Learning Korean with "Run Away with Seon-jae" Shorts: Poetic Dialogue & Deep Emotions

🎥 Introduction

The short clip is from the Korean drama “선재 업고 튀어” ("Run Away with Seon-jae"), where Seon-jae persuades Sol, who is hospitalized with a leg injury and wants to die, to keep living.

Airing in 2024, "선재 업고 튀어" was a global hit, though Netflix missed out on it. The drama portrays the mutual support and love between a famous artist and a devoted fan.

 

🎥 Short Video

[Source] YouTube, @_aquamarine

 

🎥 Meet the Characters

Ryu Seon-jae (Byun Woo-seok): A top idol singer who struggles with the pressures of fame and finds solace in an unexpected connection.

Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon): A devoted fan who has cherished Seon-jae's music for years and becomes entangled in a life-changing journey with him.

 

🎥 Dialogue

솔: “어딘가엔요.”

Sol: "Somewhere, there is."

솔: “날이 너무 좋아서, 그래서 살고 싶지 않은 사람도 있거든요.”

Sol: "The weather is so nice, and that's why some people don't want to live."

선재: “이렇게 살아준 것만으로도 다행이라고 고맙다고 할 거예요. 곁에 있는 사람은.”

Seon-jae: "The people by your side will say it's a relief and thank you just for staying alive like this."

선재: “그러니까, 오늘 살아봐요.”

Seon-jae: "So, try living today."

선재: “날이 너무 좋으니까.”

Seon-jae: "Because the weather is so nice."

선재: “내일은 비가 온대요.”

Seon-jae: "They say it will rain tomorrow."

선재: “그럼, 그 비가 그치길 기다리면서 또 살아봐요.”

Seon-jae: "Then, wait for the rain to stop and keep living."

선재: “그러다보면 언젠간 사는 게 괜찮아질 날이 올지도 모르잖아요.”

Seon-jae: "And maybe, someday, a day will come when living feels okay."

 

🎯 Key Takeaways

1. 날이 좋다

This phrase means, "The weather is nice." It describes a pleasant day with good weather conditions.

 

📌 Example Usage

"오늘 날이 좋아서 소풍 가기에 딱이다."

"The weather is nice today, so it's perfect for a picnic."

 

"날이 좋을 때 산책하는 걸 좋아해."

"I like taking walks when the weather is nice."

 

🌀 Similar Expressions

날씨가 좋다 – The weather is good

 

📌 Example Usage

"날씨가 좋아서 기분이 좋다."

"The weather is good, so I feel good."

 

2. 살고 싶지 않다

This phrase means, "I don't want to live." It can express exhaustion, despair, or frustration with life. It may be used in serious contexts or casually to exaggerate hardships.

 

📌 Example Usage

"요즘 너무 힘들어서 살고 싶지 않다는 생각이 들 때가 있어."

"Lately, I feel so exhausted that I sometimes think I don’t want to live."

 

"이렇게 매일 야근이라니, 살고 싶지 않다."

"Working overtime every day like this... I don't want to live."

 

🌀 Similar Expressions

① 사는 게 너무 힘들다 – Life is too hard

 

📌 Example Usage

"사는 게 너무 힘들어서 쉬고 싶다."

"Life is too hard, so I just want to take a break."

 

② 죽고 싶다 – I want to die

 

📌 Example Usage

"이 상황에서 죽고 싶다."

"I want to die in this situation."

 

🔎 During the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, the lives of Koreans were incredibly harsh. As a result, our grandparents' and parents' generations often uttered phrases like "I want to die," "I don't want to live," and "Life is too hard." This reflects just how complex and exhausting their lives must have been. Since younger generations have constantly heard these expressions from their elders, such phrases frequently appear in Korean life. Hearing these words makes me think that, paradoxically, Koreans may have a strong attachment to life.

 

3. 비가 온다

This phrase means "It's raining." It is a simple statement about the weather conditions when rain is falling.

 

📌 Example Usage

"비가 와서 우산을 챙겨야겠다."

"It's raining, so I should take an umbrella."

 

"비가 오는 날엔 따뜻한 차가 생각난다."

"On rainy days, I crave warm tea."

 

🌀 Similar Expressions

비가 내리다 – A slightly poetic way to say "It's raining."

 

📌 Example Usage

"비가 내리는 풍경이 아름답다."

"The scene of rain falling is beautiful."

 

4. 사는 게 괜찮다

This phrase means "Life is okay" or "Life is not bad." It conveys a sense of contentment or acceptance of one's situation.

 

📌 Example Usage

"지금은 힘들지만 그래도 사는 게 괜찮다고 생각해."

"It's tough now, but I still think life is okay."

 

"좋은 사람들과 함께하니, 사는 게 괜찮다."

"Being with good people makes life okay."

 

🌀 Similar Expressions

① 살 만하다 – Life is bearable

📌 Example Usage

"요즘은 살 만해서 다행이다."

"These days, life is bearable, so I'm relieved."

 

② 그럭저럭 지낼 만하다 – I'm getting by somehow

 

📌 Example Usage

"바쁘지만 그럭저럭 지낼 만하다."

"I'm busy, but I'm getting by somehow."

 

🎥 Grammatical Analysis of the Dialogue & Description

The following content contains a lot of grammatical explanations. If you're not an advanced Korean learner, skim through it and don’t focus too much. If you're a beginner or intermediate learner, memorizing even one more conversation from above is better.

 

솔: "어딘가엔요."

- "어딘가엔요": "어딘가" (somewhere) + "-에" (location marker) + "-는요" (topic particle used for emphasis or contrast).

• “어딘가에는요” → “어딘가엔요” (Abbreviation)

 

🗣️ Pronunciation Tips: "어딘가엔요" → "어딘가엔뇨" (연음 발생).

 

솔: "날이 너무 좋아서, 그래서 살고 싶지 않은 사람도 있거든요."

- "날이 너무 좋아서":  "날" (day, weather) + “-이” (subject particle) + "너무" (too) + "좋다" (to be good) + "-아/어서" (because).

- "그래서": "so, therefore."

- "살고 싶지 않은 사람도 있거든요":

• “살고 싶지 않은”: "살다" (to live) + "~(하)고 싶지 않다" (to not want) + “-은” (adnominal form)

• "사람" (person) + "-도" (even) + "있다" (exists) + "-거든요" (ending used to explain a fact).

 

🔮 Meaning: "날씨가 너무 좋아서, 그래서 살고 싶지 않은 사람도 있어요."
"The weather is so nice, and because of that, there are people who don’t want to live."

 

🗣️ Pronunciation Tips: "좋아서" → "조아서"

 

선재: "이렇게 살아준 것만으로도 다행이라고 고맙다고 할 거예요. 곁에 있는 사람은."

- "이렇게 살아준 것만으로도": "이렇게" (like this) + "살다" (to live) + "-아 주다" (to do for someone) + “-ㄴ” (adnominal form) + "것" (thing) + "만으로도" (just by).

- "다행이라고 고맙다고 할 거예요": "다행이다" (to be fortunate) + "-라고" (quotation) + "고맙다" (to be grateful) + "-(라)고" (quotation) + "하다" (to say) + "-ㄹ 거예요" (future tense).

- "곁에 있는 사람은": "곁" (side) + "-에" (location) + "있다" (to be) + “-는” (adnominal form) + "사람" (person) + "-은" (subject marker).

 

🔮 Meaning: "이렇게 살아준 것만으로도 곁에 있는 사람은 다행이고 고맙다고 생각할 거예요."

"Just by living like this, the people by your side will think it’s fortunate and be grateful."

 

선재: "그러니까, 오늘 살아봐요."

- "그러니까": "So, therefore."

- "오늘 살아봐요": "오늘" (today) + "살다" (to live) + "-아 보다" (to try) + "-요" (polite ending).

• “오늘은” → “오늘” (omission of particles)

 

🔮 Meaning: "그러니까, 오늘 하루는 살아봐요."

"So, try living today."

 

🗣️ Pronunciation Tips: "살아봐요" → "사라봐요" (연음 발생).

 

선재: "날이 너무 좋으니까."

- "날이 너무 좋으니까": "날" (day, weather) + “-이” (subject marker) "너무" (too) + "좋다" (to be good) + "-으니까" (because).

 

🔮 Meaning: "날씨가 너무 좋으니까."

"Because the weather is so nice."

 

🗣️ Pronunciation Tips: "좋으니까" → "조으니까" (ㅎ 탈락)

 

선재: "내일은 비가 온대요."

- "내일은": "내일" (tomorrow) + "-은" (topic marker).

- "비가 온대요": "비" (rain) + “-가” (subject marker) + "오다" (to come) + "-ㄴ대요" (reported speech).

 

🔮 Meaning: "내일은 비가 올 거래요."

"They say it will rain tomorrow."

 

선재: "그럼, 그 비가 그치길 기다리면서 또 살아봐요."

- "그럼": "Then, in that case."

• “그러면” → “그럼” (abbreviation)

- "그 비가 그치길 기다리면서": "그" (that) + "비" (rain) + "-가" (subject marker) + "그치다" (to stop) + "-길" (shortened form of "-기를," meaning "hoping for") + "기다리다" (to wait) + "-면서" (while).

- "또 살아봐요": "또" (again) + "살다" (to live) + "-아보다" (to try) + "-요" (polite ending).

• “살다” → “살아보다” → “살아봐요”

 

🔮 Meaning: "그럼, 비가 그칠 때까지 기다리면서 또 하루를 살아봐요."

"Then, wait for the rain to stop and try living again."

 

선재: "그러다 보면 언젠간 사는 게 괜찮아질 날이 올지도 모르잖아요."

- "그러다 보면": "그러다" (to do so) + "보다" (to see) + "-면" (if).

- "언젠간": "언젠가" (someday) + "-ㄴ" (contracted form of "-는").

• “언젠가는” → “언젠가”

- "사는 게”: "살다" (to live) + "-는 게" (the act of)

• “사는 것이” → “사는 게” (abbreviation)

- “괜찮아질”: “괜찮다” (adjective, “to be okay”) + “-아지다” → “괜찮아지다” (verb, “to become okay”) + “-ㄹ” (adnominal ending indicating future tense)

- “날이”: "날" (day) + "-이" (subject marker)

- “올지도: "오다" (to come) + "-ㄹ지도” (connective ending indicating speculation)

- “모르잖아요”: 모르다" (might) + "-잖아요" (isn't it?).

• “-잖아요”: It is used to express exclamation or confirmation, and the speaker uses it to seek the listener's agreement or verify a preceding fact.

양식의 맨 위

 

🔮 Meaning: "그러다 보면 언젠가 사는 게 괜찮아질 날이 올 수도 있잖아요."

"If you keep going, someday a day might come when living feels okay."

 

🗣️ Pronunciation Tips: "올지도 모르잖아요" → "올지도 모르자나요"

Run Away with Seon-jae (2024)

Final Thoughts

"선재 업고 튀어" is a drama that blends deep emotional narratives with beautiful dialogue. It offers comfort by showing that hope can be found even in life's darkest moments. Seon-jae's lines, in particular, feel almost like poetry, leaving a lasting impact.

In this short clip, Seon-jae firmly tells Sol, "Try living today." He continues, "It will rain tomorrow. Then, wait for the rain to stop and keep living." These words go beyond simple consolation—they highlight how continuing to live itself can be a source of hope.

What makes this scene special is the reminder that, even when we are lost in despair and forget why we should keep going, someone out there cherishes us simply for existing. The presence of a person who tells us, "Just live today," or "The rain may stop tomorrow, so hold on a little longer," can be an immense source of comfort.

This is why "Run Away with Seon-jae" has captured hearts in Korea and worldwide. With its heartfelt dialogue and delicate storytelling, the drama transcends romance and prompts us to reflect on our lives. If living today feels overwhelming, remember this scene—perhaps, someday, there will come a time when life starts to feel okay again.