Tune in for Love


Tune in for Love, is a 2019 South Korean romance film directed by Jung Ji-woo and starring Kim Go-eun and Jung Hae-in.

Plot

The setting is in the 1990s and reflects on the IMF crisis of 1997. Mi-soo, a hardworking part-time worker at a bakery, exchanges stories with Hyun-woo on a radio program. Both fall in love and continue to cross path but timing is not in their favor.
It begins in 1995, where Hyun-woo comes into the bakery that Mi-soo works at before opening time and asks her if they sell anything that contains soy. Mi-soo suggests soy milk, but realizes that they don't have soy milk and refers him to the grocery store down the street. As Hyun-woo is leaving, the radio station tunes in and introduces a new host for the Music Album, Yoo Yeol. Hyun-woo states that it is a miracle and leaves. Confused, Mi-soo and another employee, Eun-ja, watch as he walks away, supposing that he might have been newly released from prison. Later, Hyun-woo comes back and applies as a part-timer for the bakery. He gets the job and he and Mi-soo begin to work together. Hyun-woo, Mi-soo, and Eun-ja spend a lot of time together, peacefully selling bread and opening up to each other. Mi-soo tells Hyun-woo about her relationship with Eun-ja, telling him that her mother passed away and relied on Eun-ja to make the bread for the bakery, so Mi-soo considers Eun-ja her family. After hearing this, Hyun-woo confides that he did go to juvenile prison. Everyday he would wake up and go through the same routine over and over again, so he would always wish that at least one thing would change by the time he left. The day he walked into the bakery and heard the new radio host, he thought his wish had been granted and considered it a miracle. During winter, Hyun-woo and Mi-soo put out a Christmas tree in front of the bakery. The two share a sentimental moment outside as Mi-soo tells him that her mother always wished to share happiness with the rest of the community. Eun-ja beckons them back inside the bakery and Hyun-woo asks if the three of them take a picture to commemorate the moment.
Around Christmas, construction for new apartment buildings begins in their neighborhood and old friends of Hyun-woo find him and stop by. Their presence disrupts the quiet peace of the bakery and eventually, Eun-ja asks them to leave. Hyun-woo is about to leave with them and asks him if he can get his payment in advance. Eun-ja gives it to him and Hyun-woo tells her that his friends are good kids before leaving with them. Mi-soo and Eun-ja wonder if he'll ever come back. Later that night, Hyun-woo and his friends are eating at a soju bar and have a solemn moment to remember their friend, Jyeong-hyeop who passed away. A group of strangers passes by them and one remarks that it seems like a funeral. One of Hyun-woo's friends gets angry and picks a fight with the stranger, ending up with all of them in a fight. Mi-soo waits in the bakery for Hyun-woo to return, but he never does.
In 1997, the bakery has closed. Mi-soo meets with a college counselor and confides that she didn't get a job at any of the big companies. He tells her he has two options: a temporary gig working for Yoo Yeol's radio show or a stable job at newsletter editor company. She decides to take the job at the newsletter editor company. She visits Eun-ja, who is now working at a noodle shop, and shares the good news with her. Meanwhile, Hyun-woo is working as a furniture mover. After his shift, his coworker asks if Hyun-woo can escort his elderly mother home and Hyun-woo obliges. As Hyun-woo is escorting the old woman, Mi-soo stops by the old bakery. Hyun-woo notices Mi-soo and tells her to wait for him there. She agrees and Hyun-woo returns, asking her how she has been after all these years. The two reconnect and Mi-soo asks if he wants to visit Eun-ja's noodle shop tomorrow. Hyun-woo tells her that his military service begins tomorrow and offers to walk her home. When they arrive at Mi-soo's apartment, Mi-soo asks him to help enter her code to the apartment, since she was having a hard time opening it. The two spend time together in her apartment and eventually, Hyun-woo stays the night. Mi-soo admits that on the day he left, she waited for him to return and Hyun-woo tells her that he wanted to return, but his probation was revoked due to the bar fight.
That morning, Mi-soo wakes up before him and makes him an email address. She gives it to him as they're leaving and tells him to keep in contact with her this way. The two share a brief and awkward kiss before heading off in their separate direction. Later that night, Mi-soo realizes that she forgot to give him the password to the email, which was her code to the apartment.
In 2000, the bakery has been turned into a real estate agency office and the new apartment complexes have been built. Mi-soo is miserable at her newsletter editing job, where the machinery is loud and she frequently works overtime. She continued sending emails to Hyun-woo, even though he can't open his email. Hyun-woo has just gotten released from military service and tries to find Mi-soo, only to find out that she has moved. He decides to move into her old apartment and as he is signing the lease, he sees her old apartment code and finally gets into his email account. Mi-soo is overjoyed to find that she has a way to contact him and asks for his number, so that she can call him the next day. The next day, she calls him and the two agree to talk later and meet up. However, an angry mob storms Hyun-woo's job, breaking his phone. Mi-soo tries to call him many times, but is unable to. Later, Mi-soo sends him an email, telling him that it was a good thing that they didn't meet, since she isn't in the mood to catch up and act happy. She hates herself and admits that the only that has made her happy these days was Hyun-woo figuring out the password. She tells him to get in touch with her when something good happens.
Five years pass. Mi-soo is now happy at her new book publishing job. Her boss takes her to a book shop, where she finds out that the new book she published is a top seller and they rejoice together. Meanwhile, Hyun-woo now works video editing startup that is moving in above where is works. The two reconnect yet again and Hyun-woo brings her to his apartment. Surprised, Mi-soo looks around before finally telling him that she is happy to see him. They start dating and Mi-soo takes three days off work to spend time with Hyun-woo. The two cook, read comics, and walk around together. One night, Mi-soo enters his room and finds the picture they took at the bakery. Hyun-woo tells her that he hasn't had many good memories, so he keeps the pictures to remind him of those time. He asks if he's still scared of her, since she used to be when they were younger. She shakes her head and the two kiss.
Later, they visit Eun-ja, who has gotten married and has a step-daughter that causes her trouble. Her decision has created a rift between Mi-soo and Eun-ja and Mi-soo tells Hyun-woo to visit her, although she doesn't go with him. As Eun-ja and Hyun-woo are reconnecting, a student calls for Eun-ja, telling her that her daughter is about to get beaten up. Eun-ja and Hyun-woo go, finding Mi-soo apprehending Eun-ja's daughter for smoking cigarettes. Mi-soo asks why she lets her daughter treat her badly and cause so much trouble. Eun-ja calms her down and serves Mi-soo and Hyun-woo food. As they leave Eun-ja, Mi-soo comments that Eun-ja could probably tell that they were dating.
The two continue to spend time together. At his work, Hyun-woo has a picture of Mi-soo that he took. Mi-soo also recommends Hyun-woo as a video editor for Yoo Yeol's new visual radio show. Meanwhile, Mi-soo's boss tells her that he will get her to fall for him. One day, Hyun-woo goes to return comic books and his old friends find him. It turns out that it's the tenth anniversary of his Jyeong-hyeop's death, for which Hyun-woo was blamed and imprisoned for. They were playing around on the rooftop as children and Jyeong-hyeop fell down, so Hyun-woo was suspected of pushing him off. The group drives to Jyeong-hyeop's old house, where they deliver money to his mother. His mother tells them to leave and Hyun-woo tries to tell her that he is innocent, but she doesn't care. Hyun-woo leaves his phone in his friend's car when he returns home and Mi-soo calls, only to hear that one of his friends has it. She meets with Hyun-woo's old friend to pick up the phone and learns about Hyun-woo's past.
Without Hyun-woo's knowledge, Mi-soo goes to visit Jyeong-hyeop's house, but his family has moved. Later that night, Mi-soo tells Hyun-woo what she learned and asks if everything will be okay now. Hyun-woo is devastated, as he prayed that Mi-soo would never find out, so he could try to leave a normal, peaceful life without his past haunting him. Mi-soo tells him that he never told her and that she was tired of seeing him so anxious. She begs him not to leave, but he goes off. He find his friend that told her about Jyeong-hyeop and his friend says that even though they all saw Jyeong-hyeop die, it seems like Hyun-woo was the only one who was forgiven. The two beat each other up and Hyun-woo visits Eun-ja's noodle shop. He returns home to find Mi-soo gone.
Time passes and Mi-soo and Hyun-woo grow apart. The unit where Hyun-woo's video editing job used to be was bought by Mi-soo's boss and Hyun-woo returns, because he left his picture of Mi-soo there. He meets Mi-soo's boss, who tells him that he has the picture of Mi-soo at his apartment and that Hun-woo and Mi-soo aren't happy together, so Mi-soo deserves someone better. Hyun-woo admits his dislike for her boss and asks if he will find Mi-soo if he follows her boss's car. This makes her boss laugh and he drives off with Hyun-woo chasing after him. Mi-soo gets picked up by her boss and sees Hyun-woo running after the car. She asks her boss to stop and she leaves the car to speak with Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo confesses that he loves her, but Mi-soo only tells him to stop running. Heartbroken, Hyun-woo breaks down into tears as Mi-soo drives away.
Later, Mi-soo visits Eun-ja. Eun-ja makes her doughnuts, but tells her that it doesn't taste the same anymore. Mi-soo replies that everything in the world has changed, except the taste of her doughnuts. They reminisce and Eun-ja tells her about the night Hyun-woo visited. She says that Hyun-woo thanked Eun-ja for trusting him, even though his grandmother, aunt, and teacher never believed him.
Hyun-woo starts his job as the video editor for Yoo Yeol's show and Yoo Yeol asks if he has anyone he wants to give a shout out to. Mi-soo tunes in and hears that Hyun-woo gave a shout out to her on the show and goes over to the studio. She finds Hyun-woo packing up and smiles at seeing him. Hyun-woo notices her and takes a picture of her. The two finally reconnect once more.

Cast

Tune in for Love set a box office record for a romance film upon its opening day of August 28, 2019, garnering 173,562 admissions and surpassing the record previously held by A Werewolf Boy.
The film was also the number one film in the South Korean box office during the week of September 1, 2019. In November, Tune in for Love was screened at the London East Asia Film Festival, where Jung Hae-in won a popularity award.

Awards and nominations