[This drama is a work of fiction.]
[Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is coincidental.]
[Scenes with child actors and animals were filmed safely]
[under professional supervision.]
[Episode 2]
Hello, ma'am. I'm Bae Yun Seong.
Oh, there you are.
You're even cuter in person.
Come sit here.
Yes.
Close your eyes
just once tonight,
and you'll be a star.
The call can't be completed. Please leave...
[Bang Tae Seop]
Try calling me Byul.
Byul.
Oh, Kim Byul.
Kim Byul.
Call me Byul.
Hello, Mayor Nam Hye Hoon.
What the... Who are you?
Who are you?
Hey!
Please let me go!
- Please wait a second. - Darn it!
Wait a second.
Darn it!
I'm sorry. Please let me go!
Is anyone out there?
Darn it!
Wait!
Out there...
Hey!
For the sake of our beloved children,
to ensure they grow up healthy and protected,
I, along with Seoam City, promise to be at the forefront.
Hey!
How about we snap a photo together?
Hi, kids!
You're all so pretty!
Hi there.
Okay, let's all say "Seoam City."
- One, two, three. - One, two, three.
- Seoam City! - Seoam City!
Hey.
One, two, three.
- Seoam City! - Seoam City!
Not a single clue how screwed up everything is,
and they're all just living it up.
Looks just like a certain someone
who was losing his mind having fun last night.
Impressive piece.
Shame it's never likely to hit theaters, though.
Time will tell.
By the way,
you look better in person.
Handsome man like yourself, what made you do something so stupid?
Mayor Nam's rot was stinking so bad
I could smell it from where I stood.
That's rich, because your ambition reeks just as bad from where I'm standing.
Does it really compare to the scheming you pulled when you wormed your way
up to Chairman Kwon Se Myeong?
Save the clever talk.
Why don't you tell me what brought you straight into the lion's den.
Running low on cash or something?
Your husband used to be crazy about Chu Sang Ah,
and the two of them were pretty close.
Anyone worth asking already knows that.
Sang Ah spent a good while
doing WR Corporation commercials too.
Which is why I understand you have
this whole chip on your shoulder about my Sang Ah,
but let me make one thing clear.
Never harass my woman like this again.
Playing the lovesick hero now.
Listen, Bang Tae Seop.
Are you so blinded you can't even think straight anymore?
I'm Lee Yang Mi.
A single call from me ends your career at the prosecution.
Not like I care about that rotten institution anyway.
Also,
make sure you choose wisely.
Take a guess who's holding all the cards right now.
Still don't see it?
Should I just go ahead
and spread this video everywhere?
This son of a...
Were it not for my wife being mixed up in this,
I'd leak it right now...
I'll deal with this later.
Let's never see each other again.
Quite audacious of you.
That boldness is actually kind of attractive.
I almost forgot.
Word is Park Jae Sang's about to be released?
Seems like he wrote Sang Ah letters and called her nonstop
the entire time he was inside.
Quite the special bond between those two, huh?
Where were you last night?
I couldn't reach you all night.
With everything that went down yesterday,
CEO Eom, Yun Seong, and I stayed up the whole night handling the fallout.
What happened exactly?
What exactly did you know, and since when?
All I had was the tip about Mayor Nam.
I had no idea your company was involved.
Had I known, I would've stayed out of it.
Then what's your plan from here?
Tell me what you need from me.
Look, I get how big this is for you,
but think about me here.
Just let this one go.
I've been living a nightmare these last two days.
Figuring out how to fix things from here feels impossible.
It's not lost on you that Lee Yang Mi is tangled up in this,
and crossing her isn't going to do anyone any good.
It'll keep dragging us down to the very end.
So for me,
and for yourself,
please, bury this here.
Then can you
honestly answer my question too?
Is there something you've been keeping from me?
Prosecutor Bang,
what exactly are you asking me?
Park Jae Sang.
Why bring up Park Jae Sang?
Well...
Did he try to...
contact you separately or anything like that?
No.
Nothing like that.
Alright.
Yesterday must've taken a lot out of you.
Sorry for bringing that up.
Yeah.
Definitely not a name I want to be hearing.
I'm beat. Let me wash up and crash.
[Park Jae Sang]
She's someone
who keeps secrets from him,
while he
doesn't trust her at all.
Beneath the dazzle of how they first met,
there lurks
something far darker.
Word is Park Jae Sang's about to be released?
Seems like he wrote Sang Ah letters and called her nonstop
the entire time he was inside.
Quite the special bond between those two, huh?
[Privacy Policy]
[Criminal Case]
[Bribery]
[Park Jae Sang Case Files]
[Park Jae Sang Crime Scene File 1]
[Park Jae Sang Crime Scene File 2]
[Park Jae Sang Crime Scene File 3]
What makes this couple afraid of one another,
and
why neither of them can trust the other,
it's because their history
actually began with a murder.
[Exposing everything] [With recordings]
Underneath Chu Sang Ah's facade,
just one person ever glimpsed who she really is.
Yet that person
is no longer alive.
[Transfer, 100,000,000 won]
[Exact date to follow]
Because he was murdered.
Hey!
Stay with me.
Are you okay?
No!
It wasn't me!
Gosh.
Cut!
Who the hell brought a toy gun?
I'm sorry.
What's wrong?
Are you okay?
This is insane.
The SFX and directing team said they'd checked it beforehand.
My apologies.
It's fine. These things happen.
No need to give the crew a hard time.
- Right. - Okay.
Yeah.
Makeup needs some fixing, they said,
so you should head to the bus.
Okay.
Sang Ah.
That stand-in you requested earlier,
she's here now.
Let's go.
Right over there.
Hello.
Remember how you always talked about wanting to act as a kid?
Sang Ah's currently working on this film.
Everything's been settled with the production team,
so just step right into it.
So what exactly am I doing?
You're the stand-in.
During camera tests, you fill in for the lead. Basically a body double.
Then the lead reviews the footage to map out movements
and use it for reference.
Like being someone's shadow, then.
Something's off with my wife.
Be her shadow
and keep tabs on Chu Sang Ah for me.
Action!
That stand-in has no right to be that talented.
[Seeds of Tears]
You're an aspiring actress, right?
Yeah.
Never done stand-in work before?
Seriously impressed with what I saw.
No, not really.
Performing in front of her made me a little shaky.
Get closer and start looking into things.
Eventually some shady guy's bound to turn up.
Every call she makes, everyone she sees, every word exchanged,
bug her phone, follow her around, whatever it takes,
the second you pick up on anything, let me know.
But
do you really have to go this far?
You might be cracking open Pandora's box here.
When the box is bound to open regardless,
better it's me who opens it before anyone else does.
Sounds fun.
Let's get you changed.
I'll be right back from the restroom.
Sang Ah.
Looks like the phones got mixed up in the makeup room.
Hey,
you did well today.
Good work.
Thank you.
See you again.
She sort of gives off the same vibe as the actress
from that film you did way back.
Well...
Was it Han Ji Soo?
We're heading out now.
Han Ji Soo.
[Han Ji Soo]
Let me take this call.
This is Cheongseong Penitentiary.
This call may be monitored.
[Prosecutor Bang Tae Seop]
It's me.
Hey, Jae Sang.
How've you been?
I got your letter.
They say you're being released?
That's right.
I'll see you soon.
I've been waiting for you.
You didn't tell Bang Tae Seop, did you?
I didn't.
Someone came to see me.
They offered to help me blow the Oh Kwang Jae case wide open.
So I almost just went ahead
and blew the whole thing wide open, but...
I'm giving you one last chance.
Alright.
Let's meet first.
We'll talk face to face.
Yeah.
Please, let's just meet, the two of us.
[Lee Yang Mi]
[Why Chu Sang Ah and Bang Tae Seop fear each other?]
[View]
[Why Chu Sang Ah and Bang Tae Seop fear each other?]
[It's because their history actually began with a murder]
Pretty damn good prose, right?
What's your game here?
Well,
it seemed like a shame to sit on such a fascinating little scandal alone.
After giving it some thought,
the mess you made that night,
maybe I was far too forgiving about the whole thing.
It's been eating at me, honestly.
Plus,
there's a bomb in your hands and nobody knows when you'll set it off,
so I thought I'd be considerate enough
to give you a friendly heads-up.
If you keep that bomb buried nice and deep,
there won't be any follow-up broadcast.
Even if I keep my mouth shut,
how do I know you'll do the same?
Well, that's entirely up
to how obediently you fall in line from now on.
Play along nicely whenever I push you around,
and Chu Sang Ah gets her career back in no time.
But she's looking pretty faded already...
Hard to say if a little water is enough to revive her at this point.
Anyway, don't do anything stupid.
Stay quiet and don't make waves.
Okay?
[Under maintenance]
I'm tired.
Korea's first woman to serve as Seoam Mayor,
- once considered a frontrunner for president, - Director.
[Mayor Nam Hye Hoon sex bribery scandal] Seoam Mayor Nam Hye Hoon has been found
to have held covert gatherings
with high-profile political and corporate leaders,
accepting sexual services as payment for granting favors.
Bang Tae Seop, a prosecutor in Criminal Division 1
at Seoam Central District Prosecution,
turned over supporting evidence
to a media outlet earlier today.
This is insane.
Darn it.
- My gosh. - Oh no.
- Hye Hoon. - Mayor!
- Hye Hoon! - You can't go in there!
- Open this door! - You can't go in!
Out of the way!
Hye Hoon!
- Open the door! - Hye Hoon!
My gosh.
- No. - Hey!
Hye Hoon!
Hey.
Hye Hoon!
Wait, you don't understand...
I made a deal to keep Bang Tae Seop quiet, but that guy...
What's your plan to clean up this mess?
Lowlife trash like you!
Trusting you was my biggest mistake.
Hey!
Born from a mistress, naturally
the only thing you can do is
pimp for Kwon Se Myeong just like your mother did, right?
Didn't I warn you
to keep my bloodline out of your mouth?
- Darn it! - Hey!
In related news, Bang Tae Seop from Seoam Central District Prosecution
who is married to actress Chu Sang Ah,
has drawn further attention as one person tied to the scandal
[Prosecutor Bang exposes Mayor Nam] is suspected to be an insider
from Chu Sang Ah's circle,
making this a family whistleblowing case
that's sent shockwaves through the public.
[Bang Tae Seop uncovers Mayor Nam's graft] Solid evidence of Mayor Nam's corrupt dealings
is now in Prosecutor Bang's possession,
and he's confirmed a 2 p.m. press conference today
where everything will be laid out publicly.
What's going on?
I'm losing my mind.
[CEO Eom Seung Beom]
- Yeah. - Yun Seong's phone is off.
Looks like he disappeared.
Okay.
- Over there! - Chu Sang Ah!
Chu Sang Ah, any comment please!
- Ms. Chu, a word for us please! - Any comment please!
What do we do now?
Hold on, I'll go get my car.
- Oh! Here she comes. - Chu Sang Ah!
Any comment please!
What do you think about the rumors?
Please, give us a word!
What?
- Who is this? - What?
She isn't Chu Sang Ah.
Chu Sang Ah!
- Seriously? - We lost her.
- Oh, come on. - You've got to be kidding.
How am I supposed to follow her?
What is this even?
[Bang Tae Seop]
Where are you?
How could you just do this without even talking to me first?
You know I asked you not to.
It doesn't matter to you that my name is all over the news like this!
Making a name for yourself really meant that much?
Lee Yang Mi
used the Oh Kwang Jae case to threaten me.
What?
The whole time you kept me in the dark about Park Jae Sang contacting you,
Lee Yang Mi was pulling that case right back to the surface,
ready to blow the whole thing wide open!
Were you
digging around behind my back?
I was the prosecutor on that case!
That son of a bitch Park Jae Sang was so obsessed with you
he killed a man! He's a killer and a suspect!
Even if he threatened you into silence,
I deserved to know!
The last thing I wanted was to drag you back into this.
Poking that guy was too risky,
and I believed I had it under control.
And then you go
and blow everything up like this.
There wasn't a single other option left for me, okay?
With that Nam Hye Hoon footage in my hands,
Lee Yang Mi will stop at nothing to dangle you as bait
and crush me completely.
There's no way I'm letting her trample me like that,
and going back to the prosecution isn't an option anymore.
Don't you
ever think about me?
Your only job here
is to remain the victim through all of this.
No!
Making it through this as an actress,
reclaiming my spot and standing tall in this industry,
that's what keeps me alive right now.
Do you understand?
Which means cutting ties with Lee Yang Mi isn't something I can do!
Not Lee Yang Mi. Let's find another way.
There's no other way.
- Sang Ah. - Just drop it, right here.
Please.
Sang Ah.
One more step down this road,
and it's over between us.
We'll be on opposite sides.
Understood.
I'll be there soon.
I'm sorry.
I'll wrap things up nicely.
Let's pick this up later.
Hello.
My name is
Bae Yun Seong, and I'm an actor.
Being here right now
took every bit of courage in me.
I'm a nobody in this industry.
All I want is to escape this suffering.
He will outshine me if we're in the same shot.
Forced into situations I never asked for,
the pain was enough to make me want to end it all,
but seeing what became of those who said no,
knowing exactly the price they paid...
I was terrified.
That my dream of becoming an actor would be taken from me.
I was so scared.
Cry.
Moron.
Chu Sang Ah tried
to get in between
and shield me from it all.
Put it all on me, she said,
insisting I did nothing wrong,
fighting to keep me out of it right up to the last moment.
Looking back now, that choice
fills me with nothing but regret
and deep shame.
Keep going.
What?
Unless the tide shifts here,
how much was that drama penalty again?
I'm sorry.
First, let's give him
some encouragement.
Even though my own wife is caught up in this,
I decided to come forward
not only for defenseless newcomers,
but to shatter the grip that politics and business
have had on the entertainment industry,
a trap my own wife was once unable to break free from.
[Detailed List of Hospitality Received by Mayor Nam]
Mayor Nam was treated to extravagant hospitality countless times,
[Mayor Nam, illegal property speculation]
with one apartment secured for an actor using a front name
now confirmed to be connected to illicit property dealings.
Is there any truth to claims of a close connection
between Mayor Nam and WR Group?
Given the ties between Chief Prosecutor Joo and the Seoam Mayor,
did anyone inside the prosecution try to suppress this?
Make the Nam Hye Hoon thing go away,
[Chief Prosecutor Joo Man Seop] and I'll get you a cushy spot.
Once we set our minds to taking someone down,
you already know how that ends, don't you?
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Underneath, I'm convinced there's a mountain of hidden corruption.
[Prosecutor Bang's Emergency Press Conference] Every crime Mayor Nam has carried out
all this time
went untouched thanks to her in-law, Chief Prosecutor Joo, covering for her,
leading to dropped cases and clean records every single time.
Part of me considered staying silent,
terrified that my wife would become the target.
Yet if every one of these truths stays hidden,
where does that leave
the future of this country?
A factory worker's kid who has absolutely nothing at stake.
I'd throw myself into the fire if that's what it takes,
because correcting what's wrong
is the duty of a real prosecutor in this nation.
Thank you.
Look at him going all out.
Keep the fallout from reaching us.
Get the legal team on it now.
Yes, understood.
Ji Ho.
Send over the edit you've been working on.
It's time to release it.
Prosecutor Bang,
he did this without consulting me.
Let me compensate for this through different means,
just keep the production running smoothly...
Chu Sang Ah,
you're to blame for that as well.
For a while now, I've been wondering how
to make Bang Tae Seop's downfall as long
and agonizing as possible.
And the answer
turned out to be you.
I destroy the thing he cherishes most.
Director.
Starting today, consider yourself my toy.
Until I've had my fill,
I'll swat you around, play with you,
and break you piece by piece.
Every last ounce of shame and ruin
that a household-name actress could ever suffer,
it's all coming your way.
Way more fun than anything on TV.
Just one word, please!
Step aside, please.
[Joo Man Seop suspected of burying the case] Out of the way, please.
Just one comment, please.
["Chief Joo's deal: 'Cover for Nam and...'"] Does he still call himself a prosecutor?
[Nam's side, "No misconduct, video is forged"]
["Family favor?" Joo dismissed Mayor Nam's footage]
[Rookie actor in tears, "I just wanted to live"]
[Public petition, Mayor Nam must resign!]
[Petition for Mayor Nam's resignation]
[Total supporters]
[Prosecutor Bang rises as a youth icon]
[United for the lone champion of justice]
[How did you become a Prosecutor Bang fan?]
[The making of a silent hero, Bang Tae Seop]
[Public trust fuels surge in approval]
[Temporary blip or lasting transformation?]
[Prosecutor Bang's interview crosses 100M]
[Prosecutor Bang Tae Seop]
Look at my little Tae Seop!
The guy from TV is right here!
That's my little brother. We're blood-related.
Stop it, you're embarrassing me.
Got it.
He's that prosecutor.
See that?
The way I see it, your gold badge is just around the corner.
Don't make a big deal out of it.
This is just the beginning.
There's still a long way to go.
You've had nothing but hardship since you were a boy,
you have no idea how to have a good time. It's a real concern.
After our father passed away under such unjust circumstances,
you think I don't know that's what lit a fire inside you?
Ever since then, you swore you'd succeed,
burying yourself in bar exam prep and all,
and seeing you push yourself like a maniac,
my heart ached so much for you.
Take it.
Get your husband what he needs,
and play it off like you're being generous.
Quit piling up cash in the bank and just staring at digits, you hear me?
Oh my.
They say the position makes the person.
Impressive.
So where's Sang Ah?
I thought she was joining us.
Nothing wrong with her, right?
You guys
are still good with each other, right?
Everything's fine. Quit worrying and just eat.
Alright.
[Recent calls] [Sang Ah]
[Hwang Jeong Won]
- Excuse me for a second. - Yeah.
Yeah, go ahead.
I found out Park Jae Sang's release date.
Next Monday, early morning.
Also, I'm seeing someone familiar here.
That MeTuber Choi Ji Ho, you know him?
- Hello. - I feel like I see you every time I'm here.
Seems like Park Jae Sang is who he's visiting.
This clearly isn't the first time he's been here.
I have a feeling
this is about to blow up, don't you think?
Choi Ji Ho,
right this way, please.
Let me share something juicy with you.
Everything traces back to this very spot.
This country's ultimate stockpile of secrets.
Every scandal the public eats up and tears apart,
it all gets cooked up right here.
Political and showbiz figures
are made and destroyed here.
That's right here.
This very house.
With presidential blood running through my veins,
what could possibly make someone like me
settle for being a second wife just to get into this house?
When I want to control it all,
this family's blood is what I need.
Lineage passes down through lineage,
and that lineage keeps running the world.
What the fuck!
Hey!
If you want to make money, watch your step.
Blame your parents for being broke
and not giving you a proper upbringing!
You!
You're fired!
Filthy as the whole thing was, that man's the reason I reached the top.
Who knows?
Perhaps you'll earn that favor and climb to the top yourself?
I wouldn't dare.
Hey!
Get out.
Get out now!
You're here.
How did it go?
I just met with Park Jae Sang.
I found out his release date, and he's agreed to cooperate.
Great.
Since this is the big one, leave nothing to chance.
Will do.
Here's the agreement with the NDA terms included.
Go over the provisions and put your signature on it.
[Non-Disclosure Agreement]
You know, right?
What we're doing here is far beyond
anything you can imagine.
Absolutely. It's a cause for the whole nation.
We are the ones
who shape the world.
Someone came to see me.
They offered to help me blow the Oh Kwang Jae case wide open.
So I almost just went ahead
and blew the whole thing wide open, but...
I'm giving you one last chance.
[Kwon Se Myeong]
Starting today, consider yourself my toy.
Every last ounce of shame and ruin
that a household-name actress could ever suffer,
it's all coming your way.
Way more fun than anything on TV.
Where's the Chairman?
He just stepped out for a walk.
Since when does he take walks at this hour? That's unusual.
How did it go?
Chu Sang Ah's waiting to meet someone right now.
Looks like the car she's meeting just pulled up.
It looks like she's about to get into another car.
Got her.
Long time no see.
Chairman.
Kwon Se Myeong.
Prosecutor Bang.
Seems like you're here to ask me to keep Park Jae Sang silent.
Chairman,
then nobody will be able to touch us.
I'm very experienced in that department.
I'm the one who's behind that.
This is only the beginning.
So come to me.
Come and keep the promise you made me.
You still
don't know who Chu Sang Ah really is.
I want to be your woman.