SUMMARY
Touch Your Heart/Reach of Sincerity
[진심이 닿다] (tvN, 2019)
Written by Lee Myung-suk and Choi Bo-rim (web novel)
Directed by Park Joon-Hwa (박준화)
Production company Studio Dragon [스튜디오드래곤 주식회사]
February 6 ~ March 28, 2019 [Wed & Thur]
16 episodes
A former scandal-ridden starlet looking to make her comeback joins a law firm as a law secretary to research for a new role. Personalities clash as she works together with a straight-laced perfectionist lawyer — but will sparks fly eventually as she softens his heart? This is the long-awaited reunion of Goblin‘s other beloved couple, Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na.
— by Mich KDL
WRITER & DIRECTOR
Touch Your Heart is based on a web-toon of the same name, first released on KakaoPage in 2016 and written by Lee Myung-suk and Choi Bo-rim. You can read it online here.
Park Joon-Hwa (박준화) is the director behind the wildly successful Why Secretary Kim (2018), and other KDL favorites. Working exclusively for tvN, he directed the first eleven seasons of Ugly Young-A (2007-2013), before working on stand-alone dramas like Let’s Eat 1 and 2 (2013-2014 and 2015), Bring It On, Ghost (2016) and Because This Is My First Life (2017). — by Marion & Mich KDL
CAST
Lawyer at ALWAYS Law Firm
— — — — — — —
Kim Se-won (Lee Sang-woo)
Prosecutor; Jung-rok’s college friend;
Yeo-reum’s ex-boyfriend
Yeon Joon-kyu (Oh Jung-se )
Head of ALWAYS Law Firm
Lee Doo-yeob (Park Ji-hwan )
ALWAYS Law Firm office manager;
has a crush on Secretary Yang
Former actress, now law secretary
— — — — — — —
Son Sung-yoon (Yoo Yeo-reum)
Prosecutor; Jung-rok’s college friend;
Se-won’s ex-girlfriend
Kong Hyuk-joon (Oh Eui-sik )
Yoon-seo’s manager
FILMING LOCATIONS
While it seems that Touch Your Heart is set in the bustling river south of locales — like Gangnam, where the law firm is supposed to be located in — its locations are actually flung far and wide around Seoul.
What’s also most note-worthy is how many law-related scenes in this drama (aside from the main courthouse) were actually filmed at familiar K-Dramaland universities, such as Sun Moon University [선문대학교 아산캠퍼스], as seen in School 2017; and Inha University [인하대학교], more well-known as Haneol Sport University in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.
— by Mich KDL
Search Touch Your Heart on KDL for a visual look of all locations.
Last update: 25/08/2019
SEOUL [서울특별시]
EUNPYEONG-GU [은평구]
Jingwan-dong [진관동]
— Il-in [1인1상] [E5]
GANGNAM-GU [강남구]
Samseong-dong [삼성동]
— Matsugaze Japanese Restaurant [E2/3]
— Bus Stop Samseong Station Exit 7 [E13-14]
Yeoksam-dong [역삼동]
— Gangnam Station [강남역] [E1/2/5]
— Sinnonhyeon Station [신논현역] [E1]
GANGSEO-GU [강서구]
Gaehwa-dong [개화동]
— House Sangsa Village 8-15 [E5]
— House Sangsa Village [E5]
— Daedong Super [대동슈퍼] [E6]
Magok-dong [마곡동]
— Subway — Yangcheonhyanggyo Station Branch [E12]
GWANAK-GU [관악구]
Bongcheon-dong [봉천동]
— Pungnyeon Gopchang [풍년곱창] [E2]
GWANGJIN-GU [광진구]
Gwangjang-dong [광장동]
— Seoul City Astronomical Observatory [E7]
JONGNO-GU [종로구]
Hwa-dong [화동]
— Bukchon-ro 5-gil [북촌로5길] [E5/6]
Samcheong-dong [삼청동]
— Bukchon-ro 5-gil [북촌로5길] [E5]
Sogyeok-dong [소격동]
— White Birch Story Tea House [E2]
MAPO-GU [마포구]
Daeheung-dong [대흥동]
— Korea Listed Companies Association Building
Gongdeok-dong [공덕동]
— Honam Sikdang [호남식당] [E6]
Mangwon-dong [망원동]
— Seongsan Bridge [성산대교] [E1]
Sangam-dong [상암동]
— World Cup Bridge [월드컵대교] [Teaser]
— Gaon Culture Park [가온문화공원] [E11]
Tojeong-dong [토정동]
— Chicken Feet Yechan [닭발예찬] [E7]
Yeomri-dong [염리동]
— Gyeongui Line Plaza [경의선광장] [E9]
Yeonnam-dong [연남동]
— Le Torte [레 또르떼] [E9]
— Sushi Yadori [스시야도리] [E16]
NOWON-GU [노원구]
Gongneung 2(i)-dong [공릉2동]
— Seoul National University of Science and
Technology [서울과학기술대학교] [E4]
SEOCHO-GU [서초구]
Seocho 3(sam)-dong [서초3동]
— Seoul Central District Court [E1]
Seocho-dong [서초동]
— Yoyoma’s Kitchen [요요마의키친] [E10]
SEODAEMUN-GU [서대문구]
Sinchon-dong [신촌동]
— Sinchon Graffiti Tunnel [신촌벽화터널] [E4]
SEONGDONG-GU [성동구]
Oksu-dong [옥수동]
— Dongho Bridge [동호대교] [E1/2]
— Yanghwa Bridge [양화대교] [E1]
SEOUL (Con’t) [서울특별시]
SONGPA-GU [송파구]
Garak-dong [가락동]
— Seongdong Detention Center [구 성동구치소] [E5]
YEONGDEUNGPO-GU [서대문구]
Yeouido-dong [여의도동]
— Wonhyo Bridge [원효대교] [E3]
— Tenuto Malt Bar [테누토] [E4]
— The National Assembly Building [E5]
— Mercato Y [메르카토와이] [E5]
— Bon Voyage [본보야지] [E15]
YONGSAN-GU [용산구]
Hannam-dong [한남동]
— Hyosung Village [효성빌리지]
Wonho-ro 2(i)ga [원효로2가]
— Hongdon — Yongsan branch [홍돈 용산점] [E14]
ASEONG [아산시]
Sangjung-ri [상중리]
— Seounsan Natural Recreational Forest [서운산자연휴양림] [E8]
ASAN [아산시]
TANGJEONG-MYEON [별내동]
Galsan-ri [갈산리]
— Sun Moon University [E3]
GOYANG [고양시]
ILSANDONG-GU [일산동구]
Janghang-dong [장항동]
— Ilsan Lake Park [일산호수공원] [E7]
Seolmun-dong [설문동]
— Sosoham Café [소소함카페] [E8]
Seongseok-dong [성석동]
— Peace Piece [피스피스] [E6]
INCHEON [인천특별시]
JUNG-GU [중구]
Bukseong-dong 1(il)-ga [북성동1가]
— Wolmi Theme Park [월미테마파크]
NAM-GU [남구]
Yonghyun-dong [용현동]
— Inha University [인하대학교]
OSAN [오산시]
GEUMAN-DONG [금암동]
— Mulhyanggi Arboretum [물향기수목원] [E5]
PAJU [파주시]
MUNBAL-DONG [문발동]
— Café Paper Tree [종이와 나무] [E14]
SEOPAE-DONG [서패동]
— Mediterium [메디테리움]
TANHYEON-MYEON [탄현면]
— Artinus Farmer’s Table [파머스테이블] [E5]
— Cafe Mallorca [카페 마요르카] [E1]
— Gyeonggi English Village — Paju Camp [E5]
YONGIN
GIHEUNG-GU [기흥구]
Hagal-dong [하갈동]
— Kyung Hee University [경희대학교 서울캠퍼스] [E1+9]
K-DRAMA REFERENCES
DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN (2016)
Yoon-seo places herself in the shoes of the heroine while reading a potential script in episode 1, and imagines a scenario that resembles that of Descendants of the Sun. Her imagination continues to trail on in episodes 2 and 3. Though not as direct a reference, it’s interesting to note here that DOTS’ director, Yoo Jong-sun, is also listed as a co-director for Why Secretary Kim together with Touch Your Heart director Park.
WHY SECRETARY KIM (2018)
In a great reference to Director Park Joon-hwa’s involvement with Why Secretary Kim, Yoon-seo and Jung-rok watch a lawyer-themed movie called What’s Wrong with the Lawyer? (변호사가 왜그럴까?) — with its poster and logo mirroring that of WSK’s.
SIGNAL (2016)
Yoon-seo reveals to Jung-rok in episode 9 that one of the most memorable dramas she’d worked on was one called ‘Signal’. Upon checking it out for himself, Jung-rok finds out that it’s “a life-changing office drama” about “a woman who takes a job as an insurance sales person at Signal Life Insurance company. After many twists and turns, she becomes the queen of insurance sales.” He later watches a clip of her character giving a pep talk to someone on the other line –supposedly a “Detective Lee Jae-han”– about his lack of health insurance, telling him that “the future can be changed”. This, of course, is an interesting reference to the highly acclaimed time-travel drama of the same name, which was also on tvN.
STAR’S LOVER (2008)
“Ahh, it’s a Star’s Lover,” Jung-rok is greeted by a colleague when arriving at his office the morning after Oh Jin-shim has openly admitted to them dating in episode 16. This is a reference to the drama Star’s Lover/Celebrity Sweetheart/Celebrity Lover (스타의 연인) (SBS, 2008), in which a similar love-story as Jung-rok and Oh Jin-shim’s is narrated: the one of poor university lecturer Kim Chul-soo (Yoo Ji-tae) and top star Lee Ma-ri (Choi Ji-woo).
GOBLIN (2016-17)
“There are things that are important to you, even if it seems trivial to others,” explains Lee Doo-seob (Park Ji-hwan) about his maple leaf bookmark in episode 14 and continues “When I was in elementary school, I went to my grandmother’s house. On my way, I picked up this leaf bookmark. If I lose this, I think it would be really hard for me to handle my sorrow.”
In Goblin, a maple leaf bookmark is even more important between Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) and Kim Shin (Gong Yoo). Eun-tak has picked up the leaf on their stay in Canada in episode 1 and explains Kim Shin that if you “catch a falling maple leaf, you’ll fall in love with the person you are walking with — just as catching a falling cherry blossom makes your first love come true.” She carefully laminates the leaf in episode 3 and gifts it to Kim Shin and it becomes his keepsake; contemplating it while being love-sick, for instance, in episode 4.
HER PRIVATE LIFE (2019)
Snippets of the trailer for Her Private Life is shown before the start of Yoon-seo’s new drama in final episode 16. Her Private Life debuts in the same mid-week timeslot after the end of Touch Your Heart.
K-DRAMA TROPE REFERENCES
“When you look at dramas about in-office romances, they always meet in staircases like this. So I also wanted to try it once.” This is how Yoon-seo explains to Jung-rok as to why she wanted to meet him up in the staircase during work in episode 10.
In episode 11, Jung-rok brings Yoon-seo to Wolmi Theme Park [월미테마파크] to cheer her up. His inspiration came from the dramas Yoon–seo starred in as he explains: “From time to time, I looked up the dramas that you starred in, and the places that the male lead takes the sad heroine to make her feel better were the beach and the amusement park. So I was debating which place to bring you and thought that you might have twice the enjoyment if I brought you to this amusement park which is near the beach.”
MOVIE REFERENCES
ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)
The North-American movie Roman Holiday (1953) starring Gregory Peck as a reporter and Audrey Hepburn as Crown Princess Ann is Yoon-seo’s favorite movie as she states in episode 10. Jung-rok compares her to the main character, Princess Ann, in the same episode saying Jin-sim is just like her “how she ran away because she got tired of life in the palace and found happiness in life’s little things.” It is also the movie that Jin-sim proposes to watch together with Jung-rok.
In episode 12, Jung-rok rents out a whole cinema to watch this film with Yoon-seo. [Spoiler] It also serves as a pretext to break up with her a little later.
FLOWER MEANINGS
Find out about the meaning of forsythias in our Flower Language post!
KDL CREDITS
Locations: Mich KDL, Marion KDL
Photos: Thom Musni
Any other information to add? Or any thoughts about the drama and its locations?
Let us know in the comments!
