Who Is The Protagonist In 'Mine' And What Drives Them?

Let me break down Hyun-soo from 'Mine' because his psychology fascinates me. On surface level, he's driven by survival—a trained killer adapting to extreme circumstances. But dig deeper, and his core motivation is belonging. Being orphaned young then discarded by the military left him with serious abandonment issues. That explains why he latches onto his employer's family so fiercely, treating their mansion like the home he never had.

When everything collapses, his actions aren't just about vengeance. There's this heartbreaking duality—he simultaneously believes he deserves punishment (hence reckless bravery) yet fights to prove he's worth saving. The show contrasts his physical prowess with emotional vulnerability brilliantly. One scene shows him snapping necks in combat, the next he's trembling while holding his sister's hospital bills.

What elevates his character is how privilege intersects with his drive. The wealthy family he protects represents everything he can't access—education, healthcare, stability. Their downfall forces him to confront whether he ever truly belonged, or was just a useful tool. This class commentary adds depth beyond typical action-thriller tropes. By the finale, his motivation transforms into something purer—not just saving lives, but redefining what family means.

The protagonist in 'Mine' is Hyun-soo, a former special forces operative turned bodyguard who's thrust into a deadly game of survival after his wealthy employer is murdered. What drives him isn't just revenge—it's this raw need to protect what little family he has left. His younger sister's medical condition forces him to take morally grey jobs, and when the conspiracy hits too close to home, his military instincts kick in hard. Hyun-soo's not your typical hero; he makes brutal choices, but always with this undercurrent of desperation. The series does a great job showing how his combat skills are matched only by his emotional scars, making every fight feel personal. What really hooked me was how his motivation shifts from pure survival to uncovering truth, revealing layers of corporate corruption that even he didn't expect.

Hyun-soo in 'Mine' is the kind of protagonist that stays with you—partly because his driving force isn't singular. Initially, it's all about his sister's dialysis treatments. The man takes bullet wounds without blinking but collapses sobbing when her medical fees are due. That visceral love-hate relationship with money fuels his early decisions.

Then there's the military trauma. Flashbacks reveal how his elite unit's betrayal shaped him. Unlike other action heroes who 'move on,' Hyun-soo's PTSD manifests in hypervigilance—he analyzes escape routes in every room, sleeps with knives. This isn't just backstory; it directly affects his choices when the conspiracy unfolds.

The most compelling shift happens mid-series when he starts protecting his employer's daughter. Her innocence mirrors what he lost in childhood, adding paternal instincts to his motivations. What began as a paycheck job becomes a redemption arc—by saving her, he symbolically saves himself. The drama smartly avoids making him invincible; fatigue, hunger, and grief constantly weigh him down, making his perseverance more impactful.