Park Shin-hye obtained the slush fund ledger she had been desperately searching for and made a bold decision.
Yesterday (14th) the tvN weekend drama Undercover Miss Hong (directed by Park Sun-ho, Na Ji-hyun / written by Moon Hyun-kyung / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Celltrion Entertainment, Studio Dragon) episode 9 depicted the tearful stories of Hong Geum-bo (Park Shin-hye) and Kim Mi-sook (Kang Chae-young), and the chaotic internal situation at Hanmin Securities, which faced a crisis due to an economic downturn. That day the ratings recorded an average of 7.1% and a peak of 8.2% nationwide on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV and satellite, and 7.1% average and 8.2% peak in the Seoul metropolitan area, delighting home audiences. tvN's target 20-49 ratings also ranked first across all channels including terrestrial broadcasters in the same time slot nationwide. (Based on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
Earlier, the 1997 foreign exchange crisis (commonly called the 'IMF crisis') arrived and the cries of ordinary people began to overwhelm the streets. As the returns on funds sold by Hanmin Securities plummeted, customers who suffered huge losses filed lawsuits en masse, and Kim Mi-sook, who had actively promoted to secure a house to live in with her daughter, found herself facing litigation instead. Panicked at the thought she might leave her daughter with massive debt, Kim Mi-sook attempted an extreme act after leaving two letters addressed to Hong Geum-bo and Hanmin Securities chairman Kang Pil-beom (Lee Duk-hwa), shocking viewers. The letter left to Hong Geum-bo revealed that several years earlier Kim Mi-sook had received various help from an accountant at the accounting firm she worked for, and that benefactor was none other than Hong Geum-bo, surprising viewers. After that, Kim Mi-sook did not forget or let go of Hong Geum-bo's existence, and following their chance reunion as roommates, she guessed there must be circumstances behind Hong Geum-bo hiding her real name, age and identity, and covered up the truth, a reversal that left viewers teary-eyed.
Meanwhile, as Kim Mi-sook collapsed, divisions among the roommates in room 301 began. Go Bok-hee (Ha Yoon-kyung) was furious at the Hanmin Securities owner family, the ultimate cause who had pushed Kim Mi-sook to the brink, and in a fit of anger revealed Kang Noh-ra's (Choi Ji-soo) true identity in front of Hong Geum-bo. Hong Geum-bo was also aghast to learn that the daughter the chairman had been desperately trying to bring down was Kang Noh-ra, and the roommates' relationships rapidly became awkward. At that point the chairman ordered Kang Noh-ra to end dormitory life and return to the family home, and the once laughter-filled, warm atmosphere in room 301 was left with only lonely silence and cold air, evoking regret.
Hanmin Securities tried to cover up rumors related to Kim Mi-sook, and Song Joo-ran (Park Mi-hyun) the chief secretary called in roommates Hong Geum-bo and Go Bok-hee to silence them. Faced with that cruel and frank true face, an enraged Hong Geum-bo reached the limits of her patience, and to make matters worse she exploded at Department Head Cha Jung-il (Im Cheol-su), who treated Kim Mi-sook's story as mere gossip and pried relentlessly. Hong Geum-bo's 'one blow' in which she shouted 'Hey!' and even tossed him over her shoulder, directly confronting the quietly tense power struggle with Department Head Cha, delivered an unprecedented burst of catharsis to home audiences.
Meanwhile Shin Jung-woo (Ko Kyung-pyo) also began to reveal his intentions more blatantly. He secretly brought in DK Ventures, which had secretly teamed up with him, as an overseas investor to inject funds into Hanmin Securities, which had not received government public support. DK Ventures planned to take over Hanmin Securities in earnest and requested staff reductions to streamline the company. Thus the gale that began with the 'IMF crisis' swept into Hanmin Securities and heightened tension. Orders were issued to prepare layoff lists by department, and Director General So Kyung-dong (Seo Hyun-chul), who had devoted himself to the company for a full 25 years, submitted his resignation, and Director Bang Jin-mok (Kim Do-hyun), who was on the layoff list, among others, the 'So.Bang.Cha' fractured under the unprecedented recession. The crisis management headquarters, which had only just begun to build teamwork, was ultimately disbanded, and the rapidly changing developments left viewers glued to the screen.
At the end of episode 9 a shocking story unfolded that turned the situation upside down. The slush fund accounting ledger thought to be lost was found tucked inside the sketchbook of Kim Mi-sook's daughter Kim Bom (Kim Se-a). Having obtained the slush fund ledger that was her original target, Hong Geum-bo drew attention by choosing a different path instead of returning it to the Financial Supervisory Service. Hong Geum-bo's proposal to roommate Go Bok-hee to steal the slush fund together, saying, 'Shall we do it together?' completed a thrilling ending and made viewers look forward to the next episode.
The tvN weekend drama Undercover Miss Hong airs episode 10 tonight (15th) at 9:10 p.m.
[Photo] tvN
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