TV-Series
Description
The character known as both Kang Joon Sang and Lee Min Hyung is the central figure in this story, a young man whose life is defined by the search for his identity and the enduring power of first love. His journey is one of fragmentation and eventual reintegration, as he lives two distinct lives under two different names, each with its own personality and memories.
In his youth, as Kang Joon Sang, he is a high school student who transfers to a new school in the small town of Chuncheon. He is described as an intelligent but deeply introverted and isolated young man. The driving force behind his transfer is a singular, consuming motivation: to uncover the identity of his biological father, a secret his mother, a famous pianist, has always refused to reveal. This quest for his origins colors his entire worldview. Because he is an illegitimate child whose mother remains silent about his past, Joon Sang grows up believing that no one loves him, fostering a bitter and resentful relationship with his mother. He is a man of few words, often appearing indifferent to the feelings of others, and he struggles to relate to his peers. This guarded, cold exterior masks a vulnerable heart that is profoundly affected when he meets Jung Yoo Jin. Their relationship begins almost as a manipulation, as Joon Sang initially feigns interest in Yoo Jin to antagonize his rival, Kim Sang Hyuk, but it soon blossoms into a genuine and deep love. However, this happiness is cut short on New Year's Eve when he is hit by a truck and presumed dead by everyone who knew him.
In truth, Joon Sang survives the accident but suffers severe brain damage and amnesia, losing all memories of his past life in Korea, including Yoo Jin. His mother, Kang Mi Hee, sees this as an opportunity to give her son a new, happier life, free from the pain of being an illegitimate child. She takes him to the United States, where a psychiatrist helps implant new memories, creating a new identity for him: Lee Min Hyung. This new persona grows up believing he was raised in Texas, USA, and he goes on to become an award-winning architect and the director of an international construction firm. As Lee Min Hyung, his personality is a stark contrast to the brooding Joon Sang. He is portrayed as a warm-hearted, charismatic, and sensitive man who cares for those around him. He is confident, successful, and wears glasses, a physical marker that further distinguishes him from his former self. The tragedy of his situation is that the happiness he finds as Min Hyung is built upon an erased past.
The central conflict of his adult life begins when his work brings him back to Korea. There, he becomes reacquainted with Jung Yoo Jin, who is now a contractor for his firm, and is immediately attracted to her charm, not knowing their true history. As he spends more time with her, fragments of his suppressed memories as Kang Joon Sang begin to surface, triggered by places, objects, and his deep, inexplicable connection to Yoo Jin. This causes an internal struggle as the warm, outgoing Min Hyung starts to merge with the soulful, wounded Joon Sang, and he ends his relationship with Oh Chelin to pursue Yoo Jin, who is engaged to his old rival, Kim Sang Hyuk. His relationships are thus deeply intertwined with his lost identity. His affection for Yoo Jin is the constant thread memory cannot erase, while his relationship with his mother transforms from one of loving obedience as Min Hyung to one of distrust and hurt as he rediscovers her deceptions. His rivalry with Kim Sang Hyuk, rooted in Joon Sang’s envy of a legitimate son, eventually evolves into a complex bond of friendship when he learns that Professor Kim Jin Woo, Sang Hyuk’s father, is his own biological father, making them half-brothers.
The most devastating development in his story is the tragic realization that he and Yoo Jin may share the same father, which forces him to make the ultimate sacrifice of leaving her despite their love. This dark secret, born from his mother’s past, nearly destroys any chance of happiness. Through this painful journey of regained memory and self-discovery, the character develops from a lost, angry boy into a man who understands the depth of his own heart. In the end, his physical health deteriorates due to a blood clot in his brain from his first accident, leading to an operation that causes him to lose his sight. Despite this final loss, the core of his identity—his love for Yoo Jin—remains, and they are ultimately reunited. Beyond his emotional depth, he possesses the notable abilities of a brilliant architect and a skilled pianist, talents that reflect the refined and artistic nature of his character.
In his youth, as Kang Joon Sang, he is a high school student who transfers to a new school in the small town of Chuncheon. He is described as an intelligent but deeply introverted and isolated young man. The driving force behind his transfer is a singular, consuming motivation: to uncover the identity of his biological father, a secret his mother, a famous pianist, has always refused to reveal. This quest for his origins colors his entire worldview. Because he is an illegitimate child whose mother remains silent about his past, Joon Sang grows up believing that no one loves him, fostering a bitter and resentful relationship with his mother. He is a man of few words, often appearing indifferent to the feelings of others, and he struggles to relate to his peers. This guarded, cold exterior masks a vulnerable heart that is profoundly affected when he meets Jung Yoo Jin. Their relationship begins almost as a manipulation, as Joon Sang initially feigns interest in Yoo Jin to antagonize his rival, Kim Sang Hyuk, but it soon blossoms into a genuine and deep love. However, this happiness is cut short on New Year's Eve when he is hit by a truck and presumed dead by everyone who knew him.
In truth, Joon Sang survives the accident but suffers severe brain damage and amnesia, losing all memories of his past life in Korea, including Yoo Jin. His mother, Kang Mi Hee, sees this as an opportunity to give her son a new, happier life, free from the pain of being an illegitimate child. She takes him to the United States, where a psychiatrist helps implant new memories, creating a new identity for him: Lee Min Hyung. This new persona grows up believing he was raised in Texas, USA, and he goes on to become an award-winning architect and the director of an international construction firm. As Lee Min Hyung, his personality is a stark contrast to the brooding Joon Sang. He is portrayed as a warm-hearted, charismatic, and sensitive man who cares for those around him. He is confident, successful, and wears glasses, a physical marker that further distinguishes him from his former self. The tragedy of his situation is that the happiness he finds as Min Hyung is built upon an erased past.
The central conflict of his adult life begins when his work brings him back to Korea. There, he becomes reacquainted with Jung Yoo Jin, who is now a contractor for his firm, and is immediately attracted to her charm, not knowing their true history. As he spends more time with her, fragments of his suppressed memories as Kang Joon Sang begin to surface, triggered by places, objects, and his deep, inexplicable connection to Yoo Jin. This causes an internal struggle as the warm, outgoing Min Hyung starts to merge with the soulful, wounded Joon Sang, and he ends his relationship with Oh Chelin to pursue Yoo Jin, who is engaged to his old rival, Kim Sang Hyuk. His relationships are thus deeply intertwined with his lost identity. His affection for Yoo Jin is the constant thread memory cannot erase, while his relationship with his mother transforms from one of loving obedience as Min Hyung to one of distrust and hurt as he rediscovers her deceptions. His rivalry with Kim Sang Hyuk, rooted in Joon Sang’s envy of a legitimate son, eventually evolves into a complex bond of friendship when he learns that Professor Kim Jin Woo, Sang Hyuk’s father, is his own biological father, making them half-brothers.
The most devastating development in his story is the tragic realization that he and Yoo Jin may share the same father, which forces him to make the ultimate sacrifice of leaving her despite their love. This dark secret, born from his mother’s past, nearly destroys any chance of happiness. Through this painful journey of regained memory and self-discovery, the character develops from a lost, angry boy into a man who understands the depth of his own heart. In the end, his physical health deteriorates due to a blood clot in his brain from his first accident, leading to an operation that causes him to lose his sight. Despite this final loss, the core of his identity—his love for Yoo Jin—remains, and they are ultimately reunited. Beyond his emotional depth, he possesses the notable abilities of a brilliant architect and a skilled pianist, talents that reflect the refined and artistic nature of his character.