Love Scout Review: A Charming and Mature Reimagining of a Classic Rom-Com

In the chaotic world we live in, fiction can often serve as a safe haven and a source of inspiration. Heartily offering both, it’s easy to see why SBS’s Love Scout has become such a hit in South Korea.

A delightful, mature and rewarding rom-com, Love Scout uses a familiar secretary-boss premise as a foundation for a story that skilfully flips traditional power dynamics and gender roles. It’s a well-crafted series counting on likeable characters, empathetic dialogue, satisfying character arcs, and uplifting themes. Despite a seemingly lighthearted plot, the show not only offers an entertaining narrative but also contains depth, heart, and social commentary.

This review/analysis contains spoilers. Read it at your own risk! You can also pin our spoiler-free summary at the bottom!

What’s Love Scout About and What’s Korea’s Take on It?

At the centre of Love Scout, internationally distributed via Viki, there’s Kang Ji-yun (Han Ji-min), the successful CEO of a headhunting company. She’s incredibly driven and dedicated, but also a cold perfectionist who demands much from herself and others. She finds it hard to balance work and personal life and often fails to take care of herself. When Yoo Eun-ho (Lee Joon-hyuk) is hired to be her secretary, he helps her see her life and herself differently. Eun-ho is equally competent at his job, which encourages Ji-yun to keep him around. Adding to that, he’s also a single father who is doing his best to be an attentive and loving parent to his young daughter.

The show, written by Kim Ji-eun and directed by Ham Joon-ho and Kim Jae-hong, has become a sensation in Korea. Starting with an average TV viewership rating of around 5%, the finale reached 12%, and the series, despite changes in the broadcasting schedule, averaged a viewership rating of around 10%.

The Korea Times explained the show’s popularity with a very interesting article called “Farewell to Cinderella: ‘Love Scout’ rewrites K-drama success formula“. In it, we find:

Drama critic Oh Soo-kyung noted, “As societal norms evolve, romance dramas continue to change in their details, with gender role reversal being a key trend. Viewers no longer prefer the old formula of a wounded chaebol man and a Cinderella-like woman.” (…)

Drama critic Jung Seok-hee remarked, “As a secretary, Yoo Eun-ho completely breaks away from the classic male lead trope of a ‘rude but elite’ man. Viewers seem to be captivated by his humanity and reliability.” Oh Soo-kyung added, “Previously, dominant and aggressive ‘beast-like’ male leads were considered attractive, but in recent years, gentle and warmhearted men have become the ideal.” (…)

Professor Yun Suk-jin of Chungnam National University’s Korean Language and Literature Department explained, “Today’s female leads establish their own presence through professional expertise, rather than being defined by their male counterparts. This marks a clear departure from past dramas where women needed a romantic relationship to be recognized as socially significant.”

But is Love Scout only about this rarely-seen kind of relationship between Ji-yun and Eun-ho?

Not at all. Love Scout is much, much more than that.

What Makes Love Scout a Character-Driven Story?

From the very beginning, rather than focusing on plot, the script compels us to care about our characters’ personal journeys as they flourish. We’re brought into the Love Scout universe to watch them evolve, overcome their fears and shortcomings, and live more fulfilling lives. The plot only serves as a thread, giving the script a more solid structure and as a tool introducing us to the characters’ backgrounds, motivations, and growth, and challenging them to deal with new scenarios with renewed perspectives.

As a character-driven story, Love Scout focuses on character development. Trauma is used as an element of the characters’ personalities, but, most importantly, not as their whole selves. Their pain does affect them in the present, but doesn’t completely paralyse them. As often happens with most of us, we grow and we learn to get by. In Love Scout, we find relatable characters who may be suffering from their past anguishes but keep on living regardless. They eventually learn from and overcome their pain — and that’s the goal of the show.

And so, their internal and interpersonal conflicts constantly ignite their dramatic progress. These conflicts are never overly drawn out, but are naturally, gracefully, and promptly dealt with. This allows our character arcs to progress at a steady pace and gives the script a dynamic, varied range of conflicts to explore. It also offers little satisfying victories throughout that push our characters forward and make for an optimistic and enjoyable watch.

How This Focus Affects the Last Two Episodes

That choice of focus on character explains the structure of the last two episodes. The final showdown between our heroine Ji-yun and the show’s main antagonist, Career Way CEO Kim Hye-jin (Park Bo-kyung), starts in episode 11. This is the moment in which our heroine is seemingly defeated, but through her new, better version of herself, she comes up with a solution that honours her values and goals. 

But we shouldn’t waste too much time in the bureaucratic workings of this storyline. After all, our characters’ journeys are more important than the plot, remember?

That’s why the scene in which we’re led to believe that Ikonic Biotechnology CEO Park Young-min (Ko Sang-ho) is going to betray Hye-jin is done quickly and subtly. The actual goal of the penultimate instalment is to show the diligence and togetherness of the Peoplez staff, which leads to the final push in Ji-yun’s character arc. The finale then resolves the plot in a short sequence to tie up any remaining loose ends. This resolution caps off with Ji-yun’s calm and collected response to Hye-jin: she “won’t live a life motivated by hate anymore“, highlighting the differences between episode-one and episode-twelve Ji-yun. From there, the show dedicates 50 minutes to portraying how the characters’ renewed selves grant them completely different lives.

How Do the Characters Change in Love Scout?

Ji-yun, thanks to Eun-ho’s care, support, and sincerity, learns to forgive, care for herself, and cherish the people around her. She understands that she isn’t alone, that it’s important to be empathetic, and that we can do much more by working together. As a consequence, she gets to live a more peaceful, meaningful, and joyful life. In marked contrast with the first episode, Ji-yun now eats, sleeps, cares for herself and her home, and spends time with her loved ones. She finds herself a family in Eun-ho and his daughter, Byeol (the adorable Gi So-yoo), as well as in her coworkers. She finally gets to open a company that really reflects her values and objectives.

Meanwhile, Eun-ho learns to let go of his preconceived notions, appreciate different perspectives, prioritise himself at times, and even be a bit more tenacious thanks to Ji-yun. He’s then able to continue building the career he loves that had unfairly been taken away from him. These two characters evolve individually and jointly. In the end, the script eliminates the need to have them together all the time, forever and ever. Instead, it grants them the opportunity to develop their own lives and dreams next to each other.

Fortunately, our second lead couple is equally well looked after. We witness as children’s author Jung Su-hyeon (Kim Yoon-hye) builds confidence and courage, overcomes heartbreak, and embraces her desires. And even though Ji-yun, as our heroine, boasts the strongest character arc in the series, Director Woo Jeong-hun (Kim Do-hoon) takes a very close second place. Jeong-hun is a surprising presence in the show: he starts as an immature airhead who you aren’t encouraged to care much about, almost as if he were brought into this mix just to function as the third corner of a love triangle. However, as we’re slowly introduced to his background and he starts interacting with Su-hyeon, Jeong-hun blossoms into a much kinder, more selfless,  mature and resolute young man. By the last episode, Jeong-hun has grown into a completely different version of himself while still holding on to his own particular personality.

How You Feelin’: Allowing Your Characters to Openly Process and Express Emotion

Speaking of love triangles, that’s another thing we should appreciate in Love Scout. Love triangles are shown with complete wisdom, honesty, and normalcy. The script doesn’t waste a single minute on misunderstandings, bouts of jealousy, or petty competition. Characters in Love Scout can communicate and sympathise with each other. And, realistically, the script allows them to grieve and hurt — after all, rejection always stings, and it is natural to be sad.

So that is what Love Scout does masterfully well: it allows its characters to feel. By having people who aren’t scared of feeling a whole range of positive and negative emotions, the story becomes a tender reminder that our feelings are always valid and we can always talk to each other about them. That doesn’t only apply to the women, might I add — most men in Love Scout are emotionally open. Eun-ho is warmhearted and sincere, Jeong-hun learns to open up throughout the story, and the bookseller Kang-seok (Lee Jae-woo) often has candid conversations with Eun-ho and his wife, Mi-ae (Lee Sang-hee).

The Importance of Parenthood in Love Scout

Granted, Eun-ho’s reality as a single parent isn’t completely accurate, but it’s a huge pleasure to see a mainstream drama explore this dynamic so joyfully and openly. Eun-ho’s day-to-day existence is almost utopian and perhaps should be seen as an example of the opportunities and systems that parents, single or otherwise, should be offered in real life.

Byeol is raised in an affectionate environment not only thanks to Eun-ho’s dedication but also because of a solid and unwavering support system. After all, “it takes a village to raise a child.” He openly admits that he can only succeed thanks to all the people who help him — from neighbours to friends, from school to work. Still, his role as a father is portrayed with emphasis and substance. His willingness to be a present and caring father is part of his identity from the very beginning, when we see him decide (and be able) to take a year off to support his child and actively engage in therapy to help her.

Quite refreshingly, Love Scout portrays parenthood not as a burden but as a choice based on love. Fatherhood is embraced by Eun-ho after his ex-wife decides to leave. Meanwhile, Su-hyeon chooses to raise Seo-joon (the wonderful Kim Tae-vin), her sister’s son, after she passes away. While Su-hyeon’s mother is worried that her youngest daughter is sacrificing her youth to bring Seo-joon up, Su-hyeon is keen to show the world that motherhood is just one aspect of her existence and not her entire persona. Being a mother is important and makes her happy, but she’s still an artist, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a woman. Both Eun-ho and Su-hyeon can be individuals and parents because the show portrays a society that supports them. This is a vital message that Love Scout conveys: we can only build good lives for ourselves and our children through effective support systems.

A Quick Note on Ji-yun and Byeol’s Relationship

Another key element of this very well-written script is how Ji-yun is introduced to Byeol. Eun-ho’s daughter isn’t a prop or a plot device used to bring out her father’s sensitivity. In fact, Byeol has her own personality and struggles, which are explored throughout the show as she interacts with several different characters. Love Scout allows Ji-yun to find Byeol without the interference of Eun-ho, ensuring the two girls foster a relationship that is uniquely and exclusively theirs. Likewise, Ji-yun is never presented as a surrogate mother or just “the father’s girlfriend.” Ji-yun serves as a female role model to Byeol, and, in turn, Ji-yun sees herself as a reflection of the little girl. After all, their backgrounds do have their fair share of similarities. And so, the dynamic established between them serves, once again, to strengthen Ji-yun’s character arc and Byeol’s identity in the narrative.

Going Further: Work Ethics in Love Scout

Through Peoplez, we’re introduced to some relevant ideas about work, too. Ji-yun isn’t just hard-working — she’s principled and proud of being a headhunter. Despite her initial coldness, she respects people, their experiences, and what they do. She has a very strong work ethic, which she constantly cultivates in her company. The importance of a conscientious approach to work is shown by contrasting Ji-yun’s and Hye-jin’s characters and through the episodic cases that the Peoplez staff face. These “adventures” serve to build characterisation and assist in character development. And they also emphasise a message that integrity and professionalism help us do a job that is meaningful and satisfying.

Another aspect of Love Scout that helps the show’s success in Korea (I believe) is how Ji-yun’s work as a headhunter honours people’s experience, skills, and willingness to learn. She never looks only at an applicant’s resumé. Instead, she analyses how her candidates’ personality, commitment, and know-how can be of service to a role or company. Even though she struggles with work-life balance, Ji-yun actually has a very positive view of work. For her, every single job matters and work can help people live with a greater sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. The series’s nuanced approach to this idea also takes into consideration generational differences and societal prejudices that we often see in our everyday lives.

Why Should We See Love Scout as an Example of Gender Equality in Dramas?

Everyone recognises that the entire premise of Love Scout is based on gender role reversal. But what makes the show really work is the fact that men and women are portrayed as equals.

Unlike the female lead of several other rom-coms out there, Ji-yun isn’t some sort of kind-hearted angel. She’s very much human: at first, she’s aloof and struggles to process her emotions, but she’s extremely competent at her job. Her determination pushes her to fight tooth and nail to get what she wants. Meanwhile, Eun-ho is more connected with his emotions, but he’s sometimes too kind — to the point that he forgets that his own needs can also be heard and met. Still, he’s a very capable, intelligent man whose skills were ignored at his previous job because of sexism.

Just like all the other characters in the show, regardless of gender, Ji-yun and Eun-ho have strengths and weaknesses. When we try to create stories with greater gender equality, it’s important to remember that it’s not about criticising or dumbing down one gender in favour of another. It’s about understanding that both genders have the same potential (for both talents and flaws, professionally and personally) and are equally able to do great (and also terrible) things. It’s also important to mention that gender equality doesn’t mean that women don’t need help at all. Everyone needs help regardless of gender — after all, no man (or woman) is an island.

While Eun-ho and Ji-yun can help each other professionally in equal measures, Love Scout departs from your classic rom-com standard by offering a male lead who is more prepared to emotionally help his female lead. Eun-ho helps Ji-yun find the answers she’s been looking for, allowing her to fight her own battles more wisely and comfortably. On the other hand, Eun-ho’s professional relationship with Ji-yun helps him look at his career differently, while their romantic bond also encourages him to understand that he can find the means to satisfy his own desires — without leaving anyone behind.

Technical Notes: Production Design, Performances & Music

The cinematography may not be groundbreaking, but it serves the narrative well. Some scenes carry a lot of meaning that you only get to truly appreciate at the end of the show. For instance, in the first episode, Eun-ho guides Ji-yun out of the temple by literally lighting her way down the stairs. That simple scene might be a couple of minutes long, but it summarises much of the journey that Ji-yun is about to embark on.

The visual element that truly shines in Love Scout is the set design. The themes of the story, the personalities of our characters, and the changes they go through are all clearly illustrated through the environment surrounding them. Eun-ho and Ji-yun couldn’t live in more different apartments. While Eun-ho’s home is warm, cosy, and organised, Ji-yun’s place is monotone, cold, and messy. As Ji-yun grows, you slowly see her apartment change bit by bit. The Peoplez, Career Way, and We Company offices were designed according to the same idea: using colour, furniture, and layout to show who our characters are as well as their motivations and development.

Besides those, performances are excellent all-around, and we get to see a side of Lee Joon-hyuk that we don’t often get to. Since tvN’s A Poem a Day, I’ve believed that he could be a marvellous male lead in a romance — and I think Love Scout proves me right. First, his comic timing is excellent. Then, his chemistry with Han Ji-min is palpable and completely mesmerising, but it avoids the ardour of youth. In Love Scout, all characters act their age, which is a breath of fresh air. Their relationship reflects an older, more mature romance, in which both sides get to know each other slowly and establish more open and direct lines of communication.

The soundtrack is another little beauty — with songs such as Test Me by Paul Blanco, the meaningful How you Feelin’ by Kwon Jin-ah, Like a Moonlight by Sam Kim/Jin Hyo-jeong, and Answer by Minnie, the Love Scout OST is one that I’ll listen to for a long time. You can find it on Spotify.

Haven’t watched the show? No time for the entire analysis? Then pin our summary!

[Spoiler-free] Should You Watch Love Scout?

Love Scout is a subtle but powerful tale of self-discovery, empathy, parenthood, and work-life balance. If you’re looking for a sweet, serene, and cosy rom-com, I think Love Scout fits the bill perfectly.

The thing that makes Love Scout different from your commonplace rom-com is that the show subverts the old tropes superbly. With Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk delivering a mature romance in a character-driven narrative, you’re presented with realistic characters that get rid of stereotypes and outdated gender roles. With a gentle but purposeful touch, Love Scout is a series that can raise a lot of questions and encourage us to be better people and create a better society for each other.

You can watch Love Scout on: