Why were they flying to LA?

[bigmouth]

Does anyone know why Jin and Sun were flying from australia to LA? It makes no sense if they were returning to korea.

[Iphigenia W]

*Does anyone know why Jin and Sun were flying from australia to LA? It makes no sense if they were returning to korea.*

But who said they were returning to Korea? They may have been going to the US as another leg of their vacation, having been to Sydney first. Abrams has left that vague on purpose, just another question left unanswered.

[MEmacmur]

I was confused as heck too.

They also played an announcement for a flight to Singapore, which would have made more sense to me, were I to ignore the whole "why were they in Australia in the first place" question.

I suppose they may have been on a whacking , err, business trip of some sort. But the apartment scene had me confused - were they supposed to be living in Australia or had they left the apartment and dog behind in Korea, and she was running away in between flights?

Come to think of it, I'm still as confused as heck about this.

MEmacmur

[Ginantonicus]

This also made no sense to me.

If whatever group that was to stage Sun's kidnapping was based (seemingly) in Korea, why would they plan to kidnap her in Australia?

I believe that Jin and Sun's apartment was in Korea and not Australia, so that also begs the question as to why they were in Australia in the first place.

So many questions.:D

[Lisa AR]

If whatever group that was to stage Sun's kidnapping was based (seemingly) in Korea, why would they plan to kidnap her in Australia?

I think that Sun's father is a powerful man in Korea and would have lots of resources for finding her there. It would be much easier for her to from disappear Australia. He won't have as many ties to look for her there and, again I'm assuming that they were giving her a new identity so that she could get on a flight and go anywhere in the world to start a new life.

[Sleeestack]

LA holds its annual canine fajita festival during September (the general time period that the flight was supposed to land).

Sun asked her decorator friend to take care of her dog, which in accurate translation means, "turn him into burrito burger."

Jin is reknowned from his waiter days, as making a damn tasty "poodle chalupa."

Now you know.:D

[drabauer]

Since the dog was grown and Sun obviously waited to bolt, I would guess that she timed it to coincide with a trip to Australia. Now why they were there, or on their way to LA, is anyone's guess.

[bigmouth]

Careful sleestack. If I wasn't laughing so hard, I might be offended!

[Baron X]

Who ever said they lived in Korea?
You can be Korean and live anywhere.
They show her planning her escape from the same apartment they had showed them in all of the home scenes and she was going to redecorate it (thus it was not a hotel). They lived in Australia and for reasons unknown were traveling to the United States.


Don't be as bad as Hurley.

[bigmouth]

You are right, baron - I am part korean and live in NYC.

That said, I think it's fairly obvious from the architecture we saw (e.g., during the party) that they're living (or at least lived) in Korea. Also, I find it hard to believe that any business would send a representative who spoke no english (i.e., Jin) to live and work in an english-speaking country.

[Baron X]

Well here in Texas, I am surrounded by people who do not speak English and they get along fine.

[bigmouth]

But they aren't representatives of multi-national corporations, as Sun's father's corp would seem to be if they were indeed living in Australia. Still, you are right, there's nothing definitive to suggest they were living in Korea.

My question is more: why were they flying to the U.S.? We know why Jack, Kate, Locke, and Charlie were on that plane. Why Jin and Sun?

[DHARMA]

I assumed they were taking a second honeymoon. Trying to restart the pilot light so-to-speak. I got that from Jin having the flower.

[pasider]

most flights out of sydney are by way of los angeles .. so it's probably a flight schedule that is true and realisitcally correct.

[Baron X]

Well this is one question I am okay with going unanswered I know enough about them for now.

[JacksGirlfriend]

I'm leavin' on a jet plane,
don't know if I'll be back again...

It doesn't matter where you start from; it matters where you end up. And wherever they were going, they didn't make it.

Baron: You are a very bad influence on me.

JacksGirl

[bee1122]

In my mind, I've always associated Oceanic as the equivalent of Qantas Air. I just looked at Qantas' website and their only flight out of Korea goes to Sydney. Of course from Sydney, there is a flight to LA.
www.qantas.com.au/content.../int/index (http://www.qantas.com.au/content/dyn/routemaps/int/index)
It seems out of the way that Sydney would be a stop-over point for a trip from Korea to LA, and it struck me as unlikely that it was a connection (because they were so close to the exit of the airport) so I think they were visiting Sydney, as one of at least two stops in their trip.

I also think it was a business trip, as we know that Sun's father is in some type of manufacturing business (Jin would work in the factory) and Australia has strong economic ties to Korea:

www.akbc.com.au/ (http://www.akbc.com.au/)
Korea has become Australia's third largest bilateral trading partner and is anticipated to surpass the USA into second place before the turn of the century.

[16L43]

JacksGirl--

"No matter where you go, there you are!" :D

[JacksGirlfriend]

16L43: I can never tell which direction I'm going in so I never know if I'm even close to where I am. I think I always "lost".

JacksGirl

[xxandraxx]

Good question.

Here's another one:

Why does Hurley keep referring to Jin and Son as the "Chinese" couple?

If indeed they are Korean and no one knows what their origin or background is...

Also, in the flashback to me it looked like Japanese architecture. I originally thought they were Japanese, but I'm told otherwise from the experts on this message board.

Not that it matters, just curious. Any Korean speaking fans out here?
:D

[bee1122]

I have seen many confirmations that Jin and Sun are indeed speaking in Korean. Their names are also quite common in Korea, from what I understand.

Hurley is just going off an assumption, and no one has corrected him.

I thought the home in the flashback looked very Japanese as well, but it's probably because I am not familiar with Korean architecture. I see Japanese architecture and food all the time, but very rarely am I exposed to Korean culture. I find it very interesting to watch. The actors who play Jin and Sun could possibly be the first big Korean-American celebrities!

[Three of Nineteen]

Japanese culture has had a lot of Chinese and Korean influx. Buddhism was brought to Japan from Korea in the 9th century IIRC and Japan sent many scholars abroad to China and Korea. It's only natural for traditional buildings to look somewhat similar.

[Apriltaurus]

One thing I noticed when Jin was in the bathroom washing the blood off was the hairdryer on the wall. It was the typical type that you find in a hotel, small with the holder on the wall so it doesn't get stolen. Not the type you find in a home.

Did anyone else catch that?

[Iphigenia W]

*One thing I noticed when Jin was in the bathroom washing the blood off was the hairdryer on the wall. It was the typical type that you find in a hotel, small with the holder on the wall so it doesn't get stolen. Not the type you find in a home.
Did anyone else catch that? *

You can buy the wall holders to put up in your own bathrooms. I have one and it helps to keep the dryer handy but out of the way.

[deelsee7]

Assuming that Sun's father heads a big corporation or crime syndicate, (is there a difference?) he would do business all over the world, and might send Jin on assignment almost anywhere. If Jin is some sort of 'enforcer,' it would make sense to travel with his wife as cover for a vacation.

[Bongo Fury]

Jin and Sun were on a business trip to Australia and the US. As part of this business trip Jin was to deliver the expensive watches as personal presents from Sun's father to important business contacts.