In this blog post, I will compare the plots, characters, narrative structures, fantasy elements, and perspectives on family in Director Kim Tae-yong’s ‘The Birth of a Family’ and Director Im Sang-soo’s ‘The Adulterous Family’. I will also examine their critiques of traditional familism and explore the true meaning of family in modern society.

New Possibilities for Family Films and Why These Two Works Were Chosen

It is true that, in Korean cinema, family films have historically fallen somewhat short in attracting box office success or media attention. People assumed they didn’t feature popular young actors or actresses, lacked elements of a sweeping romance, and offered nothing more than heartwarming moments. However, beginning with ‘Homeward…’, which opened a new chapter for family films, and followed by ‘The Young Bride’, ‘Marathon’, and ‘Sugar Cubes’, family films began to garner enough attention to stand as a representative genre of Korean cinema in their own right. Even back then, family-themed films such as ‘Heart…’, ‘On a Dazzling Day’, ‘Son’, and ‘Fly, Heo Dong-gu’ were released one after another. Of course, the fact that May—Family Month—was approaching played a role, but there was no denying that family films were firmly establishing their place in the film industry.
In a reality where the true meaning of family is gradually fading and family breakdown and individualism are rampant, aren’t we only now beginning to realize that we can learn genuine joy, emotion, and love through the family—our steadfast pillar of support and the starting point of our lives?
When I first heard about ‘The Birth of a Family’, I assumed it would be just another dry, uninteresting story and didn’t pay it much attention. However, after hearing positive word-of-mouth about the film, I felt it was a movie I should see at least once. Once I actually watched it, I found myself entertained and moved by its small but charming romance, its ingenious storyline—one I’d never encountered before—and its fresh perspective on family.
While considering ‘The Birth of a Family’ as a subject for analysis, I decided to select ‘The Adulterous Family’ as well—a family film that stands in stark contrast to it—as I thought examining both together would be even more interesting.
I also consider ‘The Adulterous Family’ to be a family film. Of course, one might question whether it’s appropriate to call a film rated “No Minors Allowed” a family film. However, a family film doesn’t necessarily have to be one that can be watched with children. In terms of content, I believe ‘The Adulterous Family’ is a work that sharply critiques the image of the family in modern society through the lens of infidelity.
While the film attracted even more attention due to the actors’ daring scenes, those moments are only a small part of the work. There is a much deeper story within it. Just as the film has a neat conclusion, the audience can also reflect on the meaning of family and reach their own conclusions.
While both films center on family stories, their approaches are quite different. To explain this simply, I’ll refer to ‘The Birth of a Family’ as the “abnormal family” and ‘The Adulterous Family’ as the “normal family” as I discuss them. You might think I’ve simply reversed the titles of the two films, but this distinction is based on family structures viewed through the lens of the traditional family framework.
Ironically, however, by the end of the two films, “The Birth of a Family” transforms into a “normal family,” while “The Adulterous Family” becomes an “abnormal family.” I believe this is precisely the key point to watch for when comparing and appreciating the two films.

Analysis of the Three Stories and Characters in ‘The Birth of a Family’

‘The Birth of a Family’ unfolds the stories of different characters across three episodes. The stories, which initially seem unrelated, gradually interconnect, revealing a new image of family that differs from conventional notions.
The first episode tells the story of Mira, Hyung-cheol, and Mu-shin.
Mira (Moon So-ri) receives a call from her younger brother Hyung-cheol (Um Tae-woong), who hasn’t returned home for five years since joining the military. Hyung-cheol suddenly shows up after five years, bringing with him Mu-shin (Ko Doo-shim), who is twenty years his senior. Mira, who wants to live her life with precision and order, is not entirely comfortable with their relationship but eventually accepts it, and thus begins the trio’s awkward cohabitation. I believe Moon So-ri’s voice and manner of speaking in the drama perfectly embody Mira’s sharp and decisive personality.
A few days into this precarious living arrangement, a young girl named Chae-hyun shows up at Mira’s house, claiming she’s come to find her mother. Chae-hyun is the daughter Moo-shin’s ex-husband had with his previous wife. The headstrong and immature Hyung-cheol tries once again to impulsively accept the child into the family. He then tells the child to count to 100 while he goes out to buy something delicious.
This is where the first fantasy sequence appears: a scene where the child is running around in the yard while Mira and Moo-shin are having a meal. As the camera slows down, the scenes of them eating and the child running in the yard show the passage of time in different rhythms. It creates a strange sensation, as if transcending time and space. I thought this scene might be foreshadowing that Hyung-cheol, who said he’d be back soon, would ultimately not return.
Hyung-cheol never does come back, and Mu-shin leaves Mira’s house with Chae-hyun. The older sister and younger brother, who were so close they could be completely candid with each other—yet who also harbored unspoken conflicts—along with the younger brother’s older girlfriend, Mu-shin. It seems as though the three of them have come to the end of their awkward living arrangement.
The second episode begins with the clash between Seon-kyung (Gong Hyo-jin), who is brutally realistic and cynical, and her mother, Mae-ja (Kim Hye-ok), a hopeless romantic.
Seon-kyung’s home is always depicted as dark, as if shrouded in shadow. Seon-kyung, who cannot understand her mother at all and has closed her heart to love because of her, mirrors the atmosphere of the house. Seon-kyung longs to escape this stifling reality. During an interview to leave for Japan, she says, “You see, I just have to get out of here somehow.” This shows just how desperate she is to escape her current life.
Seon-kyung’s cynical attitude is also evident in her conversation with her ex-boyfriend, Jun-ho. When Jun-ho asks, “Why are you being so rude to me?” Seon-kyung replies, “You knew I was cold and rude from the start—that’s why you liked me, right?” Jun-ho asks again why she’s changed so much, but Seon-kyung cuts him off, saying, “I haven’t changed. I’ve always been like this,” she says bluntly.
Unable to understand her mother’s view on love—given that her mother is dating a married man—Seon-kyung vows never to live like her mother. And she projects that resolve onto her own romantic relationships. Although she tries to love in a different way than her mother, the very act of accepting love has become even more difficult for her.
Seon-kyung finds her sick mother’s condition frustrating, yet she also feels sorry for her mother as she takes care of her son, Kyung-seok. Eventually, she impulsively goes to the home of the man her mother loves. Seon-kyung confronts the man, asking, “Sir, do you love my mom? Do you love her?” The man then replies confidently in front of the family, “Yes, I love her. “I love her. I mean it. Seon-kyung, are you satisfied now?”
Surprised by his answer, Seon-kyung responds angrily, “You’re all so amazing. Why are both my mom and you living such miserable lives over something as trivial as a romance?” However, as she experiences the collapse of her own relationship and witnesses that her mother’s romance—which she had once dismissed as trivial—is sustained by a tenacious and romantic bond, Seon-kyung’s perspective begins to shift. She comes to see her mother not merely as a source of hardship, but as a woman capable of love and desire—a distinct individual with a life of her own.
And Seon-kyung gives up on her long-cherished dream of moving to Japan.
The second fantasy appears in the scene where Sun-kyung goes through the bag her mother left behind after she passed away. Sun-kyung is overcome with grief and weeps, while the childhood mementos inside the bag float in midair. The scene unfolds slowly for a while. It is the moment when she finally reaffirms her mother’s love and care for her through her mother’s belongings. It feels all the more poignant because it’s a scene where she comes to understand her mother’s feelings—which she couldn’t grasp while her mother was alive—through the belongings left behind after her mother’s passing.
The third episode features Chae-hyun (Jung Yu-mi), who is kind to everyone, and Kyung-seok (Bong Tae-gyu), who constantly struggles with a lack of affection.
Chae-hyun is a woman with a generous heart who cannot simply ignore other people’s worries and concerns. However, Kyung-seok doesn’t understand her. He believes that while she’s kind to everyone else, she’s indifferent to him alone. Kyung-seok tells Chae-hyun, “People don’t actually like you. They’re just using you. You’re too generous.”
Kyung-seok’s attitude is also evident in his conversation with his older sister, Seon-kyung. When Seon-kyung says she prefers just dating, Kyung-seok responds, “You like that? You’re just like Mom,” he responds. When Seon-kyung asks, “What do you know about Mom?” Kyung-seok replies that her life was a mess. Seon-kyung then says, “It wasn’t a mess—she was just very affectionate.”
Seon-kyung has now come to understand her mother’s life, at least a little, but Kyung-seok still cannot accept his mother’s love. To Kyung-seok, Chae-hyun’s excessive affection becomes a source of anxiety and jealousy. Eventually, he breaks up with her, saying, “I feel like I’m going to die of loneliness when I’m next to you. I think I understand why your ex-boyfriend left you. I’m sick of it.”
Having lost his mother before he could fully experience maternal love, Kyung-seok sees traces of his mother in his older sister Seon-kyung and his girlfriend Chae-hyun. And because of these reflections, he feels immense confusion about love. We can sense Kyung-seok’s complex emotions in the lines quoted earlier.
What’s worth noting here is that Kyung-seok is actually the son of Mae-ja, Seon-kyung’s mother, who appeared in the second episode. Characters who seemed to be living completely separate lives were, in fact, intertwined by invisible threads. This is a key feature of the narrative structure in ‘The Birth of a Family’.
Kyung-seok, who had told Chae-hyun he wanted to break up, ultimately cannot bring himself to leave her completely and accompanies her to her family home. There, two women whom Chae-hyun calls “moms” appear—they are Mira and Mu-shin from the first episode. The young Chae-hyun, who appeared in the first story as the daughter Mu-shin’s ex-husband had with his previous wife, has grown up to become the Chae-hyun portrayed by Jung Yu-mi.
In this way, the three episodes are woven together into a single narrative.
In this scene, Chae-hyun asks Kyung-seok, “Is being loose a bad thing?” I believe this question plays a crucial role in understanding the meaning of the entire film.
When we examine the meaning of the term “promiscuous” in the film, we see that Seon-kyung’s way of understanding Mae-ja and Kyung-seok’s way of understanding Chae-hyun are quite different. After her mother passes away, Seon-kyung comes to understand Mae-ja’s heart. She realizes why her mother had lived her life sharing so much love and affection. Seon-kyung, too, becomes a woman who dates without getting married. From her younger brother Kyung-seok’s perspective, even his older sister has become a “promiscuous woman” just like their mother.
That is why Gyeong-seok’s view of Chae-hyun is tinged with such suspicion from the very beginning. Chae-hyun is too loose. She gives away her laughter, affection, attention, and love too easily. Gyeong-seok cannot understand why she gives so much to others instead of him. He constantly wonders why he isn’t her top priority and why others come first. Ultimately, he turns away from Chae-hyun, but he can never completely leave her.
This is likely because Kyung-seok is Ma-ja’s son and Seon-kyung’s younger brother. Kyung-seok has lived his life watching these “promiscuous women” up close, and he knows just how beautiful they are. Isn’t it precisely because of this experience that Kyung-seok is able to become part of Chae-hyun’s family? If he hadn’t had those life experiences, he, too, might have walked away from Chae-hyun long ago.
As Kyung-seok meets Chae-hyun’s two mothers, Mira and Mu-shin, he begins to fill the role of “mother”—which had previously existed only as an abstract concept—with the images of these real women living their lives. Through these new relationships, he is able to reexamine the confusion and pain he had harbored regarding his own mother.
The third fantasy appears in a scene where Mira, Mu-shin, Chae-hyun, and Kyung-seok are seated together watching television. On the screen, Kyung-seok’s older sister, Seon-kyung, is seen singing in a choir; as fireworks explode, she soars into the air while singing. That fantastical atmosphere extends to the four people watching the TV together. The four of them enjoy a happy time watching the fireworks.
In the following scene, Mira’s younger brother, Hyung-cheol, reappears. Once again, he shows up with a pregnant woman. However, Mira kicks out not Moo-shin and Chae-hyun, but her own younger brother, Hyung-cheol.
When Hyung-cheol first brought home the much older Moo-shin, Mira found herself in an awkward situation, but she eventually tried to accept their love as it was. However, while Hyung-cheol talked about reconciliation and coexistence, he remained indifferent to his responsibility to support the family, causing Mira and Moo-shin to feel increasingly hopeless. As time went on, Mira grew to feel a deeper attachment to Moo-shin—with whom she shared an emotional bond—than to Hyung-cheol, who was bound to her by blood.
She chose Moo-shin and Chae-hyun—who had lived together, understood each other, and relied on one another—as her family, rather than her blood-related brother. I believe this is also a crucial scene that shatters stereotypes about family.

“The Birth of a Family”: How do we build a true family beyond blood ties?

A film with a tightly woven, seamless narrative draws the audience deeply into a single theme. However, this can sometimes leave little room for viewers to step into the story themselves. Director Kim Tae-yong’s “The Birth of a Family” approaches the question “What is family?” not through a single, meticulously calculated story, but through three loosely interwoven narratives.
From the outset, the film presents three seemingly unconnected stories. Audiences accustomed to clearly organized narrative structures may be tempted to hastily group the characters within the framework of “family” implied by the film’s title. However, there are greater gaps in time and space between the characters than expected. Rather than rushing to explain these gaps, the director first fully portrays the lives of these distinct characters before gradually revealing their connections.
This narrative structure of ‘The Birth of a Family’ resembles a rhizomatic structure. The term “rhizome,” originally used in botany, refers to a structure that spreads out in multiple directions like an underground stem. Unlike the traditional tree-like structure—which builds the stories of peripheral characters around the central conflict experienced by one or two protagonists—in a rhizomatic structure, various characters hold similar importance as they each unfold their own conflicts and stories.
Through this structure, ‘The Birth of a Family’ connects the lives of characters who initially appear independent of one another. As the audience gradually discovers the relationships between the characters, they are led to reconsider the meaning of family—the very theme the film sought to explore from the beginning.
In this film, everything is about love and romance. No relationship is forced into a predetermined familial framework. Whether it’s a mother-daughter relationship, a mother-son relationship, or any other kind, for a family to form, the individuals must voluntarily form a bond with one another. And they must find their own way to sustain that relationship without relying on the traditional safety net provided by the patriarchal system.
Chae-hyun and Kyung-seok, who on the surface appear to be the most ordinary heterosexual couple, are no different. Kyung-seok will likely never be able to have Chae-hyun all to himself. This is because Chae-hyun’s love and attention are not directed toward just one person.
In that sense, I believe that Mira and Mu-shin are the ones who create a true family. The conventional concept of family—which is sustained through the process of a man and a woman meeting, falling in love, having a child, and that child growing up to marry—pales in comparison to what is depicted in ‘The Birth of a Family’.
The real family in the film is formed through the generosity and warmth of the “loose women.” They are neither people who set out to dismantle the family with a specific agenda, nor are they women who pursue only their own pleasure or gain. Rather, they are truly generous women—a type rarely seen in Korean cinema until now.
Mira and Moo-shin accept Chae-hyun, with whom they share not a drop of blood, as family. Chae-hyun calls the two of them “moms.” Seon-kyung and Kyung-seok, left behind by Mae-ja, also share a relationship that cannot be explained by blood ties alone, yet they live as a family, understanding each other’s loneliness.
For them, family does not merely signify a predetermined legal relationship or a bond of blood. It is a relationship forged anew through love, affection, care, and responsibility toward one another.
‘The Birth of a Family’ can be described as an ideal myth of the birth of a family, showing exactly how such a family is formed. What does family mean in modern society, and how should family members nurture their love for one another? Perhaps Director Kim Tae-yong sought to show that families that break free from conventional frameworks can be even more harmonious than others.
In this film, we encounter a new kind of family—one not bound by blood. This is why I initially described ‘The Birth of a Family’ as an “abnormal family” that transcends the traditional definition of family.

The Characters of ‘The Adulterous Family’ and the Image of a Family Falling Apart

At first glance, it seems as though not a single character in ‘The Adulterous Family’ can be considered “normal.”
Joo Young-jak (Hwang Jung-min) is a lawyer with his own sense of justice who enjoys a secret affair with his young lover, Kim Yeon, while remaining relatively indifferent to his wife’s infidelity. His wife, Eun Ho-jeong (Moon So-ri), is a mother who sincerely cherishes and loves her adopted son, Su-in, yet maintains a precarious relationship with Ji-woon, a carefree and confident high school student from next door who wants to experience a passionate romance before leaving for study abroad. Then there is Hong Byeong-han (Yoon Yeo-jeong), a mother-in-law in her 60s who, after her husband’s death, openly embraces her love for another man.
Doesn’t this look like the very epitome of a dysfunctional family?
Nevertheless, within the confines of their family, they manage to maintain a daily life that is neither lacking nor excessive, appearing on the surface to be an ordinary family. I believe the first key to appreciating this film lies in observing how each character maintains a delicate balance between their extramarital affairs and their family life.
As you might have guessed by now, it’s hard to find the close-knit family bonds one would expect within the framework of a family. Nor are there any heart-wrenching scenes of grief over the father’s death, as in other family films. On the contrary, the family members display an excessively individualistic attitude. It seems that all that remains for them is the empty shell of a family.
When Young-jak asks Ho-jeong, “Could you go to the hospital and bring Dad home?” Ho-jeong replies, “Let’s each deal with our own fathers!” When a friend asks how he feels about his father dying, Young-jak calmly says, “It’s not exactly like that.” Even when Young-jak tells his mother, Byeong-han, “It’s been six months since Grandpa died,” she retorts, “So what?”
Their reactions to a family member’s death or suffering are quite different from what we generally expect from a family.
The scene where Byeong-han confesses her romantic relationship to her son and daughter-in-law after her husband’s death is also striking. Byeong-han says she’s seeing a man and might even get married. She also reveals without hesitation that she’s sexually active. She even confides that she experienced an orgasm for the first time in 15 years, adding, “I’ve realized you have to live life honestly. Otherwise, we’re not really living.”
Through these lines, we see just how true the family members in the film are to their own lives and desires. Their individualism is so pervasive that it feels as though the meaning of family has long since faded.
One point I’d particularly like to emphasize is that the characters are excessively “cool.” Ho-jeong, who accidentally overhears Young-jak talking on the phone with his mistress, Kim Yeon, and realizes her husband is having an affair, reacts with surprising composure. “It’s a relief that you have someone to whom you can honestly pour out your heart,” she says.
Ho-jeong’s frequent remark, “Just do your own thing,” also clearly illustrates her personality. She is someone who avoids getting deeply involved in others’ lives and does not hesitate to express her own emotions or desires. Ho-jeong’s cynical and detached attitude mirrors the overall atmosphere of the film.
However, there is one key figure who makes this family seem somewhat normal: Su-in, the only son of Young-jak and Ho-jeong. It’s also important not to overlook the fact that Su-in is adopted.
Su-in says, “While other kids were born because their moms had stomachaches, my mom gave birth to me because her heart ached,” adding, “So I really am my mom’s son.”
Su-in, a young child who has just learned that he is not his parents’ biological son, is confused but grapples with the situation in a surprisingly mature way. At the same time, he acts as a bond that holds Young-jak and Ho-jeong—who have grown apart—together as a family. He is the one who keeps his mother and father, who are having affairs, connected so that they can maintain the appearance of a family.
Put another way, this means that the adopted child—who is not biologically related—is actually fulfilling the role of a true family member, bringing the couple together.
However, Su-in is murdered by the mailman, who had been harboring a grudge against Young-jak. Su-in’s death exposes the discord and infidelity between Young-jak and Ho-jeong that had been hidden under the guise of “family,” and ultimately, the family begins to fall apart.
The scene where the two—who had just gotten into a heated fight and gone to the hospital for a finger injury—each hail a taxi heading in opposite directions foreshadows the family’s breakdown. Ho-jeong goes to Ji-woon’s house next door to make love, while Young-jak goes to see Kim Yeon. As the two turn to their respective outside relationships rather than comforting each other’s wounds, the family’s bond is no longer evident.
Anticipating the path this family takes as it hurtles toward catastrophe is the second key to appreciating the film.
At the film’s conclusion, upon hearing the news of Ho-jeong’s pregnancy, Young-jak says, “You’re pregnant? They say it’s a miracle. I’ll do my best.” However, Ho-jeong replies, “This baby isn’t yours. You’re out of my life.” Young-jak turns away with a hollow laugh.
The ending is all too neat. The weight of familial bonds is barely felt. Not even the expressions as they announce their separation to one another show any significant emotional turmoil. In this way, the film calmly depicts the disintegration of the family.

How does ‘The Adulterous Family’ portray the collapse of the traditional family?

‘The Adulterous Family’ isn’t a film that kindly explains every detail to the audience. However, I believe it possesses more than enough cinematic elements to satisfy viewers.
While some films make it easy to predict the ending as they progress toward the second half, others are so unpredictable that it’s hard to see even an inch ahead. ‘The Adulterous Family’ falls into the latter category. Of course, as you watch the film, you might find yourself thinking, “Where on earth is this dysfunctional family headed?”
However, in a typical family film, even a family this precarious might, following a certain event, come to realize the warmth of family bonds and grow even closer. It’s the familiar formula of family films to move audiences to tears through that process. There were surely viewers who expected such an ending in this film as well.
However, after laying out the characters’ complex romantic entanglements, Director Im Sang-soo reaches a completely different conclusion.
Ultimately, the family collapses. It isn’t someone from the outside who brings the family down; rather, the family members themselves dismantle and destroy their relationships. The so-called “normal family” disappears. However, even if this marks the collapse of the normal family, it does not signify the complete collapse of the concept of family itself.
Might the new life that has miraculously begun to take shape within Ho-jeong’s body be a subtle hint of this? Although it may be a hope that the director portrays in a somewhat melancholic light.
‘The Adulterous Family’ starkly unravels the conflict between traditional family ideology and individual desire through the lens of sexual desire. The film’s characters attempt to resolve their unhealed wounds and unfulfilled desires—which have remained trapped within the confines of the traditional family—through sexual relationships with outsiders.
This characteristic is particularly evident in Ho-jeong’s attempt to alleviate the pain caused by her son Su-in’s death through her relationship with Ji-won. Rather than embracing and overcoming each other’s wounds within the family, they seek solace from outside sources in their own ways.
As the film shows, the phenomenon of family disintegration in modern society seems to have already gone beyond the scope of what can be resolved by traditional family ethics alone. It is a bitter irony that the collapse of the “normal” family ideology actually heralds the birth of a new form of family. This is precisely the meaning I have gleaned from ‘The Adulterous Family’.
In this regard, ‘The Adulterous Family’ unfolds in a direction exactly opposite to that of ‘The Birth of a Family’, yet the two films are strangely similar.
The very phenomenon of family films garnering attention could be seen as evidence of the family crisis our society is experiencing. This is because audiences project their expectations and hopes onto these films to some extent. Perhaps the reason we keep seeking the meaning of family in movies is precisely because that meaning is becoming increasingly unclear in reality.

The Contrasting Female Characters Portrayed by Moon So-ri in ‘The Birth of a Family’ and ‘The Adulterous Family’

The most intriguing characters to compare across the two films are the two women played by Moon So-ri. In ‘The Birth of a Family’, Moon So-ri plays Mira, who is excessively generous and affectionate, whereas in ‘The Adulterous Family’, she plays Ho-jeong, who is realistic and cynical.
In a sense, one is the so-called “easy woman” and the other is the “cynical woman.”
It’s no exaggeration to say that ‘The Birth of a Family’ is a film built on the generosity and warmth of these “easy women.” Like Moo-shin, Mae-ja, and Chae-hyun, Mira is easygoing. They welcome anyone who comes their way, and if you ask with even a little sincerity, they’ll grant almost any request. Watching them from the sidelines, you might feel sorry for them, but mostly it’s frustrating—and sometimes it’s enough to really make you angry.
It’s hard to understand how they can be so forgiving in every situation or how they can be so kind to everyone. Perhaps it’s because they’re just too easygoing.
However, the film uses precisely these women to shatter the conventional concept of family. A real family isn’t built solely on blood ties or obligations; it’s forged through the generosity and kindness of these “easygoing” women. They are truly generous women—a type rarely seen in Korean cinema until now.
In contrast, Ho-jeong from ‘The Adulterous Family’ is overly realistic and detached. Of course, she loves her adopted son, Su-in, and grieves his death. But in the film, even these emotions felt as though they were portrayed lightly, as if they were merely a duty. It seemed as though Ho-jeong had no place within the family as a woman, and her cynical and detached attitude was emphasized more than her tenderness as a wife.
Although played by the same actress, the two characters’ attitudes toward family and love are quite different. While Mira constantly accepts others and builds relationships, Ho-jeong remains true to her own desires and seeks to break free from existing relationships.
This difference also reflects the contrasting ways the two films approach the theme of family. In one, generosity and tenderness give birth to a new family, while in the other, individual desires and a cynical attitude undermine the cohesion of an existing family.

The Contrast Created by the Narrative Structures and Fantasies of the Two Films

“The Birth of a Family” and “The Adulterous Family” also show distinct differences in how they handle family structures.
In ‘The Birth of a Family’, family does not necessarily mean people who share blood. Mira, Mu-shin, and Chae-hyun live under the same roof and consider themselves family, even though they are not related by blood. Yet they rely on one another just as a real family would. Chae-hyun calls Mira and Mu-shin “moms.” The two women who took care of Chae-hyun—who grew up without a biological mother—have become irreplaceable mothers to her.
Seon-kyung and Kyung-seok are also siblings whose relationship cannot be explained solely by blood ties. Left alone after their mother’s death, the two share their loneliness and live as a family unlike any other.
Viewed through traditional standards, they are an “abnormal family” that defies the norm. Yet in reality, they possess the love, care, and warm bonds we expect from a family.
In contrast, Young-jak and Ho-jeong from ‘The Adulterous Family’ maintain the traditional family structure where a man and a woman meet, marry, and raise children. Including the in-laws and the son’s married couple, they appear, on the surface, to be a “normal” family. Yet within that framework, there is almost no sense of the bond that holds a family together.
Although the parents-in-law and the married couple both appear to be normal family members, the reality beneath the surface is already intricately tangled and crumbling. These two films turn our expectations of family upside down. The characters in ‘The Birth of a Family’, who initially seemed like an “abnormal family,” end up forming a true family, while the characters in ‘The Adulterous Family’, who seemed like a “normal family,” ultimately dismantle their familial bonds.
Thus, the family labels initially assigned to these two films are completely reversed by the end.
The two films also contrast in their use of color and fantasy to create atmosphere.
‘The Birth of a Family’ unfolds its story through bright colors overall. The fantasy scenes—one appearing in each of the three episodes—add a bright and warm feeling to the film. Scenes such as Chae-hyun running around in the yard while Mira and Mu-shin eat, objects from Seon-kyung’s childhood surfacing as she goes through her mother’s belongings, Seon-kyung on the television singing in a choir and soaring into the air, and the four characters enjoying fireworks all lend a subtle sense of fantasy to the realistic narrative.
I believe these fantastical elements are not merely devices to add entertainment value to the film. They depict the emotions the characters experience—such as separation, loss, longing, and joy—in ways that would be difficult to convey through realistic scenes alone. Thus, while sometimes sad and sometimes warm, these elements blend naturally with the overall mood of the film.
In contrast, ‘The Wayward Family’ has a relatively dark overall atmosphere and is cynical to the point of sometimes feeling extreme. The characters’ actions and dialogue constantly shatter expectations regarding family relationships. While ‘The Birth of a Family’ showcases the warmth and potential of relationships through fantastical scenes, ‘The Adulterous Family’ reveals the instability inherent in family through realistic conflicts and cataclysms.
It is fascinating that, despite using the same theme of family, the two films create entirely different moods and atmospheres.

How do these two films critique family values in modern society?

Both films offer a blunt critique of the numerous problems inherent in traditional family values.
The traditional Korean family has long been sustained by a patriarchal order and Confucian values. However, with rapid economic growth and drastic cultural changes, this family structure is gradually shifting. The meaning of family, rooted in Confucian tradition, is also changing from what it once was.
Such is the trend of the times. Particularly in Korean society, which has undergone rapid change, attempting to cling to past values can lead to significant confusion between the trends of the new era and the individual’s own thoughts.
At this juncture of change, the two directors seem to pose a question to the audience: What is a family in modern society, and how should family members sustain their love?
“The Birth of a Family” demonstrates the possibility that even those who deviate from traditional family structures can live more harmoniously than other families. In particular, it can be seen as a critique of male-centered, patriarchal familism and a form of familism that binds members through blood ties while emphasizing only duties and responsibilities.
In this film, the bond connecting the characters does not necessarily have to be a blood tie. They recognize and convey to one another affection, gratitude, and tenderness toward each other’s existence in whatever form it takes. The family formed by Mira, Moo-shin, and Chae-hyun is built on the women’s tenderness and care, rather than relying on a traditional, male-centered family order.
Through this story, Director Kim Tae-yong portrays the gentle family world of kind and innocent people. He elevates this into a family drama that evokes a deeply human sense of emotion.
In contrast, ‘The Adulterous Family’ seems to represent a society rife with individualism. Even within the home, family members fail to nurture their relationships with one another, instead becoming absorbed in their own desires and emotions. Individual freedom and desire clash with the collective framework of the family.
On the one hand, they maintain the form of a family; on the other, they pursue strictly individual lives. It can be described as a strange combination of extreme individualism and the inertia that seeks to preserve the family unit.
While ‘The Birth of a Family’ critiques blood-based familism and presents the possibility of a new kind of family, ‘The Wayward Family’ demonstrates that just because an existing family structure is maintained does not mean that true love and bonds necessarily exist within it.
Both films question traditional views of the family, but the direction of their criticism and the ways they express it differ. ‘The Birth of a Family’ offers hope through people forging new relationships, while ‘The Wayward Family’ exposes the crisis within the family by depicting the collapse of existing relationships.
I believe these two works are sending a warning message about the state of the family in modern society in this way.
A family is not a relationship that is complete simply because it is bound by blood ties, nor does love automatically exist within it just because it legally bears the name “family.” Ultimately, what makes a family a family depends on the hearts and attitudes of its members as they strive to maintain those relationships.

The Significance of These Two Films in Breaking the Mold of Traditional Family Films

“The Birth of a Family” and “The Adulterous Family” are undoubtedly family films. I believe both works subtly imply the value of family; they simply express it in different ways.
Traditional family films often focused on individuals—particularly female protagonists—who defied family norms. In such stories, the greatest transgression a woman could commit was destroying the family, and protagonists who disrupted the family order typically faced a terrible fate. Ultimately, the familiar formula for family films was to conclude the story by reaffirming traditional values regarding women.
Genre films are often criticized as clichéd because they are repeatedly produced by making slight adjustments to the plot and character dynamics within a set framework. However, films cannot rely solely on clichés, as they cannot ignore the curiosity and expectations of audiences seeking fresh experiences.
“The Birth of a Family” and “The Adulterous Family” are works that break the trite formulas of traditional family films and craft stories with fresh perspectives.
‘The Birth of a Family’ depicts the process by which people who might not seem like a family at first come to accept and rely on one another, gradually forming a true family. It presents the possibility that people can become family even without a shared bloodline, and that individuals with different wounds and backstories can live together as one family through love and affection.
Conversely, ‘The Adulterous Family’ shows how easily even the most familiar and seemingly normal family structure can crumble. It reveals that relationships cannot be sustained by the mere label of “family,” and that if members fail to care for one another’s emotional well-being, the family may ultimately become nothing more than a hollow formality.
The endings of the two films also clearly illustrate this contrast. In ‘The Birth of a Family’, the scope of the family expands and new relationships are formed, whereas in ‘The Adulterous Family’, the existing family structure collapses. However, Ho-jeong’s pregnancy leaves a lingering impression that this collapse does not necessarily signify the end of all possibilities.
Ultimately, both films turn our familiar perspective on family upside down. Families that once seemed abnormal come closer to the true meaning of a “normal” family, while those we believed to be normal crumble from within.
Although both films use the familiar theme of family, they present narratives that step outside the boundaries the audience would naturally expect. Their significance lies in the fact that, while they begin with familiar family stories, they never settle for familiar conclusions.
This is precisely where the similarities lie between these two films, which seem completely different yet are strikingly alike.
‘The Birth of a Family’ asks how a true family is formed, while ‘The Adulterous Family’ asks why family relationships fall apart. One makes us rethink the meaning of family through the birth of new relationships, while the other does so through the dissolution of existing ones.
Through these two films, I came to realize that family is not simply about maintaining a predetermined form, but rather a process of building relationships by understanding and accepting one another. What matters more than the label “family” is what the people living within it mean to one another.
Perhaps the two films, though telling their stories in different ways, are ultimately asking the same question: Are the relationships we take for granted as “family” truly family at all?
And how does a true family come into being, and how can it be preserved?