Typhoon Family Episode 1-2 Review

Director: Lee Na-jeong
Date Created: 2025-10-13 02:00
4.5
Typhoon Family Episode 1-2 Review: The latest Netflix K-drama 태풍상사 stars Kim Min-ha as Oh Mi-seon and Lee Jun-ho as Kang Tae-poong, supported by Kim Min-seok, Kwon Han-sol, Lee Chang-hoon, Kim Jae-hwa, Kim Song-il, Lee Sang-jin, Kim Ji-young, Kim Sang-ho and others. Directed by Lee Na-jeong, this drama intermixes corporate drama and emotional family drama by tracing the bumpy aftermath of South Korea’s 1997 IMF debacle via a familial collapse.
Typhoon Family Episode 1 Recap
Typhoon Family Episode 1 gives a glimpse into what will be a messy generational drama. We are introduced to Typhoon Trading, a successful local company headed up by Kang Jin-young, a man whose success is rooted in pride and sternness. His men admire him, and reporters show up to feature a piece on a successful man running a successful company. But behind that flawlessly practised mask is a dysfunctional family. Jin-young’s son, Kang Tae-poong, is as opposite as night and day; rude, inexperienced, and not in sync with his father’s values.

Tae-poong’s arrival immediately sets him up as the “black sheep.” Wearing designer clothing and off to a nightclub with his peers, his recklessness gets him into trouble promptly after a fight with opposing Pyo Hyun-jun gets completely out of hand. The next scene at the police station says a lot; his father, Jin-young, will not bail him out, leaving him to experience the consequences himself. The family situation is defined intensely in these instances: a strict father, a hot-headed son, and a caught-in-the-middle mother.
At the same time, Oh Mi-seon, the company’s reserved yet resilient bookkeeper, is busy pursuing her tiny dream, attempting to register at a university. Her world is a perfect contrast to that of the turbulence surrounding Tae-poong. She is steady, earthy, and a synonym for the humble resilience of the working class.

As the series progresses, cracks form in the idyllic facade of Typhoon Trading. A multinational trade deal with an Italian company sounds too good to be true and is unsafe. Jin-young signs on against his will, and this ignites a chain of events. In this phase, South Korea’s economy falls apart, and Typhoon Trading gets caught up in the tide. When a cheque bounces and accounts are frozen, panic sets in. Jin-young collapses under pressure, both literally and figuratively.
In maybe the show’s most unsettling portion, the drama sees Tae-poong dashing wildly down hospital corridors as news reports announce the economic collapse of the country. But he arrives too late as his father is gone. The end of episode 1 of Typhoon Family is like a storm eye: still, heavy, and unbearably quiet, with Tae-poong confronting a world that has suddenly come apart.

Typhoon Family Episode 2 Recap
The second episode picks up immediately after the tragedy. Typhoon Family Episode 2 opens at Jin-young’s funeral, where grief and opportunism collide in startling ways. Tae-poong, emotionally adrift, watches as his father’s so-called business associates reveal their true colours. One man even attempts to claim the condolence money as repayment for a supposed debt, a scene that underscores just how quickly respect can turn to betrayal. Mi-seon, however, steps forward in defence, her calm but firm stance silencing the room.
We learn via flashback that Jin-young is a rich entrepreneur, and old friend Pyo Bak-ho had even visited him at the hospital before he died, with something he desired in secret, something that Mi-seon had been an innocent witness to. Suspense about that discussion is then kept throughout the series, also insinuating that Jin-young’s inheritance is not even complete.

As the crisis at the IMF deepens, terminations spread like wildfire. Workers at Typhoon Trading live with the abiding terror of losing everything. When Tae-poong returns to the workplace, he is awkward and symbolic, a son returning not as a wayward heir, but a man attempting to understand his father’s world. His early moves are clumsy, even hesitant, but he is steadied by the silent anchor that is Mi-seon, who supplies him with a form for work and encourages him to become a member of the company officially.
Back in his father’s study, he had discovered an odd key that opened a secret vault. After several unsuccessful tries, he was able to open the same with the combination “2072,” and he found a set of bankbooks, saving accounts Jin-young had kept open for each and every member of staff, even himself, Tae-poong. Each had a note of thanks and hope. It was a heart-warming discovery that changed Tae-poong completely. His dad, hitherto deemed cold, had been providing for his people even up until the very end.

Then we get to see that Tae-poong is a changed man. He arrives in a well-tailored suit, ready to lead the charge. But that triumphant moment is short-lived as he and Mi-seon discover inconsistencies in the company textile agreement. Their investigation puts them in a high-risk situation, culminating in a dramatic scene where Tae-poong puts himself in the path of a moving truck to prevent company products from getting stolen.
Typhoon Family Episode 1-2 Review
This drama might just be the surprise gem of the season. Typhoon Family kdrama ep 1 and 2 build a healthy emotional foundation thanks to the solid work of lead Lee Jun-ho. You believe in his character’s slow transformation from hot-headed son to man discovering his dad stands up for what is right, and his acting is richly textured and very human.

Kim Min-ha as Oh Mi-seon brings stability and heart that gives the show a foundation, and she is the soft beat at the show’s centre. What works is the combination of private drama and social realism. The IMF framework is not merely a background; it is a proactive force that pushes every character to their breaking point. The screenplay manages to integrate the macro (country downfall) with the micro (unravelling family) in a way that makes every choice heavy and fateful.
If one can quibble, then that would be the pacing. Sometimes the first instalments dawdle a little too long on the antics of Tae-poong. But by the second, the show gets into a groove, with each scene snapping with urgency and emotional reward. The cinematography also warrants a special mention here: the visual metaphor that sees Tae-poong pruning flowers amidst turmoil outside perfectly illustrates his latent potential for growth.

Overall, Korean drama Typhoon Family is enjoyable without a doubt. It is emotive, well-acted, and full of cinematic flair. This is possibly the strongest opening a K-drama has had this season, emotive but grounded, dramatic but not sacrificed at the altar of sanity. The latter scenes of episode two are a promise that larger storms are yet to roll in, and if the first two parts are anything to go by, things are really going to get serious. Either way, I’m fully here for it.
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