Park Yong-woo delivered a shocking twist when he was revealed to be an internal spy and the blackmailer.
On the 7th episode of the KBS 2TV weekend miniseries Walking On Thin Ice (directed by Song Hyun-wook, written by Jeon Young-shin), which aired on the 11th, it was revealed that Detective Jang Tae-gu (played by Park Yong-woo) of the drug investigation team was the blackmailer who tormented Kang Eun-soo (played by Lee Young-ae) and Lee Kyung (played by Kim Young-kwang), and that he was also the phantom informant known as "donbeolae," shaking viewers at home. Outwardly he was a detective who demonstrated meticulous investigative skills and arrested the phantom organization's boss, but in reality he used internal information to manipulate Eun-soo and Kyung and extort money from them as a blackmailer. The unexpected twist completely overturned the drama's dynamics and raised tension to the highest level.
Episode 7 recorded a 4.5% viewership rating (Nielsen Korea, based on metropolitan households). The scene in which Kyung is pressured by his brother to raise money quickly recorded a peak minute rating of 5.1%, captivating viewers at home.
In the broadcast, Eun-soo and Kyung, who had intended to end everything after Dong-hyun's (played by Lee Kyu-sung) death, again became targets of blackmail. An unidentified witness sent a text demanding 100 million won along with a photo showing the two moving a corpse, driving them to the brink. To raise the blackmail money, Eun-soo resumed selling and gradually fell apart amid anxiety and guilt. Leaving her sleeping daughter Su-a (played by Kim Si-a), Eun-soo sat in the supermarket storage room packing drugs alone and weeping, embodying unstoppable despair. Lee Young-ae delicately portrayed Eun-soo's complex psychology—anxiety, fear and guilt intersecting—firmly holding the center of the drama.
In the process of pursuing the blackmailer's identity, Kyung discovered that Eun-soo had hidden the fact that Tae-gu and Gyeong-do (played by Kwon Ji-woo) visited. Accumulated misunderstandings and distrust exploded, and the emotional confrontation between the two reached a peak. Their mutual grievances ultimately led to a rift in their partnership, and Eun-soo and Kyung's relationship spiraled into an uncontrollable whirlpool.
After anxiety and suspicion, Eun-soo became convinced that parent Yang Mi-yeon (played by Jo Yeon-hee) was the blackmailer. Before a parents' meeting, Mi-yeon visited Eun-soo and provoked her with loaded remarks, and the enraged Eun-soo reached an extreme point where she struck Mi-yeon with an ashtray. But when Eun-soo checked Mi-yeon's phone, she realized Mi-yeon was not the real blackmailer and collapsed in frustration and confusion.
Tae-gu quickly closed the investigation by arresting the phantom boss and his associates. But it was revealed that he was the shocking blackmailer who demanded a huge sum by exploiting Eun-soo and Kyung's drug transactions and the "donbeolae" who passed internal information to phantom members. While tracing the blackmailer's call records, Kyung followed a cash courier at a movie theater and witnessed Tae-gu taking a bundle of money hidden in a Korean dictionary, confirming his true nature. Tae-gu's eerie smile and whistle toward Kyung while holding the money envelope delivered a historic twist ending that sent a thrilling shiver through viewers.
Meanwhile, Hwi-rim (played by Do Sang-woo), who suffered from drug side effects, experienced delirium at a board meeting, leading to abrupt actions and self-harm. Kyung's brother called as if he had been waiting for this moment, raising questions about what secret might be hidden in the relationship between Hwi-rim and Kyung's family. Also, Eun-soo's husband Do-jin (played by Bae Soo-bin), preparing for discharge, began to find his wife's behavior suspicious, foreshadowing a new fracture.
Viewers who watched the broadcast reacted explosively with comments such as "This drama is really well made. Truly detailed," "I watch Lee Young-ae's acting without doubt. She is Kang Eun-soo herself," "Wow, Tae-gu was donbeolae. Give him the year's best ending award," "This drama never falls off," "I emotionally understand Eun-soo so much," "Writer, truly the ultimate misery maker," "I was so shocked my head is ringing," "Eun-soo and Kyung's chemistry is so good," and "I can't predict the next story."
In this way, Walking On Thin Ice entered a new phase as Jang Tae-gu's shocking true nature was revealed. Attention is focused on what kind of catastrophe the intertwined fates of Eun-soo, Kyung and Tae-gu will rush toward.
[photo] KBS 2TV broadcast capture of Walking On Thin Ice
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