About Family (2024) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Mun-seok's Secret Sperm Donations

Before entering the monkhood, Mun-seok agrees to donate sperm on several occasions in order to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, Ga-yeon. He does so at the request of her father, Director Han. These donations will later have unexpected consequences for the entire family.

When

Before Mun-seok becomes a monk

Birth of Min-guk and Min-seon

The sperm donations result in the birth of two children, Min-guk and Min-seon, who are registered as Mun-seok's biological offspring. The siblings are subsequently raised by adoptive parents, growing up unaware of their true origins.

The Adoptive Parents' Fatal Accident

Min-guk and Min-seon's adoptive parents die in a car accident, leaving the young siblings without guardians. Their uncle, the only remaining relative, refuses to raise them because they are not biologically related to him.

Orphanage and Adoption Plans

With no relatives willing to take them in, the uncle places Min-guk and Min-seon in an orphanage. He then arranges for the siblings to be adopted abroad in Denmark, threatening to permanently separate them from their roots and from each other.

Where

Orphanage

Min-guk Uncovers the Truth

Unwilling to be separated from his younger sister or sent overseas, Min-guk takes action to discover his origins. He visits the hospital where he was born and finds out the identity of his registered biological father, Mun-seok.

Where

Hospital

Arrival at Pyeongmanok

Min-guk and Min-seon arrive at Pyeongmanok, the dumpling restaurant run by Mu-ok, claiming that Mun-seok is their biological father. Mu-ok, who had feared his family line would end with his monk son, is overjoyed at the prospect of grandchildren and showers the children with affection.

Where

Pyeongmanok restaurant

A Grandfather's Bond

As Mu-ok spends more time with the siblings, they grow close and come to regard him as their grandfather. However, in order to obtain custody of the children, Mu-ok must first establish their biological relationship to his family.

The Red Hair Mishap

In an effort to look younger and bond with the children, Mu-ok attempts to dye his partly white, partly black hair entirely black. The attempt backfires comically, leaving him with completely red hair instead.

Day Out at Lotte World

Mu-ok takes Min-guk and Min-seon on an outing to Lotte World, joined by the nuns and other children from their orphanage. The trip strengthens the bond between Mu-ok and the siblings as they enjoy a joyful day together.

Where

Lotte World

The Secret DNA Test

Hoping to legally establish the children's connection to his family, Mu-ok secretly collects hair samples from Min-guk and Min-seon. He submits the samples to a testing agency to verify their kinship.

Where

DNA testing agency

Shocking DNA Results

The testing agency informs Mu-ok that Min-guk is not Mun-seok's biological son, leaving him devastated. It is revealed that Mun-seok had arranged for a Chinese restaurant delivery worker to donate sperm in his place approximately ten times, meaning the children were conceived with another man's sperm.

Flight into the Mountains

Fearing that he and his sister will be sent abroad for adoption if the truth comes to light, Min-guk flees into the mountains with Min-seon. The siblings hide out together, terrified of being separated forever.

Where

The mountains

The Rescue and Mu-ok's Decision

Mu-ok decides to adopt the siblings regardless of their lack of biological ties, recognizing the genuine family bond they have formed. Having come to understand his father's true feelings, Mun-seok joins him in rescuing the children from the mountains.

Where

The mountains

Memorial Service for Mu-ok

Decades later, Mun-seok, now an elderly monk, attends a memorial service for Mu-ok alongside the grown-up Min-guk and Min-seon and their families. The gathering also includes the families of the sixteen children Mu-ok adopted over the years, including Mun-seok's own biological children.

When

Decades later