What is Wrong With Secretary Kim Live-ish Recap Episode 1

We are picking up What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim! We have been waiting for this drama (or at least I have) ever since as I heard that Dong-man would be in another drama (shout out to all the Fight for My Way fans out there which was out first ever live recapped drama by the way). This show should be all the fluffiness that I like with all the great acting that I love. Plus, it is pretty hard not to like Park Seo-joon in any role he plays. We’ve heard good things about the first episode so we are excited to get into it! Whoo hoo!

We have realized that we publish recaps a lot sooner if we follow our live updating schedule so we are going to try and add this show as another aftercap drama to the lineup (where we update continuously) instead of doing a quickcap and posting the entire thing later. This is really only because he have so many shows we are covering right now and it makes it easier for us *smiley face*. We’ll see how it goes!

Also, Come and Hug Me is not airing tomorrow and is only airing one episode next week so we are going to temporarily more What’s Up With Secretary Kim to the Live Recap Spot for tomorrow’s episode and also for one episode next week.

MUSIC: OST and BGM Music List
NEWSLETTER: Subscribe here to keep in touch!

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How we do this: We update the post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, there might be lovely updates at the bottom, so check back in!

Characters: Shorthand Character Chart

Countdown: RECAPPING!

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WHAT’S WRONG WITH SECRETARY KIM RECAP (AFTERCAP) EPISODE 1
——-dramamilk.com——-
#1
OPENING
We open on the nightscape of Seoul. A man is riding in his driven car. He stops at a hotel, hops out, pops his jacket and goes into a posh hotel party.

VO – VP of YM Group, Lee Young-joon….He made the company twice as big and is the biggest prospect in businees….heis handsome and tall….he has everything….I heard he doens’t let any woman touch him….I am dating him now, of course he doenst’ let me touch him….

YJ walks in and immediately sits on the couch by himself.

YJ – Why….what’s wrong with Secretary Kim?
——-dramamilk.com——-
#2
MORNING
Secretary Kim goes to a bright and large home. She starts to walk through the house. She makes tea first and then organizes all of YJ’s clothes and watches. She gets him the perfect tie and dresses him.

MS – Today I picked a monotone tie that has a smart modern feel.

he thanks her and walks off. Then he asks her if it is shiny. She says, the sun? he says no, this…….AURA. He puffs out his chest and opens his arms wide for her to take in his look. She just ignores him and then starts to talk to him about his business this morning.

he gets a call but YJ does not want to talk to this person because it will ruin his mood to take a phone call from a sinner, because being stupid is a sin. Why can’t human being just try hard and get it.

She tells him that everyone is not like him. He agrees.

She also tells him that she never has seen anyone like him before.

The man calls again. Secretary Kim calls him a bad bad sinner, what should she do.

Cut to them driving in a Mazzarati to the company. he gets out of the car like a Gladiator in a three piece suit.

He gets to an office and one of his employees tells him that it was a mistake, a misunderstanding! This is that mans office. YJ tells him that he should not go to a sexy place, doesn’t he think about the image of their company, he is an executive officer. MS interrupts and tells him that he has another meeting.

YJ leaves. The executive officer falls to his knees crying. MS tells him not to be too upset, he is angry because he expected more from him, but he failed the new contract and went to that sex shop. YJ had to work hard to keep the company name out of the news. Please work harder next time, why didn’t you go home and rest.

The man says, should I? I will be careful as of tomorrow. He smiles and tells his secretary that he will go home first. The secretary asks MS if he can continue working?

MS calls someone and tells them to take everything from this office. She then turns to the secretary and says the VP does not give anyone a second chance.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#3
GROUP MEETING
YJ sits at the head of the table during a big presentation. YS is the person at the front giving the presentation. Suddenly YJ says a number. He calculated everything very detailed in numbers. YS pulls out a calculator but YJ just he tells them to start the merger. he leaves.

All the executives murmur that he is so scary, his life is getting shorter. But when YS says VP! Everyone straightens up again. YJ tells them that it was just a joke and everyone grumbles and relaxes again.

MS and YJ walk off together. MS talks to someone in English, it is something business related. YJ tells her that her English improved a lot. 9 years ago she had a hard time dealing with people in America. She says it is all because of him. Whenever she made a mistake in pronunciation, he always nitpicked it. So it was good stimulation for her.

He says, so yelling at you and embarrassing you? Okay, if it helped for your personal growth then I will do it more. But you made another mistake. It was not accent but Ac-cent.

Her stomach grumbles. He tells her that he does not feel hungry during work, but his stomach grumbles as well. She says she will prepare a snack.

PARTY
Cut to the two of them at a big party and meet a new Spanish diplomat. The Spanish diplomat talks to YJ and says he heard his Spanish before.

YJ mingles with all the guests and explains their company to them all in all different languages. he is multilingual. the women are immediately taken by him. Suddenly, one of them makes eye contact with him.

But when he approaches them, he just passes right by them and looks at the mirror. he asks MS how he looks. She tells him that he is perfect. he is all like, yes, that is the word. She tells him, let’s go and they drive off together.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#4
In the car, YJ asks MS when she learned Spanish. She is all like, huh? he tells her that he saw that some Spanish guys where hitting on her and she talked to them. She says that she learned English and Chinese, she did not have time to learn Spanish, she just responded form the mood of the men. She just smiled and said yes. Id she hits on them then she would just show her ring on her left hand by playing with her hair/ear. that is the ring from the companies last sports event.

He tells her good job. She says this is the first time he told her good job. He tells her congratulations and she thanks him. Then he tells her to ask him for anything she wants any gift.

But she says she has something to tell him. he tells her not to confess because they are working. But she says she will. VP, you have to find a new secretary, I am going to quit.

He is taken by surprise. he blinks a few times and asks her why all of a sudden. She tells him it is just personal reasons. he tells her to just do it then. But the mood is obviously changed in the car.

2:10 AM
He cannot sleep, he is just awake staring off and looking crazy. He wonders why he can’t sleep.

At work the next morning, SR applies make up as CI comes up to her and says he has big news. Everyone come over here if they can take it. He whispers in their ear, Secretary Kim is…..Quitting!

Everyone is all like, that is the news? Whatever.

No one believes that she would quit, why would she quit? She is the favorite. But MS comes in and tells them that it is true, she is quitting. They ask her if she is getting married or studying abroad or something like that. She says it is none of those reasons. it is just personal reasons.

The VP is announced to come in so MS goes to the break room to prepare. The two ladies go in as well, SR and YO. They cannot believe that MS is quitting. They tells her that this time of the day is snack time so they only use this tea cup and three snacks. YO asks SR how she knows that. SR says this will be her job next so she has to know it. She will be the only one after MS quits. She envies YO because she looks so normal. But SR has to come here at 6:30 am? How can she do that?

She turns around and the other two ladies are already gone, only YC is there looking at her like a weirdo.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#5
MS is already walking into Secretary Kim’s office. He asks her if it was truthful that she is quitting, what is the reason. Did he make her work too hard?

She tells him that she will post the employment notice and do all the screening, he will just need to interview them. He says, okay.And tuns his chair away from her.

MS goes to her desk and makes the announcement. She sends it but then horror music starts to play as she jumps from YJ looking at her . He is standing right in front of her and tells her that he is going to eat at home so she can eat wherever she wants and do her own thing. he leaves.

SR runs up to MS’s desk and asks her if she wants to eat together! But MS says she has an appointment, maybe next time. She leaves. SR says, ah really? I wanted to get the job from her. I am also busy. She stuffs her face with lettuce and grumbles.

Elsewhere, YJ wonders why his secretary is quitting. He knows everything but he cannot figure this one out. He feels dizzy thinking about it. He is talking to YS about it so YJ goes to his safe and brings out Hong Sam Jelly to eat. he offers it to YJ. But YJ says it does not have enough Ginseng in it (0.01% or something). YS tells her that she is a Buddha or a Saint (East vs West descriptions). YJ says the numbers 3-6-9, people have those periods of being tired of something. (like a 7 year itch). YJ says he knows that they exchanged their divorce letter after 10 years.

YS says that was bad, we loved each other at the beginning, but after 3 years she told me, why did I fall in love with someone like you. Then after 6 years she smacks him on the head and says that she wants to slap the back of his head whenever she sees it. Then at the 9 year anniversary she doesn’t want him to breath because he does not deserve AAAAAAAIR!

YS sniffles. YJ tells him he is not allowed to cry.

YS sucks it up and tells YJ that 9 years of marriage was like a partially rotten apple. You can cut out the rotten part and eat it, but it is tiring. You would rather eat a good one first. But when you have a rotten one together with a good one, then all the other good ones become rotten! They are all rotten and wasted.

What are you talking about?

YS tells him, before this problem gets too deeper, you need to talk to her and find a way out. YJ ponders that for a moment and then think he knows the answer. he gets up to leave. YS tells him he can give him more advice later but YJ tells him that he is divorced because he could not find the right breakthrough.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#6
BANK
MS goes to a bank and pays off all the money she borrow from it. But she writes Secretary Kim on the form instead of her name Kim Mi-so. the banker brings this up so MS fixes it with a smile.

But then she gets a sudden call, she has to show up at work right now.

She runs to work and waits outside as YJ walks out to his Gladiator music and hops in his Mazarrati. She hops in the back seat with him and they take off together. She tells him that he told her that he was going to his fathers house by himself, why is she with him? he says….break through. She hears it but he ignores her.

They get out.

YJ says he does not give second chances, but he will give her a second chance He will promote her to Executive officer. He will also give her a secretary and a car and a house with his own money. Did you pay all your loans? I will pay them all off, just work hard. This is the best deal ever and…….you won’t have any perfect boss like me anywhere else. I am okay to accept this, I am not materialistic so just accept it.

MS cannot get a word in edgewise which is even worse when YJ’s mother comes out and hugs her son. They all go inside. MS corrects YJ’s clothing which makes his parents smile. Then they talk about company things and the executive that YJ just fired. maybe YJ went to far with him. YJ says it does not take much to ruin their company image so what he did is correct. Umma says he can take care of it. The father smiles and says he shouldn’t have said it.

he asks his parents if they had any weariness between them (7 year itch). The parents wink at each other and laugh about how his father is the best. Then Umma tells Secretary Kim to eat a lot, his son is handsomer now. YJ says it is all because of umma, that is why he respects her. Appa is all like, what about me? He looks at him up and down.

Cut to YJ and appa sitting int he office. Appa is still stunned. YJ asks if he is okay. Appa asks if YJ is really not getting married? Maybe he will not live long. But YJ tells him that he saw his health check up results, you are healthy. But appa says they don’t know anything, I am going to die, I want a grandchild. then the father yells, I heard Secretary Kim is Quitting! (It looks like they want her as the daughter-in-law, they like her a lot).
——-dramamilk.com——-
#7
We change scenes to MS talking to Umma. She happily smiles at him and asks her what she thinks of his son. She heard he takes women here and there but he is never serious about them, is that true, does he really not let women touch his body? Is that true? MS says that is true. Umma says, so does that mean my YJ is g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-

MS – Gay? No he is not gay, i served him for a long time so I know him more than others.

Umma is so happy because they worried about this a lot. He does not like any women but her so she wanted to see if the rumors are true. She asks MS how her son is. She says he is the best in ability and attractiveness and perso ~. But she can’t say personality. She just says he is the best.

Umma says she wishes that someone like MS would take him, but then she laughs as a joke. But then she says, if he had someone like you then I would just marry him right away! but she laughs like it is a joke again. MS looks amazingly stunned.

YJ shows up at the door and lets her know that it is time to leave. He asks her if his mother made her uncomfortable. MS says it sounds like she wants to connect the two of them together. YJ asks so what do you think of it? She tells him that she wanted to quit before any one else has that suspicioun.

YJ looks just like Dong-man at that point and wrinkles his face. He takes a deep sigh and tells her that his proposal was really good. She says it was good but she is still quitting, she cannot yield.

he covers his mouth and walks closer to her then he tells her not to kindle his competitiveness.

DINNER
Later on, MS meets with her sisters to talk. her sisters tell her not to worry about them, the oldest is the one that is worried because she did not take care of her younger siblings and MS works too hard. MS tells them that they paid off their loans together. They didn’t’ make any trouble like appa. they had another loan issue, $30k. The sister are all like !!!!! Why didn’t’ you tell us! MS tells them that she sold her car. They didn’t even know that she had a car. She says their VP bought her one because she was late for a meeting once. She drove it for a week then sold it to pay off all the debt.

Elsewhere, YS is at a lounge with YJ, he is laughing hysterically. But YJ is not laughing. he tells him that they spent a long time together, how can she be so okay with it? YS say that YJ told her that their relationship is only work. But YJ just ponders the reason. YS does not think that MS wants any special deal. When she says she wanted to quit, she should have a reason.

YJ thinks back to that day. It rewinds through all the moments from that day until YJ settles on Oh Ji-ran shouting, Oppa!

Back to the dinner with the sisters. They keep eating. MS sneezes due to an allergy. They ask why she touched flowers. Back to that night that MS quit.

JR runs up to MS and YJ. She tells him that he should have come there with JR and not MS, was it becuse he thought she was busy? Thenshe asks if she has anything different. MS points to her neck in a casual way. which makes YJ say she got a new necklace. JR then says that it is her birthday today! She jsut needs flowers. MS books it out of there and goes to the nearest flower shop. She sneezes a lot as she grabs them and gives them to YJ to give to JR.

MS is sniffling and has teary eyes which makes YJ think that she was crying over him. He tells his friend that she was crying that night. The friend is all like really? She is crying because she had to buy flowers for another woman. But YJ doenst’ think that is it. The friend is ominous about YJ’s guess.

YJ claps his hands and shakes his head he thinks he figured it out. the personal reason, her yes, Secretary Kim is…..

He slaps the tabel and stands up.

Secretary Kim likes me!

But Kim just bursts out laughing at her sisters insinuating that she likes him. It is teh funniest thing to her. Her sister think he likes her because he buys her so many things but MS says he never loves anyone but himself. he never loves anyone at his age. th esister think that is nonsense that he has never liked anyone at his age. But the other sister says MS is exactly the same. the sister tell each other to shut up because that makes MS angry now.

Cut to YJ telling YS that he was so careful for her not to like him but she would be a robot to not like him after 9 years. They are in a work relationship, but of course she liked me. He sits as if he answred the quetsions of the world.

MS tells her sisters that she is quitting. They want to know why, did he give her a hard time? She says the debt is all gone and appa and her sisters are stable so she does not need to work there. She is a little worried because at her age and her specs, she might not find a better job, but she thinks this is the right time to quit.

Just at that moment, YJ calls her. The sisters tell her not to take the call but she takes it. He tells her to come to him right now. SHe says to call YC who is another one of his secretaries,but he wants her. Sh tells him to spend the night with JR tongiht. But he just tell her to come over.

He hangs up.

The sisters says that he wants her to pick him up? She says she doesnt’ understand why he wants to go home. The sisters are happy that she quit. Suddenly they see a spider so everyone hops up and screams. One of the sisters kills it and the other sister asks MS if she still has a spider phobia? MS asks if she got lost when she was 4 or 5, did that really not happen? the sister says that really didnt’ happen.

MS goes outside and sees YJ waiting in the car. She sighs and then hurries to the car. Inside the car YJ smiles and says that he didnt’ know that seh liked him. He tells himself that he will wuit his relationship with JR and softly laughs at how brilliant he is. MS looks at him and wonders why YJ is talking to YJ. She tells him that she is there and then gets in.

He gives her flowers right away which makes her eyes grow wide and tear up instantly. he thinks she is crying again but seh just sneezes all over it. She also sneezes on him. he wipes it off with a hankerchief and tells her to throw it away. She does and takes the flowers with her. he thinks she is so moved by the flowers due to her reaction, but she is really just having a severed allergic reaction tot he flowers. She tries to clear her nose by fanning her face and then hops back in the car.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#8
they drive off. He tells her that he will break up with JR. She asks him if he is dating someone else. He tells ehr that he won’t date anyone else for awhile. He did not sleep with her, you know we have a business relationship right? She knows. He says he understands how hard this working relationship is for her so he will give her a day break. SHe is happy about that because she ahs an interview for the next secretary. he tells her to come by, do the interview, and leave.

then he asks her if she will be in Seoul, does she have a basic plan/ Why are you quitting? She says hse needs to find her own life. She does not want to be head of the household or Someones secretary, she just wants to have her own life as Kim Mi-so.

JY looks a bit serious at that realization.

5 AM
YJ did not sleep at night at all and looks like a man in pain. He gets up to a bunch of gloomy blue tones and then takes a shower with no emotion. He tries to do his morning facial routine, but he notices that he has a pimple. How dare this pimple come to my expensive forhead! He tries to do something about it, but it is future. He gets dressed by himself but he can’t put his tie on by himself His morning is just a gloomy mess.

the situation is teh opposite at MS’s home. The tones are bright and cheerful. She wakes up to a lovely sun shining day and giggles at the delight of sleeping in. She puts YJ’s shcedule to the side and looks at her own book decorated with stickers. But she sees the time, 7:10 am and thinks she slept too much.

YJ gets to work and sees that MS is not there. He sadly goes to his office and plops in his seat. He thinks he needs to refresh his mood so he picks up the first item on his desk. The only problem is, that is Secretary Kims resignation letter. He drops it and contemplates the situation.

MS is still at home, she happily breathes in the air and thinks about feeling free. She calls a friend and happily chats with her in what seems like a long time.

At work, YJ eats a lot of packs of teh ginseng candy as he sulks. His friend comes in. YJ ponders what this nonsense is with finding her own life. She didnt’ have any weakends and worked 18 hours a day so she worked 50180 hours, they spent more time together than regular couples, how is this not meaninful for her?

YS says that he cares about her and has a relationship with her and she is a great secreatary, but do you like her? YJ is all like are you crazy? YS asks him, then why do you care about her this much? You only let MS touch you. You have so many women around but they dont touch you, do you have a trauma against women.

I hate women

MS is a woman!

MS is different. She is Secretary Kim.

He leaves. YS wonders what he is talking about. YS’s secreatary comes in and asks him if he is still drinking his drink? She can warm it up for him. He says he will still drink it like this. But she accidentally gets it all over him. he doesn’t get upset at her though and asks if she also wants to quit? She says she will be next to him forever. he tells her she can leave so seh happuly does.

SECREATARY KIM
Secreatary Kim writes a letter to the next secreatary

Letter to the next secreatary,

You know the secretary rules? (She writes all the thinks YJ likes) yOur mouth is heavy and your bottom is light. This person without any experience or specs was able to do it, so you can do it. The last thing I will tell this secretary is teh reason I quit this job, the most important thing is….

YJ goes into her office. She tells himt hat he does not look good. He said he didn’t sleep well. but he tells her that she looks good. She says she slept well because of him. But she notices acne on his forhead and wants to call the doctor, but he tells her not, hse think sshe can call another doctor about his sleep. He asks her if she worried about him. She says yes. He asks her if she is Secreatary Kim or Kim Mi-so.

She asks what does that mean.

JH comes in and tells YJ that they have an interview for the next secreatary. YJ tells them to let that person in and also tells MS to come to that meeting as well.

They sit for the meeting across from JA, the hopefull secreatary. SHe is perky and happy as she sits there in perfect lady like attention.

Question: If you become secretary Kim, how do you live your life, as secretary Kim or as Kim Ji-a.
Sh says he will be Secretary Kim Ji-a, she is both. YJ tells MS to ask a question

Question: What should the secretary do?
Secretary takes care of the boss like their own child.

YJ asks her what she thinks if she has such an easy job working for a persfect boss. MS says do you think you can be 100% for a 100% boss. Will you be perfect for a perfect boss?

That will be difficult

Do you have a responsibility not to quit for personal reasons
I will die here

What if you really die while working?
I will work that hard?

YJ – We have the best reward for work.
MS- Well the reword is for sure but there will be no Kim Ji-a, only secreatry Kim

YJ – So, the time you spent for me wasn’t your own life Kim Mi-so?

She looks at him and takes a deep breath.

JA looks from one to the other.
JA – If you pick me then I will work hard!

YJ tells her that she passes! Take her to her new seat. Then he tells MS to make a carbon copy of herself and then leave. MS says, yes. She gets up but YJ stops her and asks her what it means to have her own life.

She says she is 29 already, she needs to meet someone, date and get married. YJ is all like, huh?
——-dramamilk.com——-
#9
CAFE
MS happily talks to her friends. Theya re surprised that she is at their meeting. M tells them that she will have a lot of time from now on. They tell her that she was cool and smart standing next to the VP. I am just an ajumma now….at least you are a house wife….MS, you should not get married….only married ones talk about that….they all laugh. One of the friends get sup but accidentally knocks over the purses. All men things ar in her purse, no men things. MS says she never knows when her VP will need something. The friends all look like that is super strange, but MS tries to laugh it off and says that career women live like this.

Later on, she rides the bus that smiels at a cute family. She thinks back to crossing off “Secretary Kim” at the bank and adding her name “Kim Mi-so.” She solemly looks out the window in the bus. then she gets home and sit on the bed in contemplation. She looks around a little bit and sighs in resolution. She pulls out a huge box and then starts to pack everything about YJ into the box. She puts all his things in there that she has in her possession.

then seh sits and writes the most important thing

The most important thing is….have your own time.

She sings the letter with her name, Kim Mi-so. Then seh packs it all in the box and says she is all done.

At work YJ thinks, her own time? Lfe? Dating? Marriage? How can she tell me all those things as if it is someone elses story? JR asks who. He asks her how he looks, how is he? She tells him Oppa is the perfect man. He has ability, is tall, handsome, has good manners, and…is sexy, teehee.

YJ asks, then what is wrong with Secreatary Kim?

JR asks what about her, are you talking about someone else in front of me?

he leaves in another Maserati and peels off down the street.

At home, MS is in her lounge wear and looks at her old notebook. In the front it says, To my oppa and has a picture. SHe hears a knock on the door.

She goes otuside and sees YJ standing there, she tells him to go inside but he tells her not to order him around, he will stand outside. She is all like……okay.

She goes outside and asks him if he is angry. He says he is not angry, whoever she meets is none of his business. he asked her is she is dating any douchbag. She says she isnot daing andy douchbag. thenthey both say what to each other. She says he has no reason to date someone and seh has no time to date anyone. She has to go out whenever you call me.

he tells her that is not enough explanation. She tells him that she thought if she works like this next to himall the time thens eh will get old and not be able to marry.

he says, that is the only reason?

She says, the only reason? If she gets old and he fires her, who will take care of her life?

he tells her he will make it so that she works for him forever.

She says, you will make it so I wil work for you forever and become lonely and old?

He tells her, so you quit to get married, you really want to get married? She says yes. He tells her to keep working, just keep working and I will marry you.

Fade Out
——-dramamilk.com——-

COMMENTS
The first episode had me cracking up. I love this boss and his self absorbed ways.

PREVIEW
MS – I am going to date
YS – Get ahold of her is almost like a company merger
MS – if you have someone you like, write down where you would like to go together….pork galbi
VO – Our company has a weak alcohol department
MS – Can you stop talking about work at the aprty
YJ – Okay okay, why do you talk so much? You talk back
YJ – I will make this romantic and happy day a common day for you.

Photo by tvN

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