Two (2) ‘Elegant’ K-Drama Series About Korean Conglomerates

This review covers two (2) K-drama series with the word ‘Elegant’ in the title. “Elegant Family” and “Elegant Empire” are similar in that both storylines are about a wealthy family with the same problems as ordinary families, except on a much grander scale.

♦ From Family to Empire

In “Elegant Family” the chaebol (family-controlled conglomerate) is the MC Group, and the storyline revolves around the life of a chaebol heiress. She meets an honest lawyer and they are both trying to uncover certain truths that were buried for 15 years.

In “Elegant Empire”, the corporation is Elegant Empire Entertainment; and there are two people who are seeking justice in the form of revenge because they were robbed of their lives.

All families – rich or poor – have problems, but unlike an ordinary family, wealthy families get away with extraordinary things, such as:

• They can cover up murders and other misdeeds because they have the resources to offer bribes in different forms like the deed to a villa in the countryside or pay out butt-loads of hush money to several people after they sign NDAs (non-disclosure agreements).
• They have a team that works for them around the clock with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment and tools to “keep up appearances”. If necessary they use good old-fashioned muscle and brawn. The team’s job is to ensure family members don’t do certain things or cover up certain things they have done that bring shame and dishonor to the family name and could hurt the business.

“Elegant Family” was released in 2019, has 16 episodes, and is loaded with stinky smelly nasty wealthy family drama created by the kind of people who think are “untouchable”, i.e. above the law. (An alternate title for this series is “Graceful Family”.)

“Elegant Empire” was released in 2023 (with the last episodes airing in 2024), has 100+ episodes, and is a soap opera-type series with all kinds of “individual” drama woven into a tangled family mess.

• One character looks perfect on the outside but hides a dark secret.
• One character is a rags-to-riches Cinderella story that turns into horror.
• Some characters have carefully planned out their revenge for the unfair treatment or trauma that they experienced.

In other words, there’s enough “stuff” going on to keep the “elegant” world turning in this Korean soap opera.

♦ Elegant Family (2019)

In “Elegant Family”, Mo Seok-Hee‘s mother was murdered and her death was covered-up. If that wasn’t cruel enough, Mo Seok-Hee was banished to America. For 15 years, her father had not allowed her to return home. One day she receives a text message telling her that her grandfather is extremely ill. Mo Seok-Hee made it her mission to return to South Korea.

She slipped through MC Group’s security forces and made it to her grandfather’s bedside in the hospital. Her family was not happy to see her back. Especially, the second wife of her father. Mo Seok-Hee was the chaebol heiress, but the second wife had plans for her sons to inherit the wealth.

Then there was a young son she met when she arrived for the family dinner. Who was his mother? He wasn’t the son of the second wife and he made sure Mo Seok-Hee knew it. She liked the young master’s attitude so she introduced herself as “his sister from another mother”.

The MC Group security team was going to try to force Mo Seok-Hee to return to the United States, but she happened to meet an honest lawyer, Heo Yoon-Do. He was offered a job with MC Group, which he accepted. There was an unpleasant event that happened when he was a young boy and MC Group was involved.

Heo Yoon-Do had his reasons for taking a job with MC Group. He remembers Han Je-Kook, the head of MC Group’s security team’ but she doesn’t remember him. His job gets him on the inside where he can access information about the conglomerate’s “dirty secrets”.

Han Je-Kook was the consummate “fixer” and “cleaner”. Even though she once served as a judge, she has no qualms about covering up criminal activity. Heo Yoon-Do and Mo Seok-Hee agreed to work together to uncover the “dirt” that Han Je-Kook buried for the family.

Mo Seok-Hee had not been allowed to attend her mother’s funeral and intended to investigate the details surrounding her murder. Her family was not pleased that she had returned, and especially didn’t like that she was stirring up the past regarding something that had been conveniently buried. But … as far as Mo Seok-Hee was concerned … so what!

Main Characters:

• Mo Seok-Hee (played by Lim Soo-Hyang, “Kokdu: Season of Deity”)
• Heo Yoon-Do (played by Lee Jang-Woo, “The Heavenly Idol”)
• Han Je-Kook (played by Bae Jong-Ok, “Longing for You”)

Where to Watch: OnDemandKorea (free w/ ads) or Viki (under the title ‘Graceful Family’) (free / no ads)

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.5 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.3 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a public rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.

I got caught up in the plot as soon as I realized that a child had been mistreated. Even if a kid is rich you don’t get to toss them out of the family like they don’t matter. It’s traumatic enough to lose your mother.

But to not be allowed to attend her mother’s funeral AND be sent away to a foreign country and forbidden to return home? That’s too much! Nobody should be treated that cruelly. So from the first episode, I became Mo Seok-hee’s cheerleader and cheered for her all the way to The End.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• “Graceful Family (aka ‘Elegant Family’)” Starring Im Soo Hyang, Lee Jang Woo, And More Introduces Its Secretive Characters | Soompi
• Graceful Family Full Review – Secrets and Revenge | kdramaandramen
• K-Drama Mid-Series Check: “Graceful Family” Continues To Fuel Forward Thanks To Stellar Cast Led By Lim Soo Hyang | Hello Kpop

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Viki Global TV. “Graceful Family – EP1 | Intense Im Soo Hyang Fighting.” YouTube Video. YouTube, August 27, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP9MSATwxWA.‌

♦ Elegant Empire (2023)

In “Elegant Empire”, first there is the Cinderella story. A poor girl, Shin Joo-kyung, marries a Jang Ki-Yoon, the rich CEO of a well-known entertainment company. To people looking from the outside, her life could have been a “happily ever after fairy tale” IF ONLY … one day she disappeared. AND THEN … her doppelganger appears.

Doppelganger? Twin sister? Did Shin Joo-kyung reinvent herself as Seo Hee-jae for revenge? But Hee-jae is Japanese, the sole heir to her father’s fortune. She initiates a relationship with Jang Ki-Yoon. But does she know that he’s a monster? A good-looking wealthy CEO presented via his public face that any woman would desire, but a monster at home, in private, that any woman would desire to escape.

There is lots more going on in this 100+ episodes/soap opera. But the “fairy tale turned horror” storyline got everything started.

Main Characters:

• Jang Ki-yoon (played by Kim Jin-woo AND Lee Si-kang)
• Shin Joo-kyung / Seo Hee-jae (played by Han Ji-wan, “Brain Works”)
• Jung Woo-hyeok (played by Kang Yul, “Revenge of Others”)
• Jacqueline Taylor / Choi Min-ha (played by Son Seong-yoon)
• Na Seung-pil (played by Lee Sang-bo)

Where to Watch: VikiPass Plus with KOCOWA (Paid Plan)

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 6.6 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.1 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 7.9 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is 7 out of 10 stars.

Ratings seem low for “Elegant Empire” mainly because there was a complaint about a new character or substitute actor for the main character who was added and viewers didn’t think he was a “good fit”.  However, real life happens. The first lead male actor dropped out “for personal reasons”. The series had to keep going.  

My rating is because after watching “Elegant Family”, I had expectations that were not fulfilled.

Eh! You watch. You decide.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• The Elegant Empire: What is the K-Drama About? | EpicStream
• “The Elegant Empire” Announces Kim Jin Woo’s Withdrawal From Drama + Lee Si Kang Confirmed To Take Over As Male Lead : r/KDRAMA

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

KOCOWA TV. “His ‘Dead’ Ex-Wife’s Look-A-like Tries to Seduce Him for Revenge | the Elegant Empire | KOCOWA+.” YouTube Video. YouTube, September 4, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk0sQobSci0.‌

https://youtu.be/Hk0sQobSci0?si=sb9yOKMz2Y0z_wRA