for her opinion on his teaching, confiding in her that he wants the students to like him, but is struggling to form a bond. Eunji tries to be polite, referring to his teaching as “a little harsh”. Sanghoon thanks her for her honesty, before leaving, Eunji watches him walk away, and feels bad for him that the kids have not warmed to him. Meanwhile, Haewon heads to work, where she is told by her boss that the company will be getting two new interns in a few weeks time, and that she will be shadowed by one. Although unhappy with this, Haewon respectfully agrees. She is later rung by Ahreum at work, who begs Haewon to simply meet with her. Haewon does so and the pair head to Vine Tree Café, where Haewon tells Ahreum her sister recommended the place. Ahreum tries to ask about Haewon reconnecting with her sister, but Haewon simply wants to hear what Ahreum has to say. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Card Declined" | November 5, 2024 | 0.92 |
| Ahreum tells Haewon that she had a miscarriage two years ago. Haewon is shocked by this information. Ahreum continues, saying it destroyed her. She quit her work and left South Korea to independently explore most of Asia, staying in hostels and completing odd jobs for money. She tells Haewon that the experience led her to re-evaluate where she had been in her life, acknowledging how heartless and cutthroat she had become – and how much she had wronged Haewon. Haewon looks at Ahreum and offers her sympathies but tells her that no amount of changing will undo the damage Ahreum has done. Although Ahreum tries to convince Haewon she’s changed, Haewon responds by telling Ahreum she doesn’t believe anyone is capable of true change, before leaving the café. It is nighttime when Haewon gets home, and Eunji is on the phone to Sohee when she arrives. When she sees Haewon, she quickly rushes to end the phone call and grabs her purse, before walking out the door. Eunji once again decides to go clubbing, this time with Sohee. It is implied she has gone out a lot more frequently in the past week than she has ever done before, a realisation that hits her when her card gets declined at the club bar. She heads to an ATM to discover she is in overdraft, and Eunji realises she doesn’t truly earn enough money to fund the lifestyle she is currently living. On her way back to the club, she is harassed by a drunk man, but Sohee finds her after noticing she was missing and gets the drunk man to leave her alone. Eunji starts crying and hugs Sohee, saying that she feels she has hit “rock bottom”. Sohee walks Eunji home and helps her inside, before heading home. Eunji is sitting in the kitchen, sobbing, whilst Haewon is seen listening in on her through the wall. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "I'm Sorry" | November 12, 2024 | 1.01 |
| Eunji wakes up to a cooked breakfast from Haewon, who tells her sister that they need to talk. Haewon apologises for pulling away from Eunji but tells her that they need to get along if their living situation is going to work. Eunji solemnly agrees and thanks Haewon for the breakfast, before rushing to work, without giving Haewon an apology. Haewon herself gets to work, where she gets a reminder on her phone of her and Jihun’s wedding anniversary. She gets emotional, and after work rings Jihun, asking to come over to talk, which he agrees with. Meanwhile, Eunji offers to work overtime covering classes during her breaks in order to earn more money, to which her understanding boss accepts so long as the quality of her work doesn’t decline. She is assigned to help with Sanghoon’s chemistry class, where she talks to some of the students, and gets along with them. Sanghoon watches on in awe, wanting to learn from Eunji. After the class, Sanghoon asks Eunji to teach him to get along better with his students. The pair spend multiple hours after work inside Sanghoon’s classroom, where Eunji gives him advice and makes him practice scenarios. The pair then leave after a janitor informs them he’s locking up. When Haewon arrives at Jihun’s, the pair have a heart to heart, where they tell each other they love each other. Jihun asks her to be with him again, but Haewon reminds him of why they separated: he wants a child, and she doesn’t, and they couldn’t make time for each other with their work. She tells Jihun it’s not healthy for either of them to compromise on such major elements of their life. Jihun understands Haewon’s perspective but asks if they can still be friends. Haewon smiles but tells him she needs time to heal, before leaving. When Haewon returns home, dinner has been cooked for her by Eunji, who gives Haewon the apology she didn’t give earlier. The pair hug, before beginning to eat together. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Enter: Wonjun" | November 19, 2024 | 0.91 |
| Following the end of their era of avoidance, Haewon and Eunji once again head to the Vine Tree Café, where they meet Wonjun, the new barista who has taken over from Sohee. Eunji’s interaction with Wonjun is awkward as she stands in silence, not realising Wonjun doesn’t know her regular order. Once she tells him (A vanilla and caramel double-shot iced latte) she goes to make conversation, but Wonjun already gets to work making the drink. Afterwards, the sisters separate to get to work. At the school, Eunji once again shadows Sanghoon’s chemistry class, where she sees that he is attempting to be nicer to his students and feels proud that he has taken her teaching on board. At the end of the class, once the students have left, he asks her how he did, to which she responds that she’s proud of him. He hugs her, but this catches Eunji off-guard, who awkwardly leaves soon after. Meanwhile, Haewon’s shift takes a turn for the worst when her boss introduces the two new interns in the company – one of them being Ahreum. She fakes smiles to Ahreum when they are paired together, but soon after begs her boss to be in charge of guiding the other intern. The boss says he can do it, but that it will make Haewon look weak, also teasing that there may be a promotion available for Haewon in the near future if she toughs it out. Thus, Haewon spends the rest of the day being professional with Ahreum, but ignoring any attempts Ahreum makes at small and/or personal talk. After work, the sisters meet again at the Vine Tree Café where they share details about their days. Whilst queuing for drinks, Eunji tells Haewon about the hug between her and Sanghoon, and Haewon tells Eunji about the new intern being her ex-best friend. Eunji wants to know more, but before Haewon can continue, Wonjun calls out Eunji’s name and gives her her regular drink before Eunji even orders it, reminding her of the promise he made earlier in the day. This causes Eunji to smile and blush, before the pair walk back to the apartment. When they get inside, Haewon sits Eunji down and begins to reveal her and Ahreum’s past. | ||||
| 11 | 11 | "A Tale of Betrayal" | November 26, 2024 | 1.12 |
| The story of Ahreum and Haewon is narrated by the latter whilst simultaneously depicted in flashbacks. Ahreum and Haewon met as first years at university, bonding over their state school background in an institution surrounded by private school alumni. The pair joined the university’s track and field teams and, over the course of three years, developed a strong friendship. They later both graduated with first class degrees and proceeded to join Namgung finance, a mid-range financial firm. Although the pair both joined as secretaries, they both later received promotions to become associates. During their time at the firm, the pair would often discuss creating their own company one day as business partners. During this time also, Haewon met Jihun, her soon-to-be husband, who began as an intern in the company. Despite their very close friendship, Haewon kept Jihun a secret from Ahreum. One day, Haewon and Ahreum’s boss announced a new opening as senior associate in the company, which came with a large salary increase – however, there was only one opening available, meaning Ahreum and Haewon would have to compete. After confiding to Jihun about how she didn’t want to compete against Ahreum, Haewon and Ahreum met to discuss their plans to have whoever loses the promotion move company in order to maintain their friendship with one another. Two days later, Haewon was called in by her boss, where it is revealed Ahreum leaked personal emails between herself and Haewon of Haewon complaining about – and insulting – her peers and her bosses. Haewon is fired from the company as a result, and she realises Ahreum leaked the emails to get the promotion. Hurt from the betrayal, Haewon cut Ahreum out of her life instantly and began spending more time with Jihun, where their romance bloomed, but the incident has left Haewon forever untrusting. After telling her the story, Eunji tells Haewon that she can always trust her sister, and that Ahreum’s internship is only temporary. She also says that if Haewon ever needs to complain about people at her work, Eunji won’t tell anyone. Haewon thanks her sister, before saying she will simply have to suck it up and face Ahreum at work. | ||||
| 12 | 12 | "Number Exchange" | December 3, 2024 | 0.90 |
| Haewon has called in sick to avoid seeing Ahreum, so Eunji heads to work on her own, where she interacts with Wonjun at Vine Tree Café. The pair exchange words, where Wonjun compliments Eunji’s earrings and Eunji acknowledges Wonjun’s AWKWARD BOY SYNDROME pin badge on his apron. After getting her coffee, she goes to ask for Wonjun’s number, but he has already moved on to serving the next customer, so she heads to work. There, she bumps into Sanghoon, who asks her if she likes ramen. She confirms she does, after which Sanghoon asks if she wants to accompany him to a new ramen store down the road. The pair go during their lunch break, where they talk and laugh. Afterwards, Sanghoon gives Eunji his number – in case she needs to call – and she thanks him, however she also begins to realise that Sanghoon may have feelings for her, though she doesn’t ask. Meanwhile, Yoonah visits Haewon at the flat after the two had a phone call where Haewon explained why she called in sick from work. There, she gives Haewon a pep talk about not letting Ahreum get her down, and overcoming the negative influence Ahreum has had on her life once and for all. Haewon, admiring the spirit of her best friend, agrees to stop avoiding Ahreum. Whilst walking home from the school in the dark, Eunji gets scared she is being followed and rings Sanghoon to keep her company. However, when she reaches Vine Tree Café and sees Wonjun at work inside, she quickly rushes to end her conversation with Sanghoon before walking into the café to talk to Wonjun. | ||||
| 13 | 13 | "Cover For Me" | December 10, 2024 | 1.03 |
| Haewon and Eunji arrive at Vine Tree Café to find an abnormally large queue due to a special offer being on. Haewon says they can’t stay or they’ll both be late for work, but Eunji, wanting to speak to Wonjun, rings Sanghoon and asks him to cover for her, which he agrees to. Eunji begins to feel guilty about using Sanghoon to advance her relationship with Wonjun, but the guilt fades when she reaches the till and speaks with Wonjun, where they share a pleasant but brief conversation. When Haewon gets to work, she offers Ahreum to pay for her lunch at a nearby restaurant in order to start their professional relationship on a better note than before. During the lunch, Haewon tells Ahreum she no longer wants to discuss the past because the hurt can’t be undone and she won’t change her mind about the situation nor will she forgive Ahreum, but she also says they can make the most of the situation they are in now. Ahreum agrees to these terms and thanks Haewon for not trying to get in the way of the internship, also stating that she didn’t apply to the company with an ulterior motive, but rather because she wants to re-ignite her career. The pair discuss Ahreum’s future aims for her working life. Meanwhile, at the school, Eunji arrives midway through her first period which is being taught by Sanghoon, who has quite literally covered the class for her, as opposed to make an excuse for her absence. She takes over and thanks Sanghoon but is not focused for the rest of the class as she is too busy wondering why Sanghoon even covered the class in the first place. She discusses this with him after, to which he says he must have re-interpreted her request, but Eunji feels uncomfortable and declines Sanghoon’s offer to have lunch with him. That night, Eunji waits outside Haewon’s work to surprise her, only to see her walking out talking with Ahreum. Haewon introduces Ahreum to Eunji, and the pair shake hands. Haewon and Ahreum part ways, but as the Bae sisters head back to their flat, Eunji begins to doubt Haewon’s honesty. | ||||
| 14 | 14 | "A Night at the Theatre" | December 17, 2024 | 1.09 |
| Eunji and Sohee are talking on the phone, discussing each other’s love lives. After hearing about Sohee’s new girlfriend, Eunji tells Sohee about Sanghoon. When he asks her if she likes him back, she says no, and when prying more, Sohee is told by Eunji that she has a crush on his Vine Tree Café replacement, Wonjun. Intrigued, the pair plan to meet the next day so Sohee can inspect the new barista. In another room, Haewon is on the phone to Jihun, discussing Ahreum. Haewon says it’s been weird having Ahreum back in her life, and that the ex-friend seems to genuinely be different, at least to an extent. Jihun praises Haewon for being strong enough to put matters behind them. Jihun asks if Haewon could see if the now separated couple could but matters behind them to go to the theatre, as his work has given him two tickets. She is hesitant, but he assures her it would just be as friends, as although he still loves her, he knows they cannot be together. Haewon agrees. The next day, Eunji and Sohee meet Wonjun at Vine Tree Café and, as it is a lull in the café’s usual traffic (something Sohee was aware of) it gives the trio ample time for discourse, after which Sohee approves of Eunji’s crush and she tells him she wants to get his number. On the way back, Sanghoon rings Eunji’s phone, but she lets it go to voicemail. Meanwhile, Haewon and Jihun have a nice evening at the theatre, having a friendly pizza beforehand and getting ice cream afterwards. He walks her back, and the pair hug, before Jihun turns and walks away. Haewon smiles to herself, believing that she is making strides in her friendships. | ||||
| 15 | 15 | "Things Fall Apart" | January 7, 2025 | 0.95 |
| Haewon has a nightmare that she loses the promotion, and begins to become nervous that her current work is not enough to earn the promotion dangled in front of her by her boss. She heads to work early and begins to type away tirelessly at her computer, and skips her lunch break that day. Meanwhile, Eunji goes to her boss and asks to go back to her regular hours and cease helping out in classes for extra cash, having built up a comfortable amount of money to place into an ISA and wanting to avoid Sanghoon. Afterwards, Sanghoon approaches her in the staff room at lunch and asks why she wasn’t shadowing her classes. She tells him she’s had to cut back on hours, but leaves the conversation to go to the toilet, where she spends the remainder of lunch. Ahreum notices that Haewon skipped lunch to work and forces her to take a break by sitting in the staff room and having coffee. Haewon doesn’t trust Ahreum enough to tell her the reason for her stress, so instead begins to talk about Ahreum’s internship, insinuating she isn’t doing enough. Ahreum laughs and says that some things never change, but this comment strikes Haewon as odd and makes her question whether she is doing the right thing by pursuing a second friendship with Ahreum. She finishes work hours after everybody else, and heads home. Meanwhile, Eunji heads to Vine Tree Café and talks to Wonjun, before asking for his number. Wonjun laughs and gives it to her, before another young woman comes into the café and embraces Wonjun. He introduces her to Eunji as his girlfriend, Mya, who shakes Eunji’s hands and compliments her makeup. Eunji, realising she has fallen for a taken man, quickly leaves and cries on her way home. When she gets in, she rings Sanghoon and asks him if he wants to go to dinner with her sometime. | ||||
| 16 | 16 | "Burnout" | January 14, 2025 | 0.88 |
| Eunji and Sanghoon have set a date for Friday evening at a fancy Korean restaurant, and in the run up to the date, she has avoided the Vine Tree Café. However, Jihun comes to visit Haewon’s flat and Haewon asks Eunji to take them to the café. The trio head there, where Eunji awkwardly introduces Haewon and Jihun and walks off soon after to leave the remaining three to converse. Haewon notices something is up but doesn’t raise it whilst Jihun is around. Once Jihun heads home, Haewon inquires about Eunji’s behaviour. Eunji explains that she has a crush on Wonjun, but he has a girlfriend. Haewon pries as to why Eunji has agreed to go on a date with Sanghoon if her feelings lie elsewhere, and she is brutally honest, explaining that at least she knows Sanghoon likes her. Wanting to be supportive, Haewon tells Eunji she is here for her. Jihun calls Haewon when he reaches home and asks if their hang-out session helped her take her mind off of work, which has been increasingly all-consuming for her. Haewon says it has, but whilst on call with Jihun she can be seen sending work-related emails in her bedroom. On Friday, Haewon reaches work to hear that Ahreum has the day off. She believes she has to compensate for a day without guiding an intern, so accepts extra assignments on top of the ones she already has in order to impress her boss. At the end of the day, Haewon stumbles home and collapses at the front door. Meanwhile, Eunji and Sanghoon go to the restaurant, where he confesses he has liked her for some time. He thanks her for how supportive she has been at work and promises her he doesn’t feel owed a second date once the night is over. Walking over a bridge, the pair are spotted by Wonjun and Mya, who call out to them and have a brief conversation which makes Eunji uncomfortable. After they leave, Eunji kisses Sanghoon on the bridge, with Wonjun still in eyeshot. He walks her home as they hold hands, but once they reach the flat, they find Haewon unconscious. | ||||
| 17 | 17 | "Replacement" | January 21, 2025 | 0.99 |
| Haewon awakes in her bed at 11am, and instantly rushes to get ready, but Eunji bursts into the room with a herbal tea and tells Haewon that she needs to rest and that she has the day off of work. Haewon hears this and panics, thinking that the company won’t believe she’s loyal and thus she will lose her promotion. Eunji tells Haewon she passed out, and that she’s worried for her sister – this is enough to get Haewon to calm down for the day and rest in bed with Eunji, where the two talk about their lives – Haewon expresses her worries about Ahreum not having changed, whilst Eunji expresses her conflicting feelings about Wonjun and Sanghoon. That evening, Sanghoon rings to ask if Eunji is okay with Haewon, as well as discussing plans for a second date. The next day, Haewon goes to work only to be told some of her assignments have been completed by Ahreum. Haewon starts panicking again, worried that Ahreum is trying to get the promotion. She finds Ahreum who is friendly to her and says she knew Haewon was overworked and didn’t want her to have even more work to return to. Haewon realises that even if Ahreum does have ulterior motives, it’s wrong to cause conflict in the workplace, so she simply thanks Ahreum and returns to her desk. After school, Eunji and Sanghoon go to an arcade, where they play games together and enjoy themselves. Eunji starts to feel more confident in her feelings towards Sanghoon and the pair once again kiss. That night, Jihun rings Haewon to ask about how repairing the relationship between herself and Ahreum is going – Haewon lies and says it is going well and that Ahreum has changed, when in reality she has her doubts. | ||||
| 18 | 18 | "I Miss Talking To You" | January 28, 2025 | 0.91 |
| Haewon and Yoonah go to the Vine Tree Café where Wonjun greets them both and asks Haewon if Eunji is okay, as she hasn’t turned up in a while. Haewon covers for Eunji and says that she’s been snowed under with work, an answer seemingly acceptable to Wonjun. In reality, Eunji has been avoiding the café altogether. At work, Eunji and Sanghoon are talking in the staff room, when he goes to hold her hand, but she pulls away and leaves. He later asks her about it and Eunji says she doesn’t feel the relationship is serious enough to be displaying it at work, also acknowledging that she’s unsure of the rules surrounding workplace relationships. Sanghoon apologises for acting too forward, and the pair share a brief kiss when nobody is looking. Haewon continues to work hard, and later has a meeting with her boss, who tells her the internships are ending in two weeks. He congratulates her over her work on the internship and her increased productivity, continuing to describe the new opening as Executive Business Manager which he subsequently invites her to interview for once the internships are over. Having received some validation for her work, Haewon nearly cries as she thanks her boss, before finding Ahreum and hugging her, completely forgetting about the doubts she was having. After work ends for Eunji, her and Sanghoon go to watch a movie, where they share popcorn, and she places her head on his shoulder. They kiss outside the theatre before he pays for her taxi ride home. Meanwhile, Haewon tells Ahreum about her upcoming promotion and afterwards the pair celebrate at a bar, where Haewon gets extremely drunk. Ahreum, concerned for her friend, rings Eunji to ask her to help get Haewon home. On her way to pick Haewon up, Eunji walks past Vine Tree Café, where Wonjun spots her and runs out calling her name. She stops to talk to him, where he asks her where she’s been and if she ever used his number for anything. Eunji apologises, and when Wonjun tells her he misses talking to her, she smiles and shares the same sentiment. She tells him she has to pick up her sister but promises to ring. After finding Ahreum and Haewon and helping Haewon back to the flat, Eunji rings Wonjun and the pair begin talking. | ||||
| 19 | 19 | "Goodbye Interns!" | February 4, 2025 | 0.84 |
| It’s the final week of Ahreum’s internship and Haewon has to write a report on her progress which, if positive, Ahreum plans to add onto her resume. Whilst writing it, Haewon acknowledges how driven and committed Ahreum has been, and reflects on how much closer they now are. After handing in the report to her boss, she is given a date and time for her interview, which she gleefully accepts. At the end of the shift, Ahreum thanks Haewon for writing the report, to which Haewon laughs and says it’s the least she can do for a friend. Ahreum tears up upon hearing this and the pair hug. Meanwhile, Sanghoon and Eunji are coming back from a date when he asks her where her comfort place in the city is. She tells him its Vine Tree Café and the pair run to get a drink there before it closes for the night, where they talk to Wonjun. Sanghoon sees the chemistry Eunji and Wonjun have and becomes silently concerned but chalks it down to insecurity and walks Eunji home without issue, kissing her goodbye. The next day, Eunji takes the morning off to help Haewon set up a “Goodbye Interns!” party at her workplace. Haewon tells Eunji her and Ahreum are friends again – Eunji responds with surprise, bringing up how Haewon said she doesn’t think Ahreum has changed. Haewon gets defensive and says she was mistaken with the prior judgement, causing Eunji to leave the topic alone and leave the building once the party is set up. On her way to work, she stops off at Vine Tree Café, where she expresses her concerns about Ahreum to Wonjun, who was likely told about the situation offscreen. When Eunji gets to work, Sanghoon asks where she was – she tells him about Haewon’s work, but not about the café. At the “Goodbye Interns!” party, Haewon tells Ahreum how proud she is of her and her growth, and Ahreum expresses her gratitude for being given a second chance. The pair once again hug. | ||||
| 20 | 20 | "Red Dress" | February 11, 2025 | 0.77 |
| Now no longer an intern, Ahreum is asked by Haewon to go shopping for a new suit for Haewon to wear to her interview the next day. The pair enjoy shopping, where Haewon feels like things are now normal between them. Understanding there is a lot Ahreum doesn’t know about Haewon’s life since the betrayal, she thinks about how to bring it up. Whilst shopping, Ahreum sees a red dress she likes and Haewon gets her to try it on – Ahreum later buys it, thanking Haewon for the advice. Meanwhile, Eunji goes to Vine Tree Café to see Wonjun. When she enters, Sanghoon rings, but she tells him she can’t talk at that moment because she’s in the café. She soon notices the barista isn’t Wonjun, as Wonjun is on his break – he comes out to greet her, and the pair sit and make friendly conversation for the remainder of Wonjun’s break, which is 40 minutes. At the end of the conversation, Sanghoon rings her again, and asks about the noise in the background of her call, to which she explains she’s still at the café. Sanghoon gets upset hearing this and hangs up the call. The next day, Haewon goes to her interview where she is asked many questions regarding her professional career, her experience in mentoring an intern, and the reasons behind her increased productivity. Haewon expresses her love for the company and for her work and feels confident that she has earnt the position once the interview ends. When Eunji gets to work, Sanghoon seems to be avoiding her. She corners him in the staff room and tells him she wants him to communicate his feelings, so Sanghoon expresses his insecurity that she likes Wonjun. Eunji lies and tells Sanghoon that she only has feelings for him, so in response Sanghoon asks to make it official, and be boyfriend and girlfriend. Eunji freezes before saying she needs time to think – Sanghoon apologises for springing it on her and asks her out to dinner later on in the week, to which she agrees. That night, Wonjun rings Eunji. She answers but tells him they should stop talking, and without expanding, hangs up on him. Meanwhile, Haewon gets rung by Ahreum who thanks her for getting her to try on the dress, as now she has something to wear for her date that night. Haewon says she wants to hear all the details, and Ahreum excitedly promises to divulge everything, even saying that Haewon knows the man she’s going on a date with: Ju Jihun. | ||||
| 21 | 21 | "Lingering Feelings" | February 18, 2025 | 1.19 |
| The morning after Ahreum’s date, the pair meet at a bar, where Haewon is visibly angry and hurt. Before Ahreum can even say hello, Haewon asks why Ahreum is fooling around with Jihun, her soon-to-be divorced husband. Ahreum is stunned into silence as Haewon begins to cry, saying she trusted Ahreum, but Ahreum says she had no idea. Haewon doesn’t want to hear it and storms off. Meanwhile, Eunji walks into Vine Tree Café as habit, not realising she said she’d avoid Wonjun. She only realises she shouldn’t be there when she sees him at the till, but the pair interact like they’d never even met, with Eunji having to read out her order and give her name, and the two exchanging no small talk. Eunji tears up when picking up her drink, before meeting with her best friend Hayoon. She tells Hayoon that Sanghoon wants to make their relationship serious, but that she has her doubts. Hayoon tells her she needs to be certain of how she feels before she commits. Meanwhile, Ahreum arrives at the Bae sisters’ flat and begs for Haewon to hear her side of the story. When Haewon gives her the opportunity to be heard out, Ahreum explains that she didn’t know her and Jihun had any history outside of a few months working at Namgung finance, which correlates with Haewon’s secrecy surrounding her and Jihun in the lead-up to the betrayal. Ahreum swears he reached out to her and that she didn’t know they had any history, let alone were married. Haewon begins to cry and apologises for lashing out, but says she feels hurt that Jihun would make a move on Ahreum knowing the history between the two friends. She said she thought he still loved her, and that the separation was down to her not wanting children and him wanting them, but that he’s wronged her and she isn’t going to let him get away easily.
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| 22 | 22 | "Mistakes Were Made" | February 25, 2025 | 1.43 |
| When Haewon wakes up the next morning in Jihun’s bed, she realises she has made a grave mistake sleeping with Jihun. She quickly gets ready to leave, but he wakes up and asks where she is going. She tells him it is to hard to be friends with him, so she is going to get a lawyer to get their divorce finalised and she doesn’t ever want to see him again. Jihun tears up and tries to get her to stay, but Haewon asserts her view and leaves. When she gets home, she has numerous missed calls from Ahreum, but distrusting her involvement in the date, she deletes them all. She continues to do so for the following days, just as Eunji ignores multiple texts from Wonjun who is asking to speak with her. The following friday, during the day, Eunji finalises her evening plans with Sanghoon, where they decide to go to a Korean barbeque and discuss their future. When Haewon heads into work, she is asked into her boss’ office for an update on her interview. Excited, she walks into the office expecting to be cheered up, but her heart is broken when she is told she did not get the position of Executive Business Manager, and that they have outsourced talent. Although they congratulate her for her hard work and say they expect a new vacant position to open up soon, Haewon zones out and leaves the office and the building before breaking down in tears when she gets home.
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Production[]
Viewership[]
| Season | Episode number | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | |
| 1 | 0.95 | 0.86 | 0.88 | 0.93 | 0.79 | 0.97 | 0.86 | 0.92 | 1.01 | 0.91 | 1.12 | 0.90 | 1.03 | 1.09 | 0.95 | 0.88 | 0.99 | 0.91 | 0.84 | 0.77 | 1.19 | 1.43 |
The first season of Seoul Sisters was a ratings success for VESK. Premiering to north of 900,000 real-time viewers thanks to its post-Battleground K! timeslot and strong marketing campaign, the season managed to average figures mostly between 0.9 and 1 million, occasionally exceeding it, from episode 1 to episode 18. Episode 19 and 20 began to see dwindling viewership, but the cliffhanger at the end of episode 20 thrust Seoul Sisters towards its commercial peak, with its finale achieving more than 1.4 million real-time viewers - a record for the program - and the penultimate episode becoming the second-most viewed episode of the series.