“Little Forest” follows the journey of Song Hye-won, a 20-something-year-old woman who moves to Seoul to become a teacher. But after failing her certification, she returns to her childhood home in the countryside leaving behind her boyfriend and her part-time job.
In her rural hometown, she reconnects with her long-time friends, Lee Jae-ha (Ryu Jun-yeol) and Joo Eun-sook (Jin Ki-joo).
Jae-ha is a fruit and vegetable farmer. He used to work in the big city, as well. But eventually, he decided to leave after finding no purpose in his job.
On the other hand, Eun-sook never got a chance to work outside of their small town. Unlike Hye-won and Jae-ha, she longs to live in the big city. She is currently working as a bank teller, even if she’s already dissatisfied and bored with it.
Hye-won is the only one without a job, so she passes the time by tending to her mother’s plantation and preparing the foods she usually makes for her.
Hye-won’s enigmatic mother uncannily left her after graduating from High School, straining their relationship together. But through flashbacks, her mother is truly a kind and loving woman. That is why Hye-won can’t really bring herself to resent her.
As the seasons change, Hye-won quietly contemplates the pain she harbors from her mother, the disappointments she suffered in Seoul, and the peace and comfort she seeks for herself. For the meantime, she retreats to her little forest until the time she is ready for renewal.