Is It True? ‘Queen of Tears’ Speculated To Be Based on Real-Life Events

Reports claimed that the trending K-drama "Queen of Tears," starring Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won, is based on a real-life story.

Here's what we know.

Samsung's Heiress Lee Boo Jin is Real-Life Hong Hae In?

As "Queen of Tears" continues to garner popularity, interesting news about the buzzworthy drama starts to occupy the internet. According to a source, the series is rumored to be based on a real-life story of the third-generation Samsung heiress and her Cinderella groom, which once shook the entire nation. 

Lee Boo Jin, gifted with beauty and business acumen, which she inherited from her father, was in charge of the luxurious Shilla Hotel and restaurant chain in Seoul. She is the second daughter of Samsung's multinational conglomerate chairman, Lee Kun Hee, who has 100 subsidiaries spanning finance, various retail chains, and the iconic Samsung technology brand.

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Similarly, Hong Hae In, played by Kim Ji Won in "Queen of Tears," also has a background as a third-generation heir of the Queen Group conglomerate. She manages the Queen's department stores, while her younger brother oversees the Queen Mart supermarkets.

Im Woo Jae & Lee Boo Jin's Love Story Similar to 'Queen of Tears' Plot

Im Woo Jae, now Lee Joo Bin's ex-husband, was a university graduate and said to be a technical staff member at Samsung C&T's IT department before marrying Lee Joo Bin.

Kim Soo Hyun's character Baek Hyun Woo also graduated from a prestigious law school and worked at the Queen Group. His education and career attainment are slightly more affluent, with his parents owning a large farm in the countryside.

It has been said that Lee Boo Jin and Im Woo Jae's first encounter happened during the Samsung Foundation charity event in 1995, where Boo Jin was an undercover intern, just like how Hae In's character was introduced. Their internships led to a blossoming relationship, and Woo Jae was unaware of his partner's background.

Their wedding, which happened in August 1999, defied societal norms. It also sparked a media frenzy and even turned into a TV drama plot for some.

Unfortunately, Lee Boo Jin filed for divorce in 2014, securing custody of their child.

With only two episodes released so far, viewers are curious how Hong Hae In convinced her family to accept this unconventional marriage. Similarly, after just three years of marriage, Baek Hyun Woo found himself applying for a divorce.

Even the post-wedding life of the couple was similar compared to the drama's characters' backgrounds.

While the series romanticizes reality, the writer of the drama offers Baek Hyun Woo and Hong Hae In's marriage an escape route, and a chance for mutual understanding, making the narrative more interesting.

It has been said that Im Woo Jae's divorce journey ended bitterly after five years of being married. He received less than 1% after resigning from his position at Samsung and returning to his original status.

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Shai Collins wrote this.