The Kidnapping Day 유괴의 날 [2023]

[abs-oluteM]

The Kidnapping Day 유괴의 날 

 

Synopsis from AsianWiki

Kim Myung-Joon (Yoon Kye-Sang) is a poor man with a warm-heart. He desperately needs money to pay for his sick daughter's operation. At this time, his ex-wife appears and offers to kidnap 11-year-old Choi Ro-Hee, who has rich parents. Kim Myung-Joon is desperate enough that he accepts her offer. For the kidnapping, Kim Myung-Joon drives near Choi Ro-Hee's home, but he accidentally hits someone with his car. The person he hit is Choi Ro-Hee. She has lost her memory due to the car accident.

 

Kim Myung-Joon takes Choi Ro-Hee to his house and he begins to live with her. Choi Ro-Hee believes Kim Myung-Joon is her father. She is an extremely smart girl. Meanwhile, Kim Myung-Joon wants to return Choi Ro-Hee to her parents, but they don't answer the phone. He decides to go their house and find out why. There, Kim Myung-Joon witnesses her parents' dead bodies being carried out of their home. Making things worse, Choi Ro-Hee realizes that Kim Myung-Joon is not her father and he is lying about their relation.

 

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Director: Park Yoo-Young

Writer: Jung Hae-Yeon (novel), Kim Je-Young

Network: ENA, Genie TV

Episodes: 12

Release Date: September 13, 2023 --

Runtime: Wed. & Thu. 21:00

 

Cast  (Source : Asian Wiki )

 

 

Spoiler

Yoon Kye-Sang	Park Sung-Hoon	Yu-Na
Kim Myung-Joon	Park Sang-Yoon	Choi Ro-Hee

 

Kim Shin-Rok	Kim Sang-Ho	Seo Jae-Hee	Kang Young-Seok
Seo Hye-Eun	Park Cheol-Won	Mo Eun-Sun	Jayden

 

Character Chart:

[abs-oluteM]

Trailer..

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

New stills

 

[peperomia]

@abs-oluteM Thanks for creating the thread. Trailer looks pretty good so I'm excited for it. Hopefully, there'll be subs. Fingers crossed.

[abs-oluteM]

@peperomia till now I still can't find info on who is subbing. 

 

Press Con

 

It looks like PSH has got good screen time. Preview eps 2. 

This can't seem to embed. 

https://x.com/channel_ENA/status/1701956395912798520?s=20

[peperomia]

10 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

@peperomia till now I still can't find info on who is subbing. 

 

I did some digging and learned it's available on Amazon Prime (North America) which I have. It's under the title "The Kidnapping Day". Not sure if it's available in your region. I have a feeling it'll make to the "web" though.

 

10 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

It looks like PSH has got good screen time. Preview eps 2. 

This can't seem to embed. 

 

Woohoo! We need some making up for PSH screen time. All the clips look so good. I will start this after Fake It.

[Alice Wonderland]

@abs-oluteM I'm hooked! It looks good. A smart kid journey. I like the teaser. Call me in once it airs. 

[peperomia]

@Alice Wonderland The first 2 episodes are out. I am watching it on Amazon Prime (U.S.) under the title The Kidnapping Day, but I am not sure about its availability in other regions. 

--------

I watched the first 2 episodes in one sitting…it is pretty good. Right off the bat, the male lead and little girl’s accidental relationship is funny and endearing at the same time. They are complete strangers, yet they have an immediate bond that would be difficult to form under false pretenses. She trusts him even when she starts to figure out the lies. Given that the male lead has his own daughter and what happened to the little girl’s real parents, it will be interesting to see how their pseudo father/daughter relationship will develop over the course of the mystery and conclude in the end. I have my hopes, but we shall see…

 

@abs-oluteM Park Sung Hoon doesn’t appear in the story until episode 2, but I have to say Yoon Kye Sang and the child actress, Yu Na, steal the show so far. However, I think once PSH's detective character figures out the mystery doesn’t match up with the male lead, his role and how he’ll approach the investigation should be good to see.

[Alice Wonderland]

@peperomia I have done two episodes. I said it's good. MJ is such a stupid kidnapper. Lols. He leaves so many evidence of his kidnapping all over the place. I like the bond between the two faked dad-daughter. I thought it would take several episodes before the RH realized he is not her dad. But it was pretty fast and I'm so glad she is a genius kid. I was wondered how she escapes from her house while her parents are all killed. Is she some kind of lab mouse for her dad? Anyway, I cant guess who is who. Everybody seems suspicious. Who pays his tue hospital bill? Ah, I want more episodes asap! The next preview looks good. RH is really a smart girl. So she is the one who protects her kidnapper? 🤣

[peperomia]

@Alice Wonderland I'm glad you started watching this. I'm left with the same questions as you too.

 

MJ is a clumsy kidnapper because he does not have the heart of one. He's a good hearted father in a tough situation because of his sick daughter. I like the bond between him and RH too. In the preview, the detective team notices they move more like a team (versus a kidnapper and his victim) so should be interesting to see them continue to bond together. She is a genius kid and appears to be the brain of the two. LOL.

 

I also think RH was likely a test subject for her dad's research, but was that the extent of the "abuse"? Were the parents murdered for the research? The detective team's impression of murder scene was that the murders could be separate from the other. I thought that was an interesting observation. We don't know how RH escaped that night yet, but although MJ was there to kidnap her, he probably saved her instead. 

 

Yes, I agree. Many people already appear sus. For example, MJ's ex-wife knows way too much about RH and her family. The head of the security company for RH's family residence seems off too. Why would you turn off the CCTV cameras?

 

And yes, who paid the hospital bill??

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by peperomia

[abs-oluteM]

Will join you guys in discussions soon. Just finished with another drama...will finally have a slot to start this one.

Pre-released  for eps 3

 

New stills

[Chocolate]

On 9/19/2023 at 3:45 AM, peperomia said:

And yes, who paid the hospital bill??

 

I've done the first 2 episodes. The child seems to have been brought up like an adult, looking at her room decor and the way she speaks. I think when she was in Hee Ae's room, she would have seen the child's photos and know that she is not the daughter.

 

My first thought was Ro Hee paid the hospital bill. But that's purely a guess 😂 because:

 

- she may have the funds given her parent's were rich, and she's smart enough to have planned to at least have access to funds (if not escape);

- has a close enough relationship with Myung Joon to want to help and could have found out about his background while she was at his house.

 

🧂🧂🧂

 

[40somethingahjumma]

Ah... it's on Prime. Definitely do-able at some stage. Have to see if the dumb dad shtick gets old.

[abs-oluteM]

@Chocolate @peperomia @Alice Wonderland I have just completed the 1st two as well and I was wondering too about who paid the bill. The girl is a smart cookie & though spoilt , she’s very sharp . And seeing how she realised the cops would be on their tail at the hospital & got them to run , she’s not your average 9 or 10 year old considering what she chose to read or the number of languages she spoke . What I am just wondering is if she’s being experimented on …didn’t they say her dad was a brain surgeon & was doing some research? That security guard that the cops interviewed must have had something to do with this . 
 

@40somethingahjumma so far this has been an interesting watch. 

[Alice Wonderland]

Yeah @abs-oluteM she's a genius kid. And after finishing ep 3. I'm liking this drama more and more. The writer does good job in writing her as brilliant one. She's the captain of this fugitive run. 😆

 

The case is investigated and we are revealed with more clues and suspects now. It's the guessing game time! We just got the list, but they ended ep 4 with another twist. She could be one of the genius kid project. I think RH's dad is doing this as the secret research before his death. I dont know how she got her gifted mind as the result of that experiment or she is being the object of the research itself. This is interesting. I love how she always comes up with good plan whenever they're in trouble. 

 

Next episode prev showed the other killer minion caught RH. Hope she can escape. Brb after done ep 4. 

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Alice Wonderland

[Alice Wonderland]

 

Btw did you all notice something differrent with this drama production. Is this a special project or something. It said that the Korean goverment also supported this drama. Is this common?

[peperomia]

@abs-oluteM I'm glad you were able to start this. You too @Chocolate. I'm curious to know what you think as you continue to watch more.

 

I've watched through episode 4. I agree with @Alice Wonderland, more clues are revealed and there are quite a number of suspicious characters which keeps the mystery interesting. So far, I don't find it easy to narrow down the suspects, but I do think there is more than one suspect and more than one motive. Based on Detective Park's observation of the crime scene, Ro Hee's parents' murders look like two separate crimes. He may be right.

 

23 hours ago, Chocolate said:

My first thought was Ro Hee paid the hospital bill. But that's purely a guess 😂 because:

 

- she may have the funds given her parent's were rich, and she's smart enough to have planned to at least have access to funds (if not escape);

- has a close enough relationship with Myung Joon to want to help and could have found out about his background while she was at his house.

 

🧂🧂🧂

 

This is an interesting theory. We shall see because I'm at a loss on who else would've paid it and why.

 

18 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

The girl is a smart cookie & though spoilt , she’s very sharp . And seeing how she realised the cops would be on their tail at the hospital & got them to run , she’s not your average 9 or 10 year old considering what she chose to read or the number of languages she spoke .

 

Ro Hee is indeed an intelligent kid. Gutsy too. I love her determination in wanting to find the culprit herself. It seems she saw him/her at the crime scene, but unfortunately, she lost her memories. In time, I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one who eventually solves the crime. It would be neat if we get to see her work with Detective Park and his team on the investigation.

 

--------

 

So far, my favorite part of the story is Ro Hee and Myung Joon's bond. I find them heartwarming and funny at the same time. He was supposed to kidnap her, but it seems she has kidnapped him. LOL. I get the feeling she longs for a real father who cares for her so I'm curious to know what will become of their relationship in the end.

 

The last time I saw Yoon Kye Sang, it was in Chocolate. He's so different here. LOL. Yu Na, actress playing Ro Hee, is so talented. Quite impressive at such a young age.

[abs-oluteM]

2 hours ago, peperomia said:

The last time I saw Yoon Kye Sang, it was in Chocolate. He's so different here. LOL. Yu Na, actress playing Ro Hee, is so talented. Quite impressive at such a young age.

Yuna is very good here. I too last saw YKS in Chocolate - a nice slow burn romance . I took me some getting used to to see him playing this bungling ahjussi who's pretty clueless at times. 

 

I love the scenes where she was talking  like a mini adult - holding her own. Negotiating with his wife, and telling him that she should do the thinking from now. LOL. In my mind, I am like what an impertinent brat but then again she's very sharp. If not for her they would have been caught many times over. I like that there's a change in their relationship dynamics. She's asked him for help , so she's no longer a kidnap victim. The bond they are forming is sweet.

 

So as I had guessed, RoHee was part of her father's experiment and it looks like in the preview she and Kim Myung Jun gets caught by that investor lady. RoHee is their biggest asset , so they cannot afford to lose her. But I don't know if the investor lady is the one who killed the parents though. 

 

The other thing I am very happy to see is that Park Sung Hoon has pretty great screen time. His role here feels like an extension of his role in Not Others! I like that he's such a sharp detective himself and he was quick to see that this wasn't a simple case of abduction. But it does look like his hands are gonna be tied from investigating further. 

[Chocolate]

3 hours ago, peperomia said:

This is an interesting theory. We shall see because I'm at a loss on who else would've paid it and why.

 

I think my theory is debunked right at the start or ep3 😂

 

3 hours ago, peperomia said:

The last time I saw Yoon Kye Sang, it was in Chocolate. He's so different here. LOL.

 

Haha, I was thinking the same, that his hairstyle really makes a difference to how he looks 😅 And I better go to the hair salon more often lol.

 

[ktcjdrama]

Wow, so many people gathered here! and lots of conversations already 

I just started. 

 

My first time watching YKS was in The Greatest Love (one of the earlier dramas that got me back into dramaland) and I also suffered my first SML syndrome because of him, though later towards the end, the ML got to me too. 

[peperomia]

20 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

I too last saw YKS in Chocolate - a nice slow burn romance . I took me some getting used to to see him playing this bungling ahjussi who's pretty clueless at times. 

 

19 hours ago, Chocolate said:

Haha, I was thinking the same, that his hairstyle really makes a difference to how he looks 😅 And I better go to the hair salon more often lol.

 

It isn't just me then. LOL. He was so clean-cut and intelligent in Chocolate so seeing him in character here was a bit trippy for my eyes and mind at first, but I eventually got used it too. He's doing a great job, but I can't help laugh at him sometimes. LOL. His character has a kind heart though.

 

20 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

I love the scenes where she was talking  like a mini adult - holding her own. Negotiating with his wife, and telling him that she should do the thinking from now. LOL. In my mind, I am like what an impertinent brat but then again she's very sharp. If not for her they would have been caught many times over. I like that there's a change in their relationship dynamics. She's asked him for help , so she's no longer a kidnap victim. The bond they are forming is sweet.

 

Yes, she is a mini adult and has the real adults wrapped around her finger. LOL. I do think she is the brain of the duo and he has become more like her protector. However, while on the run, I do think she was looking out for him as well. She knows he wants to be around for his daughter's upcoming surgery so she didn't want him to get caught by the police. She told him he must holdoff getting arrested until after the surgery. It shows she cares about him too. Their bond is sweet.

 

20 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

So as I had guessed, RoHee was part of her father's experiment and it looks like in the preview she and Kim Myung Jun gets caught by that investor lady. RoHee is their asset , so they cannot afford to lose her. But I don't know if the investor lady is the one who killed the parents though. 

 

Based on this, I am leaning toward Ro Hee's intelligence is the result of the experiment (versus the experiment is studying her natural intelligence). I am not sure if the investor lady killed her parents either, but I have her on my suspects list. She was looking at a framed family photo on her office desk. I couldn't tell who they are though. Since it was shown, I'm guessing it has a significance.

 

Other suspects on my list include:

• Myung Joon's ex-wife - She knows way too much about Ro Hee and her family. I find it strange that she has a strong interest in Ro Hee but not her daughter who is sick. There's something off about that.
• Park Cheol Won (the security company employee) - It was revealed that he is the man who attacked the doctor and young girl 30 years at the opening of the story. The doctor would be Ro Hee's paternal grandfather. One of the detectives speculates Park may have sought revenge on Ro Hee's father for the loss of his wife and unborn child.

20 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

The other thing I am very happy to see is that Park Sung Hoon has pretty great screen time. His role here feels like an extension of his role in Not Others! I like that he's such a sharp detective himself and he was quick to see that this wasn't a simple case of abduction. But it does look like his hands are gonna be tied from investigating further. 

 

I thought the same. It does feel like he crossed over from Not Others to here. I hope the case doesn't get taken away from him. His observations are spot on so far. I want to see him interact with Ro Hee and Myung Joon.

 

Edited September 26, 2023 by peperomia

[abs-oluteM]

6 hours ago, peperomia said:

• Myung Joon's ex-wife - She knows way too much about Ro Hee and her family. I find it strange that she has a strong interest in Ro Hee but not her daughter who is sick. There's something off about that.
• Park Cheol Won (the security company employee) - It was revealed that he is the man who attacked the doctor and young girl 30 years at the opening of the story. The doctor would be Ro Hee's paternal grandfather. One of the detectives speculates Park may have sought revenge on Ro Hee's father for the loss of his wife and unborn child.

There was one scene where they mentioned that RoHee's father had a mistress. But they don't have a video of her...could be her? There's possibility she's working with Park Cheol Won. He does have the motive.

 

Yay @ktcjdrama. This is a good show...very interesting and unique. 

[peperomia]

8 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

There was one scene where they mentioned that RoHee's father had a mistress. But they don't have a video of her...could be her? There's possibility she's working with Park Cheol Won. He does have the motive.

 

Oh yes, since the ex-wife knows a lot about Ro Hee and the family, she could be the mysterious mistress. (Ro Hee has good instincts and I noticed she doesn't trust the ex-wife.) It's highly possible she and PCW could be working together.

 

Ro Hee had some memory flashes of seeing a police car and maybe a police officer during the night of the murders. So, there's a possibility of this link as well.

 

Also, the show brings up Ro Hee's necklace a few times. I wonder if this will be some kind of clue.

[40somethingahjumma]

Okay, I've started this... One and a half episodes in I have a couple of theories...

 

Spoiler

1) Ex-wife is part of a revenge plot against neurologist/neuro-surgeon. There had to be more than one person involved in the killing. She wanted to protect Ro-hee, get her out of the way. 

 

2) Neurologist was doing experiments in his home lab -- probably some kind of Frankenstein character trying to create a superhuman child. That would explain the abuse.

 

[40somethingahjumma]

Good lord... Myeong-jun is so bad at this kidnapping gig. So terrible. He's always so on edge, looking nervously around -- so shifty looking. Luckily Sang-yun is on the ball. In another K police procedural they would be jumping to conclusions left right and centre chasing after one red-herring after another. The best thing about Sang-yun is that he asks all the right questions.

 

Still I feel sorry for him. He's definitely embroiled in something much bigger than kidnapping. And the girl is a bit of a brat regardless. If she's right about corruption in high places, she needs him as much as he needs to clear his name. 

 

Edit after Episode 4:

This show is both intriguing and frustrating at the same time. The adult doesn't act like an adult and the child pretends that she's the adult. In all honesty if it weren't for Sang-yun I think I would probably have dropped this or lost half the hair on my head by now. Yeah, she can push his buttons because of his guilt but it demonstrates why children should never be allowed to run amok and take the lead in anything. Living on the run is a short-term measure not a long-term solution especially when neither of them are flushed with cash or resources. Both Dr Choi and his wife were murdered. It's no child's play.

 

Hope Sang-yun catches them soon.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by 40somethingahjumma