Kim Ji-young, Born 1982

The film opens with Ji-young performing domestic chores as a stay-at-home mom, taking care of their daughter while Dae-hyun goes to his office job. We glimpse a sense of routine and duty that defines her daily existence. This calm surface contrasts with the rest of the story as her inner life grows restless.

Through flashbacks we see Ji-young excelling in a marketing firm and feeling purposeful about her work. She admires a senior, Kim, who has managed to balance motherhood with professional achievement. The memory highlights the life she feels she has left behind.

The film shows the discrimination working mothers face, as Kim climbs high while Ji-young reflects on opportunities lost. Ji-young recalls how she was inspired yet constrained by gender norms in the workplace. This sets up the drive for her eventual return to work.

As years pass, Ji-young begins to feel trapped in domestic life and questions her identity. Postpartum depression emerges as a backdrop to her mood swings and restlessness. The weight of unmet ambitions fuels a troubling inner tension.

Under stress, Ji-young experiences episodes where she seems to inhabit the voices of her mother or grandmother. She mimics vocal tones and phrases, alarming Dae-hyun. He starts recording these instances and becomes determined to find help.

Dae-hyun discreetly nudges Ji-young toward professional help, handing her a psychiatrist's card. Ji-young hesitates because she cannot afford sessions, fearing the expense and what it would mean for their finances. The situation highlights the practical obstacles to getting treatment.

Feeling that work might restore her sense of self, Ji-young contemplates returning to the marketing world with Kim at her firm. Dae-hyun offers to take parental leave for a year to care for their daughter, enabling Ji-young to re-enter the workplace. This arrangement signals a hopeful shift in their family dynamic.

Ji-young resumes her job and appears in better spirits as the stress-borne possessions occur less often. Her colleagues and environment react as she regains a degree of professional identity. Dae-hyun supports her decision, emphasizing the importance of work to her happiness.

When Dae-hyun's mother learns of the parental leave, she scolds Ji-young for hindering his career progression. She demands that Ji-young quit and conform to conventional roles. Dae-hyun reveals Ji-young's possession episodes to defend her, and Ji-young's mother witnesses an episode herself and cries.

Ji-young confronts Dae-hyun about the push toward therapy, and he reveals the video evidence of her possessions. Shocked, Ji-young agrees to see a psychiatrist and ultimately quits her job to focus on recovery. The turning point pushes her toward deeper self-examination.

Back in a more solitary routine, Ji-young keeps a journal of her emotions as her psychiatrist encourages. The process helps her articulate the unhappiness rooted in gender discrimination at work and the pressures on mothers. The journaling marks a shift from silent suffering to guided introspection.

As treatment progresses, Ji-young becomes more outspoken in public, challenging colleagues who speak ill of her behind her back. She begins writing opinion pieces and personal essays about mothers' and women's issues in South Korea. These writings reflect her growing confidence and sense of agency.

The film ends with Ji-young at a desk, starting the first line of her self-titled memoir. The act signals both healing and transformation as she embraces a future as an author. Her journey from suppression to self-advocacy closes on a note of hope.