[TV Report = Eunjoo Young] Actor Han Suk-kyu is delivering exhilarating moments in the drama, and the viewer ratings are on the rise.
In the second episode of the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘The Project’, which aired on the 16th, Shinsajang (played by Han Suk-kyu) successfully avenged using both legal and unconventional methods.
The episode recorded an average of 7.8% household rating in the Seoul metropolitan area (peaking at 8.9%) and an average of 7.4% nationwide (peaking at 8.3%), securing the top spot among cable and comprehensive channels in the same time slot. The sharp increase is evident just by the second episode. (Based on Nielsen Korea)
Shinsajang decided to hold accountable a malicious corporation that threatened the livelihoods of market merchants with false reports for resort construction and attempted to eliminate him and Jo Philip (played by Bae Hyun-sung) who tried to uncover the truth. He handed the corporation’s business plan to current affairs program PD Kim Young-ho (played by Choi Won-young) to reveal the truth and led the negotiations between the broadcasting station and market merchants, drawing a smooth agreement.
Subsequently, Shinsajang teamed up with police officer Choi Chul (played by Kim Sung-oh), an old acquaintance, to track down Oh Jin-ho (played by Song Jae-ryong) who attempted to kill him and Jo Philip. He instructed Lee Si-on (played by Lee Re) to track Oh Jin-ho’s family, approaching from all angles secretly. Finally meeting Oh Jin-ho, Shinsajang used his family to waver between negotiation and intimidation, securing a confession.
Shinsajang’s strategies, exquisitely utilizing both direct and indirect approaches, thrilled the viewers. The broadcasting station issued an apology and publicly exposed the merchants’ damage situation and the company’s corruption. Based on Oh Jin-ho’s testimony, those in the corporation who instigated murder were also linked to the police, achieving perfect justice.
Immediately after the incident, Shinsajang received a call from administrative welfare center official Kim Su-dong (played by Jung Eun-pyo), who was troubled by persistent malicious posts on the complaint board ahead of the local elections. Kim Su-dong pointed to a specific individual and asked Shinsajang to persuade him.
Initially deeming it a trivial complaint, Shinsajang was shocked to find bomb-making materials throughout the complainant’s house. The scrapbooks of articles on residents’ cancer outbreaks near a fertilizer factory, combined with complaints about “paying the price,” created a tense atmosphere.
Sensing it as a precursor to a major crime rather than a simple complaint, Shinsajang tenaciously tracked the complainant’s actions. It was revealed that the complainant had already installed a bomb in a container box and kidnapped the mayor, heightening the crisis.
As police gathered to rescue the mayor, Shinsajang, who was already on-site, confronted Counter-terrorism Team Leader Jang Young-soo (played by Choi Deok-moon). When asked for a way to save the mayor, he suddenly stated, “Negotiate with me, from now,” acting as the perpetrator’s proxy.
The shocking ending, with Shinsajang seemingly siding with the perpetrator, astounded viewers. Attention is focused on why Han Suk-kyu’s character chooses to negotiate on behalf of the hostage-taker.
The truth behind this choice will be unveiled in episode 3 of the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘The Project’, airing on the 22nd at 8:50 PM.
Eunjoo Young, ejy@tvreport.co.kr / Photo = TV Report DB, tvN ‘The Project’