Solace

Shim In-ku, Han Suk-kyu, is a pharmacist who runs his own shop in Seoul. Approaching middle age, he shares a small life with his elderly mother and his mentally disabled older brother, Shim In-sub. In-ku spends most of his time caring for In-sub, a responsibility that has shaped his relationships, including a past romance that ended because his brother’s condition was difficult for his girlfriend’s family to accept. The quiet rhythm of his days is upended when he crosses paths with Hye-ran, a resourceful woman struggling to make ends meet.

Lee Hye-ran, Kim Ji-soo, earns a living by selling counterfeit designer clothes from a stall in Seoul’s bustling Dongdaemun marketplace. This risky hustle has brought police trouble on several occasions and left her with a crippling debt inherited from her late father. Her life is a balancing act between survival and keeping her family afloat, a burden that bleeds into every decision she makes.

One evening, while Hye-ran hopes for a quiet night, her younger sister reveals she’s pregnant and wants to marry. Fearing the responsibility of debt for two people, Hye-ran urges her sister to delay and consider abortion, a moment that exposes the tough choices she faces and the limits of what she can do to shield those she loves from the consequences around them.

Meanwhile, In-ku is visited by his ex-girlfriend, who wants to see him one last time before she marries another man. They share a meal, and then, driven by conflicting feelings, go to a hotel for sex. But In-ku falters and walks away, unsettled by the intimacy and the sense of responsibility that defines his life. Back at his shop, he drinks a beer, and Hye-ran comes in seeking something to help her sleep. One thing leads to another, and they end up drinking at a local bar before returning to the same hotel to spend the night together. In the early hours of the morning, Hye-ran slips away without a word, while In-ku pretends to sleep, a moment that signals the fragile, imperfect beginnings of their connection.

In the weeks that follow, In-ku and Hye-ran keep running into each other, gradually building a cautious friendship that hints at something deeper. They arrange a date, but when In-ku goes to meet her at work, he arrives just in time to witness a raid on her stall by the police. The disruption mirrors the external pressures both face, and at home, In-ku’s patience with In-sub’s hysterics is tested; yet they eventually find a way to reconcile. Recognizing the sexual or emotional needs of his older brother, In-ku tries to help In-sub, arranging for him to meet a prostitute, but the plan goes awry and they end up at a sauna instead, a reminder of the imperfect solutions they turn to in a world that seems determined to pull them apart.

Gradually, the two begin to share more moments together. They manage a proper date, and later take a lakeside camping trip where they talk and connect. Hye-ran tells In-ku about a song that used to be played at her elementary school at the end of each day, a memory that carries through to the present and stirs something hopeful in both of them. In-ku reminisces about In-sub in his younger days, recalling hikes and the bond they once shared. The next day, In-ku takes Hye-ran to her old school, but a phone call interrupts their moment and she rushes off to assist her sister. A subsequent meeting at In-ku’s shop leaves Hye-ran feeling guilty for allowing happiness to rise amid so many problems, and she decides to end their relationship for now.

As In-ku prepares for the death anniversary of his father, In-sub becomes hysterical again and runs off. In-ku goes out to search for him and begs his mother to stay home, but overwhelmed by fear and grief, she leaves the house and is struck by an oncoming car, dying in the road. The funeral deepens the sense of loss and duty that binds In-ku to In-sub, and afterward he and Hye-ran share a heart-to-heart. He confesses occasional resentment toward In-sub but affirms that he is the only one who can look after his brother now that their family has changed so profoundly.

Some time later, In-ku goes hiking with In-sub, sending photos of their journey to Hye-ran. She eventually visits her old elementary school again and finds that the song they spoke of still plays there, a symbol of continuity and memory. She leaves a message on In-ku’s answering machine, a quiet, hopeful sign that their bond persists even as circumstances push them in different directions.

Last Updated: October 10, 2025 at 16:04