Il Mare

Before leaving Il Mare, Eun-joo drops a Christmas card into the mailbox. She does not expect anyone to answer. Yet a reply arrives from Sung-hyun, the man living there two years earlier. Eun-joo first assumes there has been some mistake. Soon, the two figure out what is happening. Their mailbox is passing letters between different points in time. Eun-joo is in 1999, while Sung-hyun is living in 1997. They cannot meet or speak face to face. So, they keep writing instead. Their letters cover work, memories, family troubles, and little things from daily life. Over time, those private conversations bring them surprisingly close.
The two begin helping each other with things from their separate years. Eun-joo asks Sung-hyun to recover a tape recorder she left behind. He finds it, and the small favor brings them closer. Sung-hyun is also dealing with his father’s illness and a difficult family history. Eun-joo tries to help him understand his father’s work. Their connection grows even though they cannot meet normally. They arrange small moments together, using places that exist in both years. Eventually, they agree to meet at a specific place. Eun-joo waits there, but Sung-hyun never shows up. She has no idea that something terrible has already happened to him.
The truth comes out when Eun-joo learns about Sung-hyun’s death. He was killed in a traffic accident on the same day they planned to meet. Worse, Eun-joo realizes she had unknowingly witnessed the accident years later. She turns to the mailbox again, hoping her warning can reach him in time. Sung-hyun receives her message and finally understands what awaits him. He manages to change the event that once caused his death. Their altered future gives their relationship a chance to continue. Years of waiting finally lead them to the same place. At Il Mare, Eun-joo and Sung-hyun finally meet in person.