Instead of starting with a fictional tale, Minari drew directly from Lee Isaac Chung’s memories and upbringing, which he used to build this 2020 film. While other Asian-American stories had already gained attention just before this period, Minari took a different approach.
Exceptionally, the film presents South Korean immigrants against repeating the usual American focus on Chinese or Japanese experiences. In 1983, the Yi family left California and moved to Arkansas, with the father Jacob (Steven Yeun) filled with determination to grow Korean vegetables and sell them to stores in Dallas.
From California to farmland, the Yi family chases a quiet ambition (Photo: Minari/Plan B Entertainment)He carried the hope and drive often seen in immigrants, rejecting the help of a water diviner and choosing instead to dig a well with his own hands, convinced that they would build a proper life from scratch. On the other hand, Monica (Han Ye-ri), Jacob’s wife, wasn’t as confident in the move.
Their new surroundings didn’t offer much comfort, and their son David (Alan Kim) had a heart problem that meant he had to avoid too much physical effort. David and his sister Anne (Noel Kate Cho) were well aware that their parents weren’t in agreement about the move or what their future in Arkansas would look like.
They often listened quietly to their parents’ arguments while working in the hatchery. Because there was a lot to handle on the farm and they couldn’t manage it all alone, Jacob and Monica decided that Monica’s mother, Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung), should come and stay with them to help with the children.
David, who now had to share his room with his grandmother, didn’t immediately take to her. He didn’t think she acted the way a grandmother should. But Soon-ja quickly built a connection with him and Anne through her attitude and presence.
Even though Soon-ja helped with the kids, the family’s problems didn’t reduce—they only grew. The well Jacob had worked so hard on ran dry, forcing him to rely on public water services.
Then, just when he thought things were turning around, a major vegetable order he had from Dallas was canceled without warning. Monica tried to convince him that they should move back to California, but Jacob held onto his vision and refused. This only made the tension between them worse.
The Seeds of a New Life
Soon-ja introduced David to Minari, a plant known for its strength, and advised him to plant it near a creek. She used that opportunity to teach him about how resilient the Minari plant could be and encouraged him that better times were ahead.
Her influence went beyond just that—through games, emotional support, and confidence-building, she got David to push himself in ways his parents wouldn’t allow. Unlike his parents, who were always cautious because of his condition, Soon-ja believed David was stronger than they thought.
She encouraged him to challenge his limits, and as he grew closer to her, he also began to show signs of improvement. But just as things began to look better, Soon-ja suffered a stroke, leaving her unable to move or speak properly. It seemed like her health had been exchanged for the family’s improvement.
While on their way to Oklahoma City to check on David’s heart condition, Jacob made it clear to Monica that his main priority was still the farm and not their family. Even though the doctor gave hopeful news and Jacob managed to agree with a store to buy his produce, Monica had had enough.
She and Jacob decided that separating might be the best thing.
Flames and Ashes
Soon-ja mistakenly set the barn on fire while the family was away. When they returned and saw the flames, Jacob immediately ran in to try to save the crops. Monica, seeing him rush into danger, followed right behind, not wanting him to get hurt.
Minari blossoms from real memories, not fiction (Photo: Minari/Plan B Entertainment)Though they were able to recover part of the harvest, what mattered more was that they saved each other. That moment put an end to Jacob’s constant argument—when it mattered most, he chose his wife over the crops.
As the barn burned, Soon-ja wandered off, confused and lost. David noticed she didn’t respond when he and Anne called out to her, so he ran after her. When he stood in front of her, blocking her path, something seemed to click.
She recognized him, gave him her hand, and allowed him to guide her home. The family, tired and drained by everything that had happened, all fell asleep on the floor. Soon-ja sat watching over them quietly as if standing guard.
The last part of Minari shows Jacob and Monica agreeing on where to dig a new well, marking the place with a rock. Afterward, Jacob took David to the creek to gather the Minari they had planted. The plant, known for dying in its first season and returning even stronger in the second, served as a quiet symbol for their journey and future.
Whether Soon-ja lived or not wasn’t made clear, but that didn’t change what her character brought to the story. Her time in their lives helped bring Monica and Jacob back together, and through her guidance, the Minari that David planted continued to grow. Her role had already left its mark.
