Jinju Seong

Jinju Seong (Korean: 성진주, Seong Jin-ju) is a secondary character in TNT's Snowpiercer. She is portrayed by Susan Park.

She was the finest chef at the train's finest restaurant and a member of the train's elite as the Agricultural officer.

History

Background

Jinju lived in San Francisco before boarding Snowpiercer.^[1]

Throughout The Series

Season 1

Jinju is first seen, swimming around and collecting coral in the Aquarium car where she works as a chef.

Personality

Relationships

Jinju is in a romantic relationship with Bess Till,^[2] which Till prefers to keep secret for the time being. Jinju believes Till to be uncomfortable with her comparatively lower social status since Till is a Third Class citizen while Jinju is a Second Class citizen.^[1] She then makes Bess Till a second class. They break up after the rebellion due to their differing views on it.

Appearances

Season One

Memorable Quotes

Melanie: "How was the harvest?"

Jinju: "I thought the boss could use some comfort food tonight. I bet you can use a drink."

Melanie: "What should we toast to? How about whatever is making you smile so much right now? Or is it whomever?"

Jinju: "Is it that obvious?"

Melanie: "Oh you’re beaming. But there’s something I have to tell you. I’m bringing Nikki Genet out of drawers. We locked up the wrong person. I have no choice. How bad will she be?"

Junju: "Two years in there. Won’t be pretty."

Melanie: "Will you monitor her? Work with Klimpt? Learn what you can."

Jinju: "And if the people starting the wrong question?"

Melanie: "I’ll handle that. Then, once this murder’s solve. The other work can continue."

― Melanie discuss her next move with Jinju in First, the Weather Changed.

Jinju: "We can’t ration any more power to Ag-Sec unless we start canceling crops."

Melanie: "We’re not breaking rotation."

Bennett: "Water won’t flow for a couple days at least. Not until the crack in the hull is seal."

Jinju: "Then we only have what’s in the reservoir for Third, Ag-Sec and Tail."

Melanie: "[ sighs] We ration the people, not the crops. Third and Second will get 15 minutes of running water a day, and the Tail will have to survive on what they’ve hoarded."

Bennett: "Is this what the start of a resource crash feels like? Starving the train from the tail up."

Jinju: "It’s not just the beef. It’s manure for fertilizer. It’s bovine cultures. We use their methane."

Melanie: "I know. It’s bad. But how bad stays between us. In the meantime, we press ahead with selecting the new apprentice and we bolster faith in Wilford to get them through."

― Jinju discuss water lacking problem with Melanie and Bennett, and revealing she knows about how Melanie is pretending to be Mr. Wilford in Prepare to Brace.

Melanie: "This is Melanie."

Jinju: "It's me."

Melanie: "Hey, what's up?"

Jinju: "We don't want the investigators to see Nikki like this, right?"

Melanie: "No. Why?"

Jinju: "Till might be on her way soon."

Melanie: "Thanks, Jinju."

― Jinju warns Melanie on the phone in Access Is Power.

Jinju: "[picks up the phone] Argricultural Officer."

Melanie: "Nikki Genêt is dead."

― Jinju and Melanie on the phone in Without Their Maker.

“	The whole time, Erik’s focus was Lilah Junior. I was as much her hostage as I was his. That was what they wanted, Erik and LJ, to kill us all in a nihilistic rage. But the Eternal Engine is still here.	”
	— Jinju's testimony in LJ's case in Justice Never Boarded.

Bess: "Hey, you. What are you doing here? (kisses)"

Jinju: "(chuckles) Layton got out. He's loose on the train."

Bess: "What do you mean? He got out of the Tail?"

Jinju: "Where were you two nights ago when you didn't show up?"

Bess: "I uh... I told you last night. I'm nervous about all this. I stayed in Third."

Jinju: "Bess, there are things happening that you don't understand. If you know where Layton is, you need to tell me now."

Bess: "I don't, okay? I'm late for my shift."

― Bess to Jinju

Bess: "Hi."

Jinju: "Where have you been?"

Bess: "Look, I can't explain. I just need you to stay out of Third today, okay?"

Jinju: "Why? What did you do, Bess? Is this about Layton?"

Bess: "Just stay home. Please."

Jinju: "I asked you point blank whether you were helping him, and you lied to my face?"

Bess: "Jinju... Why did you ask me to steer clear of Melanie Cavill?"

Jinju: "Because you're messing with things that you don't understand."

Bess: "What things? You knew she put Layton in a drawer, didn't you? You're protecting her."

Jinju: "I was protecting you, Bess. You."

―

Bess: "Did you know... she tortured a Tailie to death. (silence) I wonder, Jinju, just how many deep, dark secrets about this train you really do know."

Jinju: "Please don't make me choose between you and the train."

Bess: "Just stay in here today."

― Bess to Jinju before the revolution

Jinju: "They raided Poultry, damaged Aquaculture, stole half a car of lettuce. They're taking anything they want. Now I have serious supply-chain issues, and you want the whole train to have equal calories?"

Bess: "That's your first priority."

Jinju: "We're down 16 trained men. We're going on 48 hours no sleep."

Bess: "Oh, thank you for your efforts, Jinju. [...] I just don't understand how you could just keep such a big lie from me. And the whole train."

Jinju: "Because this is the alternative. And if the people needed a Wilford, why deny them that hope? Come on, Till. Would you really rather be alone?"

Bess: "I'm not alone. I've got my sisters and brothers I stood with and a responsibility to Snowpiercer I have never felt before."

Jinju: "So we finally agree. The Train comes first. (kisses) You know what they say when you break up on Snowpiercer."

Bess: "See you around."

― Jinju to Bess after the revolution

Trivia

She has spoken the opening dialogue for Without Their Maker.
She is a Second-class citizen.^[1]
She was among one of the only people who know that Melanie Cavill is the mysterious "Mr. Wilford".
She was revealed to have been in a romantic relationship with Bess Till.^[2]
She is a member of the LGBT community.
She is completely absent and never mentioned in Season 2 and Season 3 with no explanation for her disappearance.

Gallery

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Season 1, Episode 4: "Without Their Maker"
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Season 1, Episode 3: "Access Is Power"

[s1e04-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Season 1, Episode 4: "Without Their Maker"

[s1e03-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Season 1, Episode 3: "Access Is Power"

[1]

[2]