Kim Seon-Hwa is the estranged mother of Hong Hae-In in Queen of Tears, who later mends ties with her daughter as she tries to overcome the tragic death of her eldest son, which triggered the coldness in her relationship with Hae-In.
Hong Hae-In nearly drowned after a shipwreck when she was little. She was rescued by a child who she always mistakenly thought was her elder brother, who ultimately died in that incident.
Hae-In always blamed herself thinking her brother died while trying to save her. Meanwhile, unable to cope with her son’s death, Kim Seon-Hwa grew resentful of her daughter.
An estranged mother
A traumatized and love-hungry Hong Hae-In always tried to steal some warmth from her mother but all Seon-Hwa ever had to give her daughter was a cold shoulder and physical aversion.
She could never truly grapple with the chaos inside her and she spent decades feeling bitter about her own daughter.
Meanwhile, Hae-In had to learn to navigate the cut-throat world she has strived in.
Relationship in later years
She puts up a facade of a stoic empress, pretending she doesn’t need her mother’s affection if she doesn’t have to offer any. However, inside, Hae-In always wished for her mother’s embrace and felt awful each time she was denied that.
Kim Seon-Hwa began coddling up to her younger child, Hae-In’s brother, Hong Soo-Cheol. She’d always be biased towards him and spoil him with all her love.
Somewhere, she began losing the plot entirely and grew so distant from her own daughter while living under the same roof, that she remained oblivious as Hae-In struggled living with a terminal illness.
Turning a new leaf
When Seon-Hwa finally learns that her daughter has numbered days to live, it’s quite late. Nevertheless, she has a breakdown, and the weight of the realization, guilt, and remorse, all crush her collectively at once.
Hae-In sees her mother in such despair and the two finally let it all out in front of each other, with heaving breaths and teary eyes. The two finally embrace and Kim Seon-Hwa becomes a mother to her daughter once again.
After this development, Seon-Hwa gradually grows closer to Hae-In but develops their dynamic slowly as their emotions and habits need time to change after so many years.
Also Read: Hong Hae-In’s disease in Queen of Tears explained