The Return of Hwang Geum-bok

Hwang Geum-bok is a young woman who has long been ashamed of her single mother, Hwang Eun-sil, because Eun-sil cleans the streets for a living. Geum-bok has grown up judging her mother and keeping distance, even as Eun-sil quietly sacrifices to support her. Over time Geum-bok's attitude starts to shift, as small moments and private truths soften the distance between them. On what was meant to be a simple trip, Eun-sil vanishes without explanation, leaving Geum-bok alone and forced to reckon with grief, guilt, and the choices she ignored while her mother was still there. The series follows how those emotions reshape Geum-bok and the people around her, without revealing how the disappearance resolves.

Released in 2015 as a Korean family drama, the show stars Shin Da-eun as Hwang Geum-bok and Jeon Mi-seon as her mother. Lee Elijah, Kim Jin-woo, and Jeong Eun-woo round out the principal cast. Detailed broadcast and director credits aren’t provided here.

The series touches on issues that recur in Korean TV, like single parenthood and social stigma, and it got attention for its domestic focus on family tensions. Viewers who follow family dramas have noted Jeon Mi-seon’s scenes for their emotional weight, and the show has a modest presence in online discussions rather than broad international reach.

Critical signals are limited, with a small number of audience ratings; the listed average is 5.0 out of 10 based on one vote. The story leans on themes of shame, class perception, filial responsibility, and personal change, and it favors character moments over plot twists. Performances drive the tone, and the pacing keeps the spotlight on relationships and consequences more than spectacle.

There are no widely reported major awards or notable nominations for this series. It seems to have had a low-profile run, remembered more by viewers who value intimate family dramas than by mainstream prize circuits.