Welcome to Samdal-ri follows Jo Sam-Dal, a successful, self-made photographer who loses her career after allegations of her abusive behavior driving her assistant to suicide surface.
Jo Sam-Dal worked hard for years upon years to make it big in Seoul and leave the small stream of a hometown, as well as her ex-boyfriend there, in her past.
After years of hard work, she accomplishes great things and becomes one of the most sought-after photographers among A-list celebrity clients. All that comes crashing down, though, when a resentful mentee turns vengeful.
Bang Eun-Ju’s resentments
One of Sam-Dal’s assistants at 3Moon Studio is Bang Eun-Ju, whose disposition is distinct from other of Sam-Dal’s assistants, in that she is remarkably grumpy and unenthused.
It’s soon revealed that she desperately wishes to get past the assistant label and become the lead photographer for a gig.
One such gig does arrive, but Sam-Dal thinks Eun-Ju is still learning.
The smear campaign
Eun-Ju has had enough of the Sam-Dal praises and her lack of a promotion which she thinks she is ready for. She gloats while showing Sam-Dal the photo of herself with Sam-Dal’s boyfriend, revealing they’ve been having an affair.
When Sam-Dal shows she’s unfazed by this after lashing out at her, Eun-Ju uses the recording of this exchange to selectively send the parts to the media which paints Sam-Dal as an abusive boss.
She then fakes a suicide attempt to propel this narrative to the media, which picks the news and runs with it like wildfire. All of a sudden, Jo Sam-Dal loses her career opportunities, and a solo exhibition, as all her clients back away from her.
The fallout
Sam-Dal tries to salvage the situation but fails to do anything about it. She does go to see Bang Eun-Ju at the hospital and asks her to deny what everyone has been saying, but Eun-Ju ignores her nonchalantly.
As the news reporter floods her apartment, and the media starts going after her sisters and their lives, Sam-Dal finally gives it all up and heads off to her hometown of Jeju Island.
She tries to contact Bang Eun-Ju again but she remains unreachable apart from one response in which she ambiguously suggests that she may have attempted suicide because of Sam-Dal when the latter texts her asking if that was true.
Also Read: Jo Yong-Pil: Welcome to Samdal-ri character explained
