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A Drama About Loss, Memory and Family
The 10-episode Korean drama “Move to Heaven” premiered on Netflix on May 14, 2021, following a young man and his uncle as they operate a trauma-cleaning business and uncover the lives reflected in the possessions of the dead.
Tang Jun-sang stars as Han Geu-ru, a young man with Asperger syndrome. After his father’s death, Geu-ru comes under the guardianship of his uncle, Cho Sang-gu, played by Lee Je-hoon. Sang-gu has recently been released from prison and is the half brother of Geu-ru’s father, Han Jeong-u; the two men share the same mother but have different fathers.
Geu-ru and Sang-gu begin working together to sort through belongings left behind by people who have died. The series presents the job as more than cleaning and disposal: Each assignment allows them to piece together words and feelings the deceased could not express while alive. Its central message is summed up in the tagline, “Every death has a story.”
The People Around Geu-ru
Hong Seung-hee plays Yoon Na-mu, Geu-ru’s friend and a steady presence in his life. Jung Suk-yong and Jung Young-joo portray her parents, Yoon Young-su and Oh Mi-ran. The supporting cast also includes Lee Moon-sik as Park Joo-taek, a waste-disposal truck driver; Lim Won-hee as attorney Oh Hyun-chang; and Jung Ae-youn as a character known as Madam.
Ji Jin-hee appears as Geu-ru’s father, Han Jeong-u, while Ahn Ji-ho plays the character in his younger years. Jin Yoo-chan portrays the young Sang-gu. Several child actors — Jung Min-jae, Shim Ji-an and Jang Ho-jun — share the role of Geu-ru at earlier ages.
Lives Revealed Through Belongings
The cases handled by Geu-ru and Sang-gu span different corners of Korean society. The dead include Kim Sun-u, an employee of a company called Chosun Tech; Lee Young-sun, an older woman who lived in a tiny room in an impoverished neighborhood; Lee Sun-young, a kindergarten teacher; Matthew Green, an overseas adoptee with a congenital heart condition; and broadcaster Kang Eun-jung.
Another storyline centers on Cha Eun-byeol, a student known as Butterfly Girl who approaches the company to arrange the handling of her own belongings.
Guest performers add to the individual stories. Lee Jae-wook plays Kim Su-cheol, Sang-gu’s junior colleague who suffers from punch-drunk syndrome. Yoon Ji-hye appears as prosecutor Lee Ju-young, who handles the case involving Lee Sun-young’s death. Choi Soo-young plays social worker Son Yu-rim, and Lee Ki-young appears as the father of Jung Su-hyeon.
A Korean Story for Netflix Viewers
Created by Yoon Ji-ryun, “Move to Heaven” uses an occupation that may be unfamiliar to many American viewers to tell an accessible story about grief, family responsibility and the traces people leave behind. Netflix distributes the drama, making its 10-episode first season available to audiences beyond South Korea. The series has a rating of 8.0 from 390 votes on The Movie Database.
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