South Korea · Drama · 2018
Encounter
Binge Brief
- tvN aired 16 episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 28 November 2018 to 24 January 2019.
- Episode 2 drew 10.3 percent nationwide on Nielsen Korea, the series high; the full run averaged 8.5 percent, high for a cable channel.
- Filming began in September 2018 and included about a month on location in Havana.
- Park Bo Gum ranked first in Good Data Corporation's buzz index for all eight weeks of the broadcast.
Synopsis
Cha Soo Hyun runs the Donghwa Hotel. She is the daughter of Cha Jong Hyun, a former news anchor turned party leader, and the ex-wife of Jung Woo Seok, head of the Taegyeong Group, whose mother, Chairman Kim Hwa Jin, still has a hand in her affairs. The drama introduces her as a woman who has never lived a single day on her own terms.
On a business trip to Havana she spends an unplanned evening in the city with Kim Jin Hyuk, a 29-year-old travelling alone who has no idea who she is. Back in Seoul he turns up as a new hire in the hotel's PR team. His father runs a neighbourhood fruit shop, and his idea of a good day is an ordinary one.
Photos of the two of them reach the press in episode 3, and from there the story is about what the relationship costs each of them: her standing with the hotel's board and the Taegyeong family, her father's political ambitions, his parents' unease. The Encounter cast is led by Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum, with Jang Seung Jo as the ex-husband, Moon Sung Keun and Nam Ki Ae as her parents, and Ko Chang Seok as her driver.
tvN aired the 16 episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 28 November 2018 to 24 January 2019, with no broadcast on 26 and 27 December. Yoo Young Ah wrote the script and Park Shin Woo directed; he said Song and Park were the only actors he had in mind when he first read it, despite the twelve years between them. It was the first Korean drama to film in Cuba.
Ratings held firm across the run. The premiere brought in 8.683 percent of nationwide households and 11.454 percent in Seoul on AGB Nielsen, and the Seoul number then averaged 10.7 percent over all sixteen episodes, staying the stronger of the two measures throughout. The finale closed close to where the show began, at 8.678 percent nationwide, a rare case of a drama ending almost exactly as high as it started. TNmS, the other Korean ratings agency, recorded a slightly lower nationwide average of 8.4 percent for the same run.
Why it still gets watched
Encounter is a quiet drama and says so early. Its big moments are small ones: an evening walk in Havana, a book of poems, two people deciding whether a meal together is allowed. Gulf News called it a "mature love story spoken mostly in silences", and that is still the fairest one-line description.
The criticism has not changed either. Korean viewers complained that the plot leans on coincidence and on a Cinderella story with the roles swapped, and both complaints hold up on a rewatch. What the drama does well is hand two actors long scenes with very little dialogue. Park Bo Gum was praised for letting Jin Hyuk change gradually rather than in announced steps, and the show is at its best when it trusts that.
Encounter cast
Best scenes
Spoilers aheadThe moments people come back for, and where to find them. Episode numbers and outcomes are named, so come back to this one after watching if you would rather not know.
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A night in Havana Episode 1
Soo Hyun, in Cuba on business, lets a stranger who has no idea who she is show her the city for one evening.
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In front of the whole office Episode 5
To protect Soo Hyun, Jin Hyuk makes a bold move in front of their colleagues, and then the two of them simply leave work for the afternoon.
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Going public Episode 7
Soo Hyun announces the relationship to the world herself, and the announcement comes with consequences for both of them.
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The masquerade ball Episode 8
The two say a temporary goodbye before his transfer, and the hotel rings in the new year with a masquerade ball.
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The gift Episode 16
After the break-up in episode 15, Jin Hyuk decides to wait, and in the last episode Soo Hyun receives a gift from him.
Filming locations
Principal photography began in September 2018, and the production spent about a month in Havana, the first time a Korean drama had filmed in Cuba. Locations there included the Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba and the Malecón seafront. Early plans had put this part of the story in Granada, Spain.
In Korea, Lotte Hotel Seoul stood in for the Donghwa Hotel and Lotte Resort Sokcho for its Sokcho branch. Other locations included the Oeongchi seaside path in Sokcho, Namsan Library in Seoul, the reed fields of Gaetgol Ecological Park in Siheung, Simgok port and Seongsan Bridge.
Visual design and costumes
Song Hye Kyo's wardrobe as Soo Hyun was covered closely while the drama aired, and several of the featured dresses, shoes and pieces of jewellery sold out. Her short bob made headlines of its own, and the Sulwhasoo lip serum stick her character uses went viral.
The illustrations that appear between scenes were drawn by the Korean illustrator Jamsan.
Themes and messages
tvN's planning notes frame the drama as a question rather than a fairy tale: which is harder to give up, wealth and reputation or an ordinary daily life. Their answer is that it is hard for both people, and the second half of the series is spent on exactly that cost.
The same notes compare Jin Hyuk to a Don Quixote whom everyone expects to fail at rescuing a princess from a castle, and call his stubbornness another word for love. At the press conference, director Park Shin Woo said he wanted the series to give viewers time to sit back and think about their own experience of falling in love.
Interesting facts
- It was Song Hye Kyo's first tvN drama and her return to television two and a half years after Descendants of the Sun.
- Pyo Ji Hoon (P.O of Block B), who plays Jin Hyuk's younger brother, was born in 1993, the same year as Park Bo Gum.
- Hyundai supplied the cars, and its Palisade SUV appeared in episodes 3 and 4 on 5 and 6 December 2018, before its official launch on 11 December.
- Na Tae-joo's 2015 poetry collection I See You Like I Look at a Flower returned to bestseller lists after it featured in the drama.
- The reed fields at Gaetgol Ecological Park became a spot for couples, and the observatory at Oeongchi beach in Sokcho set up a photo zone at the bench where Song and Park filmed a scene.
- Broadcast rights went to more than 100 territories, with streaming on Viki, Viu, iQIYI and Netflix.
Remakes and other versions
Viva Television and Cignal Entertainment made a Philippine remake, also titled Encounter, starring Cristine Reyes and Diego Loyzaga. It premiered on TV5 on 20 March 2021. ABS-CBN had already aired the Korean original, dubbed in Filipino, in August 2019.
Episodes
| Ep | Title | Air date | Status | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enchanted On a work trip to Havana, Soo Hyun spends an unplanned evening in the city with Jin Hyuk, a traveller who has no idea who she is. | 28 Nov 2018 | Aired | 8.683% |
| 2 | We Sincerely Welcome You Back in Seoul she finds him on her own hotel's staff list, reads his file and suggests they have a meal. | 29 Nov 2018 | Aired | 10.329% |
| 3 | Yearning Photos of the two of them reach the news, and Soo Hyun asks her ex-husband Woo Seok to rein in his mother. | 5 Dec 2018 | Aired | 9.251% |
| 4 | That's Why I'm Trying to Stop Soo Hyun's secretary Mi Jin visits Jin Hyuk's neighbourhood with a message, while a false online post turns the hotel staff against Soo Hyun. | 6 Dec 2018 | Aired | 9.264% |
| 5 | I'm Good at Holding Back Jin Hyuk stands up for her in front of their coworkers, and the two skip work for an afternoon together. | 12 Dec 2018 | Aired | 8.513% |
| 6 | It's Already Spring for Us They put a name to what they are, and at a new hotel's opening Chairman Kim Hwa Jin turns on Jin Hyuk. | 13 Dec 2018 | Aired | 8.594% |
| 7 | Sudden Personnel Appointment Soo Hyun makes the relationship public, and his coworker Hye In warns Jin Hyuk to be careful. | 19 Dec 2018 | Aired | 8.592% |
| 8 | Party Must Go On Jin Hyuk is transferred to another office, and the hotel sees in the new year with a masquerade ball. | 20 Dec 2018 | Aired | 9.166% |
| 9 | Don't Be Afraid Now known as Soo Hyun's boyfriend, Jin Hyuk faces new pressure, and Woo Seok makes a heartfelt proposal. | 2 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.810% |
| 10 | It Proves That I Was the First to Like You A plot threatens Soo Hyun's bid for a property, and Jin Hyuk flies back to Cuba to put it right. | 3 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.962% |
| 11 | My Heart Is Full of You Jin Hyuk returns to the Seoul office, and Woo Seok sends an incriminating video to one of his mother's people. | 9 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.513% |
| 12 | I Cherish You Very Much Woo Seok has himself named co-CEO of the hotel, and Soo Hyun has to choose between duty and Jin Hyuk. | 10 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.623% |
| 13 | I Can No Longer Live Without You A surprise confession halts the board vote, and not everyone in Jin Hyuk's family is comfortable with Soo Hyun. | 16 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.927% |
| 14 | It's Your First Love Too Soo Hyun doubts the relationship's future while her father makes an unexpected move in his political career. | 17 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.702% |
| 15 | I'm Sorry Believing it is the right thing, Soo Hyun ends it with Jin Hyuk, who cannot understand why. | 23 Jan 2019 | Aired | 7.999% |
| 16 | I'll Wait in My Place Her father acts to free her from the Taegyeong Group, and Jin Hyuk, who has decided to wait for her, sends Soo Hyun a gift. | 24 Jan 2019 | Aired | 8.678% |
Soundtrack
Starting the player loads Spotify, which sets its own cookies.
| Track | Artist |
|---|---|
| The Day We Met (영화 같던 날), Part 1 | Cheeze, 29 Nov 2018 |
| Into My Heart (그대가 이렇게 내 맘에), Part 2 | Lee So Ra, 6 Dec 2018 |
| Don't Hesitate (망설이지 마요), Part 3 | Yong Jun Hyung, 13 Dec 2018 |
| The Night (그 밤), Part 4 | Eric Nam, 20 Dec 2018 |
| Flutter (설렘), Part 5 | O.WHEN, 26 Dec 2018 |
| Take Me On, Part 6 | SALTNPAPER and SAya, 3 Jan 2019 |
| Always Be With You (그대여야만 해요), Part 7 | Baek A Yeon, 10 Jan 2019 |
| Fairytale (동화), Part 8 | Ra.D, 17 Jan 2019 |
| Good Night, Part 9 | Seo Ji An, 24 Jan 2019 |
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 55th Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Park Bo Gum | Nominated |
| 2019 | Soompi Awards | Best Couple Award | Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo | Nominated |
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes does Encounter have?
Sixteen, of about 69 minutes each. tvN aired them on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 28 November 2018 to 24 January 2019, with a one-week break over Christmas.
Is Encounter on Netflix?
Yes, in the United States when this page was checked on 23 September 2026, where it is also free with ads on Rakuten Viki. In South Korea it streams on TVING. Netflix's catalogue differs by country, so check your own region.
Does Encounter have a happy ending?
The break-up comes in episode 15, not in the finale. In the last episode Soo Hyun's father steps in to free her from the Taegyeong Group, Jin Hyuk tells his mother he understands why she asked Soo Hyun to end things and decides to wait for her, and Soo Hyun receives a gift from him.
Is there an Encounter season 2?
No. Encounter was made as a single 16-episode series, and no second season has been announced. The only other version is a Philippine remake that aired on TV5 in 2021.
What is the age gap in Encounter?
The leads are twelve years apart in real life: Song Hye Kyo was born in 1981 and Park Bo Gum in 1993. In the drama Cha Soo Hyun is 35 and Kim Jin Hyuk 29.
Where was Encounter filmed?
In Havana, Cuba, where the story begins, and in South Korea, where Lotte Hotel Seoul played the Donghwa Hotel and Sokcho, Siheung and Seoul supplied most of the other locations.
Who sings the Encounter OST?
Nine singles came out week by week from 29 November 2018 to 24 January 2019, sung by Cheeze, Lee So Ra, Yong Jun Hyung, Eric Nam, O.WHEN, SALTNPAPER with SAya, Baek A Yeon, Ra.D and Seo Ji An. The full soundtrack album followed on 25 January 2019.
What did critics say in Encounter kdrama reviews?
The Korea Times praised how Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum conveyed emotion through their gazes, facial expressions and gestures, and The Indian Express called the finished series one of the most absorbing K-drama romances it had covered.
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