King The Land had its concluding episode recently and fans are still finding it difficult to move on from it. The series gave us major vibes of Korean dramas of 2015-2015. A stingy and grumpy but good-looking chaebol hero falls for a commoner girl with a chirpy nature. Their love gets impacted by the classist father of the rich hero and all hell breaks loose. King The Land has all this trope and yet it turned out to be so much more. What's even more important is the relationship between Goo Won (Lee Junho) and Cheon Sa Rang (Im Yoon-ah) which is perhaps one of the healthiest relationships we have watched in a Korean drama of such nature. King The Land: Im Yoon-ah and Lee Junho's Hot Kiss Is Getting A Lot Of Love Because Consent Is Sexy.
Let us give you 5 green flags of this relationship which we all should make a note of.
No toxic behaviour
We have watched a lot of kdramas of yore where the hero shows a lot of toxic behaviour but since he is the hero, it's all forgiven. Yes, an enemies-to-lovers trope always gets our hearts racing but it doesn't need the person to drag the woman everywhere to establish his love. Gu Won is the kindest lover we have seen. He is soft, gentle and understands Sa Rang's emotions well. Their story also begins with hate but those encounters weren't overdramatic or passive-aggressive.
Patience
When Won and Sarang's secret relationship becomes a topic of gossip and political agenda, they are aware of what might follow but they keep it cool. While we would have liked Sarang to reveal where she is heading to Gu Won, she tries to adapt to her new circumstances. It clearly is a demotion but she takes it with her chin. She never loses faith in Gu Won who returns. She also doesn't try to push him away oppressively to do the 'right thing'. They are just patient!
No Meddling
Both understand each other's spaces. Both are aware each one has a difficult family to deal with and that doesn't warrant meddling. That's the beauty of giving space to your partner. While Gu Won fights a constant battle with his stepsister, Yoon-ah is supporting him in her way at her position. Helping him out with 100th anniversary event was one of them. Even though she goes out of turn and finds out about his mother, she doesn't nag him to pursue the lead. A perfect way to tell him she is here if he needs her.
No misunderstanding
Often in such Korean dramas, some evil person will create a misunderstanding creating a deep wedge between the two lovers. Here, they trust each other so much that misunderstanding never creeps in. When their photos get leaked, they run to see if the other one is doing okay which shows how much they care for each other. They don't go hiding or make each other uncomfortable. Instead, they become each other's strength. Squid Game 2, King The Land, Bo Ra Deborah! - 5 Times Kdrama Makers Had To Apologise in 2023.
No needless breakup
Despite what everyone wanted, these two never broke up. Their love for each other never lets them even think about separation. That's such a refreshing take on such stories. At the end of the day, it boils down to you and your partner. Standing up for your love is the biggest thing one can do for their partner. These two do that every step of the way.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2023 07:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).