Good Morning President is an abridged version of the politics and life of three different presidents. The three are: the older President Kim Jung-ho at the end of his term, the young President Cha Ji-wook, a skillful manipulator of foreign policy and with great determination, and a female President Han Kyuong-ja. They are distressed over the choices they have to make between politics and ethics. The affliction of Kim Jung-ho who wins the lottery, the agony of Cha Ji-wook who donates an organ, and the troubles of Han Kyuong-ja who faces the crisis of divorce brings out Jang Jin’s characteristic humor and helps the audience reconsider the humane side of politics, which is generally believed to be all show and business. Jang Jin’s drama depicts the duality of a politician and a living man, thus continually displaying that there are two sides to life in Cheongwadae. The contrast between the office, where serious debate takes place, and the kitchen, where one goes when facing distress, displays how politics and life are equally intertwined. The presidents exhibit determination, indignation and pride in the office, but prefer to draw on the wisdom of simplicity and life itself in the kitchen. Our opening film Good Morning President is a story about the President, the most important figure in Korean society, who makes one smile at the humane face of politics. It is high above the sphere of the current Korean film scene and provides an appealing consideration of this generation’s spirit.
(Source: http://www.piff.org)
