Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul / 리턴 투 서울)

Modify by Blue-Bird™

Welcome.

Sorry, I didn't see you. May I help you?

Did you make a reservation?

What are you listening?

It's Korean music.

Can I?

Yeah, of course.

How long do you want to stay?

I don't know yet. But three nights? It's okay?

It's as you wish, of course.

I need your passport, please.

Thanks.

But you're French!

" RETURN TO SEOUL "

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Is it good?

So, Freddie, do you really know nothing about Korea?

Nothing.

- What are you going to do? - I don't have any plans.

Nonetheless, Freddie, what would you like to see during your stay?

Everything. Is that possible?

- Not in two weeks. - No?

Totally impossible.

It's funny hearing you speak French.

No, you mustn't.

- Really? - Let others refill your glass.

Why?

It's insulting otherwise.

It would mean your friends aren't treating you right.

Insulting? For whom?

For both.

Is this your mother?

My biological mother, yes, I think so.

It's all I have of Korea.

A few years ago, there was a TV program... What was it?

The Morning Court?

Not that, the other, older one.

- I Want to See This Person? - Yes, that.

It was a popular program where adoptees met up

- with their parents. - Actually, it's...

What is it called in French?

A play on words.

In Korean, it means both

"I want to see this person" and "I miss this person."

Your story brings to mind an old Mongolian poem...

entitled "Land of my Birth".

Oh, yeah?

Dongwan did comparative studies of French and Asian literature.

I can't say it correctly in French,

but it goes something like this:

Land where, in summer

The earth is like

A carpet of flowers

The song of the birds, of the land

As far as the south

This, all of this

Is the land of my birth

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Tell me, Freddie,

do you know Hammond?

Who is Ammonde?

No, Hammond.

It's the adoption center.

It's a very famous place in Korea.

Okay, and...?

Well, you could go there.

Are you going to try and find your parents?

No.

Why not?

Do you know what sight-reading is?

It's when you play a score for the first time.

You have to be able to analyze the music in one glance,

evaluate the danger and jump in.

Are you a musician?

I was, but that's not the point.

There are signs all over that you don't see.

But you can learn to read them

and catch them when they appear.

- What signs? - Fear, for example.

Want to see?

Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!

Cheers!

Take a seat!

- Can I? - Sit, sit!

Soju first! Then cheers! Come on!

- Where are you from? - Wait.

Come on.

Come on!

Come on!

They are my friends, Tena and Dongwan.

Is that right?

Dongwan. They're Koreans!

So they speak Korean!

You want to join us?

- Is she your friend? - Yes.

And... has she had a lot to drink?

She's had a few.

What is she doing?

She's bringing them over.

- Hello! - Hello!

Can you put chairs? Put the chairs too.

And you, you can sit here. Yeah.

- Come. - Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

- Hello! - Nice to meet you.

Wait, move.

- Do you know her well? - No, not at all.

- Hello! - Hello!

Like the guy with the fringe? Not bad, huh?

- No? - No.

One bottle of soju, please. No, no, no, two, two, two!

Two bottles of soju and a plate of chicken feet!

Your friend is very original.

In what way?

My name Jiwan.

Where are you from?

France.

France?

France!

France?

- France! - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

France!

Paris Baguette!

It's a famous chain of Korean bakeries.

She doesn't look French...

Who cares? Let's toast. Cheers!

She has a typically Korean face, doesn't she?

She says your face is like a long-time Korean.

- Long-time? - From ancient, ancestral Korea.

She's right. You have pure Korean traits.

I do?

Thank you.

I wish I could speak another language.

Him also, original Korean!

Shall we play a game?

- Yeah, let's! - A game! Any ideas?

Let's start with the song.

Look at me.

You see her.

- Yeah. - We explain.

Okay.

A rabbit comes down from heaven and says

Bunny, bunny

You, hop, bunny, bunny.

You send me, middle person, send me bunny, bunny.

- Left! - Show her!

Let's show her!

- Again? - Again!

- Look, see, okay? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

A rabbit comes down from heaven and says

Bunny, bunny

Bunny, bunny

What's wrong?

Did we sleep together?

What?

You and me, sex?

Sex?

Jeez, I can't remember.

Do it again, is that okay for you?

Sex, again, you and me, okay?

Okay.

Come.

Watch where you're going!

Do you have your adoption file?

No.

You don't have it.

No, it's at my parents' place, in France.

I see. Do you have your file number?

No.

Your birth name?

Then Hammond cannot help you.

You should have contacted us before coming.

I came to Korea sort of by surprise.

What surprise?

Could you come back another day

with the copy of your adoption file?

How long will you be staying in Korea?

Two weeks.

Two weeks...

I do have this photo, which was in my file.

There's a number on the back.

Wait here.

EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

I have your adoption file here,

recorded in our system.

This is a copy.

Your birth name is Yeon-hee.

I thought it was pronounced Yon-Ay.

Does it mean anything?

Docile and joyful.

You stayed a few months at the Hammond in Jeonju

before leaving for France.

Your father dropped you off here.

He also left his social security number

and your biological mother's,

in case you wanted to find them someday.

He did?

I have transferred this info to our services,