[1mm Financial Talk] "Will I Be Late for the Date... Covering the Cash Float with My Own Money"… Stories of Office Romance Among Bank Employees

JTBC Drama 'Sarang-ui Ihae' Popular in Banking Sector
Gains Empathy Through Detailed Depictions

JTBC drama 'Understanding of Love' poster/Photo by JTBC

“That’s exactly my story. It reminded me of the time when I dated my wife at work after a long time.”

This is what Mr. A, a bank employee in his 50s, said after watching the recently concluded JTBC drama Understanding Love. Mr. A, who dated his current wife, a high school graduate working at the same branch, was surprised by how similar the drama’s setting was to his own past situation, saying, “I almost suspected the writer knew me personally.”

The drama Understanding Love, which depicts workplace romances among bank employees, is being talked about among people of all ages in the banking sector. It has been praised for using terminology familiar only within the industry and for its detailed portrayal of the realities faced by bank workers.

A representative example is the episode about ‘sijae’ (cash drawer closing). In banks, after daily operations, employees must close the sijae. This involves comparing the money that came in and went out during the day with the cash currently held at the branch, and the amounts must match exactly before employees can leave. The main character Sangsoo (played by Yoo Yeon-seok) covers a shortage in the sijae with his own money to avoid being late for a date with his love interest Suyeong (played by Moon Ga-young). Mr. A shared, “There were occasionally employees who used their own money when they had urgent matters or dates.” Of course, this is strictly prohibited by banks. A banking industry official explained, “Nowadays, even if there is a discrepancy, it is recorded and processed as is in the system. I think this is an unavoidable ‘dramatic license.’”

‘Safe deposit box dates’ also resonate as a relatable anecdote. The banking official revealed, “Since there are rarely occasions to go to the safe during work, many secretly met there or grew closer while reconciling the sijae late into the night.”

Industry jargon and customs are woven throughout the drama. Examples include the ‘key duty’ (ki-dang), where an employee arrives early to open the branch, and tasks like bundling hundreds of calendars to distribute to customers at year-end. Invisible discrimination against high school graduate tellers and security guards was also very common in the past. Bank employee Mr. B said, “These are things outsiders rarely know about, but the drama observed them very well.”

However, there are also parts that are far from reality. Mr. A noted, “In the drama, bank employees appear to use their break times freely, but in reality, they are so busy that they barely have time to eat.” Sending two employees on a business trip to Jeju Island to retrieve a card mistakenly delivered to a customer is just a plot device for the love line and is practically impossible in real life.