Reasons You Should Watch Netflix K-drama Move To Heaven That Tackles The Reality Of Grief Through Real Events

The highly reviewed Netflix series Move to Heaven released on May 14th.

The series explores the difficult reality of what it's like to lose a loved one and the agony of those that have been left behind.

It is a tear-jerking series that will have you reaching for the tissue box throughout each episode.

Let's go through its plot, the characters, some real events in Korea that inspired the story, and the filming locations together.

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead.

The Plot

The show revolves around a 20-year-old named Geu-ru who joins his ex-convict uncle, Sang-gu to run the family's company, Move to Heaven following the death of his father.

Their company is referred to as a 'trauma cleaning' company that helps families clean the belongings of those who have passed so they don't have to deal with the pain of tossing out their things.

The plot continues as they uncover stories about the deceased while Sang-gu deals with his dark past with Geu-ru's father and the traumatic experience that landed him in jail.

The Characters

Let's dive into the characters and actors who all gave stellar performances to bring the story to life!

Geu-ru
Played by Tang Jun-sang

Geu-ru is a 20-year-old with Asperger syndrome who works as a cleaner at Move to Heaven.

He is very smart, logical, and has an incredible memory which helps him uncover stories about the deceased when cleaning out their belongings.

He places their most treasured belongings in a box and always tries to pass it on to their families.

Sang-gu
Played by Lee Je-hoon

Sang-gu is an ex-convict who becomes Geu-ru's guardian after being released from jail.

Despite his blunt personality and rough past, he cares for Geu-ru deeply and gains a new outlook on life as he works as a cleaner for Move to Heaven.

Jeong-woo
Played by Ji Jin-hee

Jeong-woo is the father of Geu-ru and Sang-gu's older half-brother.

He was the founder of Move to Heaven before his death from cardiac arrest.

He rescued Geu-ru as an infant when working as a firefighter and he adopted him into his family.

Portrayed as a loving father, he taught his son everything about his job from a young age.

Yoon Na-mu
Played by Hong Seung-hee

She is Geu-ru's best friend and neighbor who helps him run his business. In the beginning, she is suspicious of his uncle Sang-gu's sudden presence in Geu-ru's life.

She has had feelings for Geu-ru ever since they first met when they were children.

Real Events In Korea

The show also incorporates some real incidents that happened in Korea and tackles a few social issues.

Funerals In Korea

In episode 6, Geu-ru shouts that there is a thief when Sang-gu tries to take a flower wreath.

Sang-gu explains that he wanted to take it for the deceased as he found it sad that there wasn't one for him.

Geu-ru tries to get more people to come to the funeral through an older man they meet who's an old work acquaintance of the deceased.

He tries to make the place more crowded with people that come to pay their respects even though they may not have had a relationship with him.

This scene captures the unique funeral culture in Korea.

In Korea, funerals usually go on for a few days before everyone tries to return to their normal lives.

At the funeral, not only will relatives and close friends come to pay tribute but also workplace colleagues and acquaintances will make an appearance to try to raise the spirits of those that have lost a loved one.

People try to make funerals as busy as possible and more often, it's to give support to the people who had a closer connection to the deceased.

In other words, Korean funerals are not only for the deceased but also for the ones still alive.

LGBT Couples

In Episode 5, the characters are assigned to clean the room of a young doctor that was killed in a hostage incident.

His parents want his belongings to be taken away and this is when Geu-ru stumbles upon a love letter written by the doctor to his lover, a man who moved to America for a music opportunity.

When he asks his parents about it, his dad goes ballistic.

Geu-ru manages to find the lover, Ian, and meets up with him. It shows a touching scene of Ian grieving their beautiful memories shared together.

It is a heartwarming, yet tearful story of forbidden love that tackles the struggles of LGBT in Korea.

Children Sent Abroad

During the 1970s and 1980s, Korea sent countless young children abroad for adoption.

At that time, Korea was called the "baby exporting country".

A man by the name of Matthew in Episode 9 represents one of many Korean children who were adopted abroad.

Why were so many children sent abroad?

Well, after the Korean War, many families could no longer afford to raise a child and the government had no money for a social welfare system.

Out of over 200,000 Korean children being separated from their families since the end of the Korean War, 99% of those were children of single mothers in their teens and early 20s.

There were low adoption rates in Korea and those that had babies out of wedlock were humiliated.

Today, there are many Korean children facing discrimination in Europe and America.

Their loss of culture and family is something that they won't ever be able to reclaim as there are many laws and regulations that hinder them from finding their biological parents.

This is the sad ending for Matthew as he dies without finding his mother.

Sampoong Department Store Collapse

In Episode 8, Sang-gu opens up about an incident that happened in 1995 when his brother made a promise to meet him at a railway station but he never showed up.

Sang-gu tells Geu-ru that he was abandoned but Geu-ru believes that it was related to his father's big scar on his back from a "big accident".

They come to find out that the date that Geu-ru's father got his scar was the same day that Sang-gu was supposed to meet his brother.

This news overwhelms Sang-gu as he uncovers the real reason why his brother never came to meet with him that night - because it was the same date of the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store.

The collapse of the Sampoong Department Store is an unforgettable event for many Koreans.

The building collapsed on June 29, 1995, from the fifth floor to the basement floor in the middle of the day causing more than 500 lives to be taken away.

This tragic incident prompted South Korea to inspect the safety requirements of building structures for the first time.

The South Korean government rigorously inspected the nation's buildings after the event. About one-seventh of buildings had to be demolished and rebuilt as a result.

Most other buildings were required to undergo massive repair and only 2% of the buildings were determined to be safe.

Filming Locations

Let's take a look at two of the most memorable filming locations of the series!

1. SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium
SEA LIFE 부산아쿠아리움

Address: 부산 해운대구 해운대해변로 266
266, Haeundaehaebyeon-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Hours:
Mon-Fri: 10:00-19:00
Sat-Sun: 10:00-20:00
National Holidays: 10:00-21:00

The most touching moment of the series was when Geu-ru held his father's ashes and came to his favorite aquarium he frequently visited as a child where he cherished many memories with his parents.

The aquarium is SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium next to the Haeundae Beach in Busan.

2. Alleys Of Hongdae

Address: 서울 마포구 연남동 240-47
240-47, Yeongnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

The home of Geu-ru and his dad is located in the alleys of Yeonnam-dong, Hongdae.

The place looks exactly like how it looks in the series except for the storage that was temporarily set up for shooting.

On the opposite side, there is a fried chicken place.

In addition, you can also check out the surrounding areas that were filming locations for the series True Beauty.

The show is a very warm and heartfelt series that mirrors real events in Korea and the grieving processes of losing a loved one.

It's an emotional reminder that there is no set manual on how to move on after losing a loved one, all we can do is put together pieces of memories to remember them by.