The Ultimate List Of Inspiring, Heartwarming Quotes From K-Drama "Start-Up"
It's a feel-good series filled with lessons on life, love, career, and self-worth. The themes on family and friendship are moving, too!
Who's on a Start-Up hangover? We know we are!
K-drama Start-Up which premiered last October 17 finally came to an end on December 6, and many will surely agree when we say it's one of the best K-dramas of this year. Like the 2020 K-dramas before it (Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, It's Okay to Not be Okay, The King: Eternal Monarch, and Flower of Evil), this series was much-talked about—whether it's praises for the story and the cast members or criticism brought about by the intense love triangle of Seo Dal-mi, Nam Do-san, and Han Ji-pyeong.
At the core of this feel-good K-drama is a heartwarming and inspiring story about the youth and their dreams manifested through start-up companies. Though the romance angle was what got most people talking (and arguing!), underneath that is an enlightening and compelling narrative that motivated and encouraged the viewers to follow their dreams and take risks or make sacrifices if they need to.
The business and tech terminologies, strategies, and insights are informative add-ons, too! Every episode is filled with quotable quotes that could spark self-introspection and ignite a fire in one's soul, inspiring one to find his or her purpose in life or the answer to "why" you do the things you do.
Check out the gallery below for some inspiring and heartwarming quotable quotes from Start-Up:

Inspiring, Heartwarming Quotes From "Start-Up"
Inspiring, Heartwarming Quotes From "Start-Up"
By Metro.StyleSeptember 30 2023, 4:27 AM
Episode 1
“A few days ago, I said goodbye to my dog, Mongsil. I considered him my little brother. I miss him like crazy. Yesterday, I cried a lot after seeing my shoe that Mongsil chewed on. Isn’t that funny? I thought he’d always be with me. I took the time we spent together for granted when everything was a gift. I should have been nicer to him. I regret everything these days. But then I realized something. The present moment is a gift, too. I’ll regret this moment as well. In winter, I’ll miss the green of summer. In the summer, I’ll miss the white snow. I’ve made up my mind to stop filling my days with regrets.” - Han Ji-pyeong
Episode 1
“You’re drifting in a vast ocean. There are two things that can happen. You either die of thirst. ['Or starve to death?'] No. You survive. No matter how thirsty you are, you should never drink seawater. You have to hold out until it rains. Pursuing profits in the early stage of a business is like drinking seawater.” - Yoon Seon-hak
Episode 2
"What if I opened the pretty music box and I didn’t like the melody? What if it doesn’t play any melody at all? Because of stupid worries like that, I never opened it. Are you wondering why I’m telling you this? What I’m trying to say is, Do-san, you’re my pretty music box. It doesn’t matter if you never open." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 3
"Have you ever wandered on purpose... Today, I wandered aimlessly on purpose. Have you ever let yourself get soaked even though you had an umbrella? That’s what I did today. It was a sweltering day and the rain totally cooled me down. After walking for 30 minutes like that, the rain stopped and an unbelievably beautiful scene unfolded before my eyes. I saw a huge rainbow. It looked as though it’d grant me any wish. Then it suddenly hit me. It’s actually nice to wander aimlessly every once in a while. From time to time, it’d be wonderful to sail off without a map." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 4
"Lord, I decided to work up my courage and start my own business. I do have a destination but the path is steep and rough. So I’m not sure if I can handle it. Please give me the strength to complete this long, difficult journey. And lead me to find a companion for the journey." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 9
"Back then, I had solved all the questions except for just one. I used to solve that type of question very easily, but I struggled with it that day. At that moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from somewhere. And that one line from the solution caught my eye. I thought that wind was a blessing. But that one line. Because I saw that one line, I forgot that I had solved nine questions on my own." - Nam Do-san on seeing a competitor's test paper at the Math olympiad
Episode 9
"You wrote that it’s pointless, but to me it’s more valuable than anything. You want her to see and remember more beauty. I can totally relate to it. I’d also like to gift the person I love with the most beautiful scenery so that I won’t regret not doing so in the future." - Seo Dal-mi
Episode 14
"Why did the three of you launch a start-up? To run a business or to write programs? Either way, the conclusion is simple. If what excites you is writing programs and seeing them run, work as developers at a company that pays you well. If you’re excited about establishing and leading a company, run your own company. As you already know, you’ll face many hardships while running a start-up. The only thing that keeps you going is the confidence that you’re doing what you love. If you think about how it all started, you wont need my criticism anymore." - Han Ji-pyeong to Kim Yong-san
Episode 15
"I know. I don’t expect us to get it. Still, we should… ['Why bother? It’s a lot of work for something you don’t expect to succeed at.'] That’s why we should do it. That way, it’ll be easier next time. ['So, like a practice game. You want to put off everything else to come up with a proposal and a whole new program for this project and even prepare for the tech evaluation just for practice? That’s a lot of time and energy.'] That’ll be a learning experience. You pass failure on your way to success. We’ll build experience. ['That’s just being reckless.'] Reckless? Right. You need to keep digging around to find a good lot. We’ll keep digging and… ['The wrong order can cost you your life. I told you before, if you sail off without a map, you’ll die. Be it a typhoon or a shark. You will die either way. Did you forget?'] How could I? Of course, I remember. Sailing off without a map. But to me, sailing off without a map was marvelous. I might’ve failed but I have no regrets. Never did and never will." - Nam Do-san talking to Han Ji-pyeong
Start-Up is available for streaming and download on Netflix.
Photos from tvN and Netflix
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