Secret Mother is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Song Yoon-ah, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-woo, and Song Jae-rim. It aired on SBS from May 12 to July 7, 2018, on Saturdays, consisting of 32 episodes (35 minutes each, originally aired as 16 main episodes).
Synopsis
The drama centers around Kim Yoon-jin (Song Yoon-ah), a former psychiatrist who gave up her career to focus on raising her brilliant daughter and managing her household. Her seemingly perfect life begins to unravel when a mysterious au pair, Lisa Kim (Kim So-yeon), is hired to help care for her daughter. Lisa Kim, however, has a hidden agenda: she is actually Kim Eun-young, a woman who is secretly investigating the disappearance of her younger sister, also named Lisa Kim, who went missing a year prior. Eun-young believes that Yoon-jin's affluent family, particularly her husband Han Jae-yeol (Kim Tae-woo), a high-ranking official, might be connected to her sister's disappearance.
As Eun-young infiltrates Yoon-jin's life, she uncovers a web of secrets, lies, and dangerous truths hidden within the seemingly perfect facade of the family. The series delves into themes of ambition, corruption, motherhood, identity, and the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their loved ones and their secrets. Detective Ha Jung-wan (Song Jae-rim) is the officer assigned to the missing person's case and becomes a key figure in unraveling the mystery.
Cast
- Song Yoon-ah as Kim Yoon-jin: A former psychiatrist and a devoted mother who appears to have a perfect life.
- Kim So-yeon as Kim Eun-young / Lisa Kim: A mysterious au pair with a hidden agenda, investigating her sister's disappearance.
- Kim Tae-woo as Han Jae-yeol: Yoon-jin's husband, a powerful and ambitious man with many secrets.
- Song Jae-rim as Ha Jung-wan: A detective investigating a missing person's case that intertwines with the main characters' lives.
- Cha Hwa-yeon as Park Sun-ja: Han Jae-yeol's mother.
- Seo Young-hee as Kang Hye-kyung: One of Yoon-jin's friends.
- Min Sung-wook as Jung Wan-ho: Hye-kyung's husband.
Production
- Director: Park Yong-soon
- Writer: Lee Hyun-jin
- Network: SBS
- Broadcast Period: May 12 – July 7, 2018
- Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Drama
- Episodes: 32 (35 minutes each)
Reception
Secret Mother garnered attention for its intricate plot, suspenseful narrative, and the strong performances of its lead actresses, particularly the intense chemistry and confrontations between Song Yoon-ah and Kim So-yeon. It maintained a steady viewership throughout its run and was praised for its exploration of psychological suspense and the darker aspects of human nature and ambition.