Sweet Secret

Plot

Han Ah-reum, the daughter of the Korean Vice-Minister for Culture, returns home with a child born out of wedlock, a fact that will shame her family and ruin the chances of her father becoming the Minister for Culture. Chun Sung-woon, heir of the Winner fashion and clothing company, is being backed into an arranged marriage that he does not want. When the paths of the two cross and re-cross, initial hostility turns into love. However, the secret of Ah-reum's illegitimate daughter may become a barrier to true love.

Main characters

Shin So-yul as Han Ah-reum

Fashion student who becomes pregnant with Phillip's daughter Tiffany, but is abandoned by him, becomes a single mother despite the stigma that brings, becomes a designer at Winner's in order to provide for her daughter, where she meets and falls in love with Cheon Sung-woon.

Kim Heung-soo as Cheon Sung-woon

Director of the Winner's Group, falls in love with Ah-reum and breaks off an arranged marriage with Go Yoon-yi, persists in wanting to marry Ah-reum even after it is discovered that she is a single mother

Yang Jin-woo as Phillip Choi

Hedge fund manager, abandons Ah-reum for a financially more lucrative marriage but seeks a divorce from his wife once he has extracted what he wants from it, when Ah-reum rejects him becomes obsessed with winning back Ah-reum and taking custody of Tiffany, uses Winner's need for expansion capital to manipulate Sung-woon and Ah-reum

Lee Min-ji as Go Yoon-yi

Corporate lawyer, and Sung-woon's friend since childhood, from an impoverished background Sung-woon's family paid for her education with the intention of marrying her to him, when Sung-woon breaks off their engagement she helps Phillip and betrays Winner's in order to drive Sung-woon and Ah-reum apart

Supporting characters

Han family

Jung Dong-hwan as Han Pan-suk

Ah-reum's father, vice-minister of culture, candidate to become minister, ruins his career and a reputation for probity in order to protect Ah-reum

Kim Hye-ok as Oh Myung-hwa

Ah-reum's mother, housewife, suffers early onset dementia which Phillip uses to snatch Tiffany and paint Ah-reum as an unfit mother

Son Seung-won as Han Jin-woo

Ah-reum's younger brother, a medical student and talented singer

Park Joon-myun as Oh Sun-hwa

Choi Seung-kyung as Kwon Young-soo

Yang Han-yeol as Kwon Hyuk-min

Chun family

Kim Eung-soo as Chun Do-hyung

Hwang In-young as Lee Soo-ah

Heo Jin as Lee Hae-bang

Jo Hyun-do as Chun Sung-ho

Extended cast

Jo Hyun-sik as Secretary Jang

Im Baek-chun as Kim Sung-chul

Yoo Hee-do as Woo Sang-joon

Ratings

The series aired, two weeks after initial broadcast, on KBS World with subtitles.

Key

Blue-lowest rated episode

Red-highest rated eisode

Notes

Episodes 71-73 affected by Korean New Year