The movie is a neat introduction to the notion of "in-yun" or inyuen. Inyuen is not limited to one's soulmate but refers to the *connection* or layers between two beings that are formed by multiple interactions across many past lives. Even two people brushing by each other in a past life can create a layer of inyuen.
As a result, a connection can be with a soulmate or it can be something else entirely. In the movie, the connection between Na Yang and Hae Sung is strong, they have some sort of inyuen, but it is not soulmate inyuen. Hae Sung concludes that Na Yang is the "one who (always) leaves", like a bird that leaves a branch it is sitting upon. To her husband, she is "the one that stays". This dynamic has repeated across multiple lives thus creating the strong connection they feel. The couple speculate on what the dynamic must have been in past lives to create the inyuen they now have.
At the very least this provides a romanticized explanation for why a particular connection doesn't work out - it was our inyuen! Yes, I guess you can frame this as a rationalization by the two of them for why they missed a great romance that was dictated more by fate (her move to the US). However, I think the film was inviting us to consider whether relationships may indeed be shaped by the layered connections from past lives.
Viewed through this lens, there are no wrong turns in life. All failed romances occur because of inyuen - your layers of past connections in previous lives. There can be no regret, only acceptance. This is an interesting contrast with the Western tradition, where much more agency is assumed. Failure is not destined, and bad decisions can be avoided, righted, or regretted.
As a result, a connection can be with a soulmate or it can be something else entirely. In the movie, the connection between Na Yang and Hae Sung is strong, they have some sort of inyuen, but it is not soulmate inyuen. Hae Sung concludes that Na Yang is the "one who (always) leaves", like a bird that leaves a branch it is sitting upon. To her husband, she is "the one that stays". This dynamic has repeated across multiple lives thus creating the strong connection they feel. The couple speculate on what the dynamic must have been in past lives to create the inyuen they now have.
At the very least this provides a romanticized explanation for why a particular connection doesn't work out - it was our inyuen! Yes, I guess you can frame this as a rationalization by the two of them for why they missed a great romance that was dictated more by fate (her move to the US). However, I think the film was inviting us to consider whether relationships may indeed be shaped by the layered connections from past lives.
Viewed through this lens, there are no wrong turns in life. All failed romances occur because of inyuen - your layers of past connections in previous lives. There can be no regret, only acceptance. This is an interesting contrast with the Western tradition, where much more agency is assumed. Failure is not destined, and bad decisions can be avoided, righted, or regretted.
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