Kim Ja-Ok is one of the major supporting characters in the revenge fantasy drama, Marry My Husband. Jung Kyung-Soon plays the character in the show.
Kang Ji-Won is murdered by her husband and travels back in time to ten years ago.
She has a second chance at life, and she wants her happiness this time around.
She also vies for revenge against her husband, her best friend, and all others who mistreated, abused, and exploited her in her previous life, including her mother-in-law, Kim Ja-Ok.
An in-law from hell
Kim Ja-Ok is one vicious woman who treats her daughter-in-law as if she’s made it a personal goal of hers to demonstrate how low she can go as a human being.
Neck-to-neck with her son when it comes to mistreating Kang Ji-Won, she leaves no stone unturned to articulate her malice and contempt against her daughter-in-law.
She calls Ji-Won all kinds of names while expecting her to do all the household chores, and take care of her husband, on top of working overtime at the office.
Ji-Won suffers severely because of this nightmare of a work-life balance.
She is eventually diagnosed with cancer but even such a horrible outcome can’t eke an ounce of empathy out of Ja-Ok.
In fact, she expresses grief at the news, not for Ji-Won but for her son.
Who will make meals for Park Min-Hwan now? That is the question that plagues both the son’s and mother’s minds at such a solemn moment.
Her cruelty doesn’t end there. Kim Ja-Ok tells Ji-Won to keep going to work, even with cancer, and not share it with anyone in the office on the off chance that she’ll be stopped from working anymore.
A hypocrite, sexist mosaic
Kim Ja-Ok is one of the, if not the most sexist characters in Marry My Husband.
She wants her daughter-in-law to be a meek cow who is nothing but subservient to her son and herself.
She is triggered by the slightest bit of retort, argument, or challenge from another woman, especially when it’s a hardworking and accomplished woman unlike her.
She has a whole list of requirements for the conventional role her daughter-in-law has to adopt after marriage.
She needs the bride to never let the man set foot inside the kitchen.
She also needs to do all the household chores and deliver sons to continue the Park family tree.
Additionally, she needs to be a working woman as well and rake in money for the house.
Also Read: The time travel in Marry My Husband character explained