Choi Yoo Jin/Eugene Choi (Lee Byung Hun) and Go Ae-sin (Kim Tae Ri) in the 2018 K-drama series *Mr. Sunshine*. Photo credit: Netflix

The award-winning K-drama MR. SUNSHINE was released in 2018 and became the 6th highest ranking drama in South Korean cable history, and is still trending on Netflix in the United States and around the globe.

What makes MR. SUNSHINE a binge-worthy epic?
Why are audiences outside South Korea connecting with this historical drama of love, revenge, and revolution?
How does MR. SUNSHINE inspire curiosity to learn more about the history behind the story, and at the same time mirrors our present-day realities?

K-Drama blogger KAT TURNER shares some insights on MR. SUNSHINE and today’s K-Drama phenomenon in episode 17 of the Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters podcast.

Listen Episode 17

Kat Turner 문순자

Kat Turner is a host for KDramatics Club which has over 15,000 members on the Clubhouse social audio network. The KDramatics Club hosts discussions on K-dramas also Korean films C or Chinese dramas and J or Japanese drama. Kat is also the founder of two additional Clubhouse clubs: “Because I Want to Talk” and the Korean adoptees or KAdoptees Club to provide a space for the 200,000 plus Korean adoptees around the world to discuss life from their perspectives and experiences.

Kat was born in South Korea, adopted and brought to the US before she was a year old. She grew up in Iowa and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia where she blogs about K-drama on her website, katturner.com, featuring reviews, reactions and K-Drama recommendations. Kat’s blog also highlights Korean recipes, beauty tips and support for learning the Korean language. On her blog Kat describes herself as a K-drama “enthusiast slowly learning to speak Korean.” She says “I live on Clubhouse. My BTS bias is V. And my biggest dream is to finally return to my home country of South Korea.”

Connect with Kat Turner

Website/Blog | Twitter @katturner | IG @thekatturner | Pinterest

To connect with Kat Turner on Clubhouse, download the Clubhouse app from Apple or Google Play. More information available here.

***Mr. Sunshine*** Cast. Front row (L-R): Capt. Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun), Goo Dong-mae /Ishida Sho (Yoo Yeon-seok): Back row: Kim Hui Seong (Byun Yo Han), Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), Kudo Hina/Lee Yang Hwa (Kim Min Jung). Photo: Netflix

The award-winning MR SUNSHINE is a 24-part epic drama series released in 2018 and currently available on Netflix.

The story centers on a young boy, Choi Yoo-jin, who is born to an enslaved family. After the tragic deaths of his parents at the hands of their landlord, young Yoo-jin runs away and travels to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (the U.S. expedition to Korea). Yoo-jin later returns to his homeland as Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun) a U.S. marine officer, who meets and falls in love with an aristocrat’s granddaughter, Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri). At the same time, Eugene Choi discovers a plot by foreign forces to colonize Korea.

In MR. SUNSHINE the romantic love that brings Eugene Choi and Go Ae-shin together causes them to transgress social hierarchy. Parents and grandparents put their lives on the line to save their children. A love triangle motivates three men from different worlds to support the courageous women who fight for who and what they love. Resistance fighters risk everything to keep their country from submitting to imperialist agendas of Japan and other nations.

Produced by Studio Dragon in South Korea, MR SUNSHINE is written by Kim Eun Sook — best known for contemporary romantic drama — and directed by Lee Eung-bok.

MR. SUNSHINE and other K-Dramas are available on Netflix (with subscription).

MR. SUNSHINE on Netflix Official Site

Kat Turner also recommends Viki.com for K-Drama titles. Visit her blog for recommendations on what to watch.

Listen to the MR. SUNSHINE soundtrack on YouTube and Spotify.

OLD KOREAN LEGATION - Washington, DC

Mentioned in the podcast: The Old Korean Legation where you’ll be transported to the times of MR. SUNSHINE and learn more about Korean-US diplomatic history.

More information about the Old Korean Legation building in Washington, DC is available on their website. Advance online reservations are required for tours. https://oldkoreanlegation.org/en/

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