Salut D'Amour (Hangul: 사랑의 인사; RR: Sarang ui Insa; lit. Love Greeting), despite its French name, is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS2 from November 1, 1994 to April 25, 1995 for a total of twenty five episodes.
The theme of Salut D'Amour, unlike later versions, are not interconnected to one another by episode. Each episode contains a separate but closely related theme.
Bae Yong-joon - Kim Young-min
The lead role in the drama. He was born in 1975. Young-min was elected as the group leader among his group of friends (all the major characters in the drama), and his powers apply in the fields of project work by the university that his friends are studying in, and to an extent, holidays. Young-min is the childhood friend of Hae-yung, but she later broke up with him during their university days. He went on to develop relationships with Jong-nam, Yujin and Ahn-chae. Young-min had an elder sister, Yeon-ae.
Kwon Oh-joong - Won Hee-dong
The relative of Kim, possibly the brother of his. The most enthusiastic and hyperactive person among their friends. Hee-dong joined the W.O.W band group at one time, but a minor accident terminated his career. The boyfriend of Jeong-she.
Park Jun-hee - Gang Ahn-chae
Ahn-chae first made her appearance in episode 17. A temperamental and conservative girl. Initially harassed by many people around her, but Young-min helped her up. She later worked as a waitress in Pizza Hut, but resigned due to social problems. Ahn-chae became the love bird of Young-min by the final episode. A roommate with Yujin.
Kim Ji-ho - Jegal Jong-nam
Jong-nam, whose brother had died in a car accident, leaving her to be the breadwinner of the family. A quick-tempered girl. Later left the group around Episode 18, which somewhat pleased many of the group members.
Sung Hyun-ah - Hae-yung
Hae-yung is the childhood friend of Young-min, and they came from the same village somewhere in Korea. She was born in 1975, the same year as with Young-min. She later developed relations with Jingguan, a student leader, from episode 3 onwards. This was partially caused by Young-min lack of confession on his love to her. She made her last appearance in episode 8, after developing a stable relation with Jingguan.
Lee Eun-soo - Jeong-ah
The girlfriend of Hee-dong. She made her first appearance in episode 7 and the last in episode 23. Jeong-ah previously had a relationship with another boyfriend, a punkster. Later fell gravely ill and had to be hospitalised for some time.
Park Jeong-mi - Yeon-ae
Elder sister of Young-min and Hee-dong. Ran a shop selling music CDs and LDs. She dated with a man, but found out that he was married. Yeon-ae later dated Shin Jun-yong, a long time friend, and later handed her shop business to a friend and went to live with Shin.
Kim Min-hee - Hee-ju
The younger sister of Hee-dong, Young-min and Yeon-ae. Made her first appearance in episode 15, when their father sent her to the university Young-min and his friends were studying in. Took over as the family cook when Yeon-ae left to leave with Jun-yong.
Lee Ui-jeong - Mae-na
Roommate of Hae-yung. Made her final appearance in episode 7, at the bistro. A small, short girl with poor health. She is a native of Quanzhou.
Kim Kyung-eung - Lee Hong-guan
A best friend and relative of Young-min. A studious boy who excels academically. Has a relatively poorer performance in physical exercises and dance. Developed a relationship with Han-na. Has an aunt in Quanzhou and a dissolute and ill-educated older brother, Hong-shee. He is born in 1974, a year older than many of the friends.
Kim Kyung-eun - Lee Yujin
The cousin of Jeong-ah. She came from America. Developed a relationship with Young-min coincidentally partially under the direction of Jeong-ah, and lived with her until episode 17, in which she moved out to a new hostel to live with Ahn-chae.
Kim Kwang-young - Jo Inyo
A studious boy, inquisitive and highly competitive, academically by nature. Renyu is also a selfish and rebellious boy, especially against his mother. He is well liked by many teachers and rarely failed to attend lectures. He has attempted to date several girls in the group, but gave up after minor setbacks.
Yoon Son-ha - Han-na
The girlfriend of Hong-guan. Similar in character with Hong-guan, caring and docile by nature. Made her first appearance in episode 19.
Kim Byung-doo - Jianyu
A photographer and a student of the university. Had several girlfriends in the past. Made several brief appearances from episode 1-4.
Son Hyun-joo - Friend of Jeon-woo
Made two brief appearances in episode 2 as he approached Fengguan, under Jianyu's introduction for help to make a documentary on a farmer's life to modernism under Fengguan's introduction. Hong-guan refused his proposal.
Bae Doh-hwan - Taxi driver
He made a brief appearance in episode 23 as a taxi driver who bargained with Hongshee for the taxi fare.
Bae Yong-joon (who played Young-min) nearly drowned in the river during filming. According to Bae, the director thought he was initially playing in the water, not knowing that he was about to drown. This incident happened in the scene where Young-min jumped into the river to fish out the shoe Ahn-chae threw in.
Salut D'Amour was Bae's, Kwon Oh-joong's, Kim Ji-ho's and Park Jun-hee's debut drama.
Bae later played Choi Hyun-joon in the 1996 Korean drama Papa as the author of the Korean version of Salut D'Amour. The strong correlation between both dramas is evidenced in one scene in episode three of Papa, during which Choi (Bae) is having a meeting about his new book. The Korean words "사랑의 인사" are written on the display signboard for the meeting.
"Salut d'Amour" by Edward Elgar
"It Must Have Been Love" (played at the ending of the final episode)
