---
Gosh, I put in a lot of effort to meet you.
It's a 1995 vintage.
I heard you joined HBC that year.
It's just a little gift.
Sir.
I can't accept this.
Don't you know the law banning bribery?
Hey.
Can't a senior buy his favorite junior a gift?
I'm sorry.
I'll buy it myself when I feel like drinking it.
Gosh!
You are too uptight to be a reporter.
I know.
Thank you for dinner.
I should get going now.
Hey, asshole!
You'll regret this.
When you are a superior, act like one.
You should be ashamed of yourself for pressuring on your juniors.
Good night, sir.
We should cast doubts on whether if any preference was given
when the city office licensed
the construction of the Midtown mall...
Will he ever read this even if I bring it to him?
Okay.
Frustration lasts a second, but experience lasts for life.
I'm hungry.
All right.
If Midtown has collusive
ties with Haemyung City...
Gosh.
My report!
I saved it, right?
EPISODE 2
Good morning, everybody.
This is your morning news.
Seo-u.
From tomorrow...
When you go back to school next week,
apologize to that friend of yours.
Why didn't they just expel me? Then I wouldn't have to go back to school.
Is that what a student should say?
I haven't even said half of what I wanted to say.
Seo-u Kim!
We sincerely apologize to the bereaved and the viewers.
Hey, mister! Mr. Shin!
-Why are you sleeping in my house? -You are being rude.
Hey, drunkard! Did you run away from home, too?
-Seo-u! -Wake up, mister!
Seo-u Kim! Come here.
-Come here! -I'm done.
Gosh, I'm so scared.
Seo-u Kim!
The police and experts are investigating the exact cause of the accident.
I know you are not sleeping so come eat breakfast.
Seo-u is pretty feisty in the morning.
Keep getting on your dad's nerve.
You'll become a great person.
The extension of the parking lot at the Midtown mall...
There.
It's coming out.
I can use it one more time.
What?
Come on!
Here. Eat.
Are you kidding me?
Yes, just eat up.
Where has Seo-u been staying, by the way?
I don't know.
She hasn't told me yet.
She's like a grown-up already.
She drinks at school
and tries to burn her friend to death.
Watch what you say about my daughter.
How can she be your daughter? She likes me more than you.
It's only a suspension. You don't have to get so upset over it.
What will you do if she gets married?
The father-daughter relationship is supposed to be sentimental.
After all,
we don't have much time left to spend together.
Do you know when a father and daughter
becomes distant from each other?
It's when hair begins
to grow on the daughter's body.
So you can't bathe together.
The gender difference interferes with the relationship.
I can't believe I looked up to
such a piece of crap.
No. It's not me who said that.
A renowned child psychologist said that.
Damn you, stop eating.
Goodness.
About the accident and countermeasures,
Argonwill have an exclusive interview with the minister.
-Who will interview the minister? -Min-ho.
The minister rejected interviews with other channels.
-But he contacted HBC first, right? -Right.
Not News 9,
-but he chose Argon. -Right.
What is he up to?
He isn't up to anything.
The ministry is responsible. Obviously, he had no choice.
When you deal with bureaucrats, you shouldn't think deeply.
Don't you know that already?
-Is he really up to nothing? -Of course.
Right, why did you do that last time?
With Yeon-hwa Lee. Why did you?
Who?
You know, the rookie, the mercenary.
The one you interviewed out of nowhere when you were on air.
That pretty one.
Look at you.
What on earth were you thinking?
She's not a reporter. She could've messed it all up.
Because she's not a reporter.
What?
I didn't want to risk our team member in a risky situation.
Amazing!
You planned it all!
It's been quite some time
since you said someone was pretty.
-What? -You said Yeon-hwa is pretty.
You only remember useless things.
Come to think of it, Yeon-hwa's life must not be easy, either.
She must have been excited to join the company through special employment.
But she's just a temporary contract worker.
The train is leaving the platform soon.
She's one of the substitutes
hired to fill in for those who got laid off.
Regular employees belittle her by calling her a part-timer or a mercenary.
The company doesn't give a damn about how she's doing.
I'm sorry.
The funny thing is that those who know how to suck up
always survive.
You know the two mercenaries of News 9, right?
I heard that they really know how to suck up to their bosses.
Those idiots who can't even write an anchor's script?
Yeon-hwa must not be that bad, right?
LICENSING BENEFITS MYSTERY OF MIDTOWN
Goodness.
She probably has another six months left on her contract.
It's you who's going to evaluate her performance, right?
I received an evaluation form from Human Resources.
What are you going to do?
What else would I do? If they become permanent employees,
our colleagues who were laid off can't come back to work.
We need to kick them out soon.
I'm afraid they are lowering the quality of our work.
This makes me angry.
I don't understand what they're thinking at all.
Would you take the job?
The job that their fellow reporters fought to death and lost.
Who knows? They just might be that desperate.
No matter how desperate they are, there must be a rule.
Those who came through the back door don't deserve to be desperate.
LICENSING BENEFITS MYSTERY OF MIDTOWN
Hi.
How are you?
It's been a long time since you've asked how I've been doing.
How are you doing?
Are you moving chairs?
-Are you getting drinks? -Yes.
We're just contract workers.
I didn't join the company to move chairs.
Cheer up.
Okay, you too.
Bye. See you.
Let's have dinner together.
I'll come to the overpass by 7 p.m.
Do we have a company event today?
An event? I don't think so.
You're not going to attend it anyway.
-Are you going to repay what you owe me? -No. Why?
I marked five red stars on the calendar for today.
It must be an important day.
But I can't figure out what it is.
Good morning.
Hey, good morning.
Can I let people know about this?
People would love it if they find out you forgot something.
Can't you think of something?
Seo-u's birthday? You're eating out with her.
It's not her birthday. I just wanted to let her get some air.
-She's staying at home too much. -Do we have a newsroom meeting?
I said I marked five red stars.
Sure.
-Argon! -Dinner!
-Argon! -Dinner, please!
What is this?
What does the 5.5 mean?
Our average ratings for last week. The highest was 7%.
It's the best record ever for a news program.
Yes!
Calm yourself down.
We need to pay silent tribute instead of celebrating.
Let's focus on the follow-up.
-Okay. -Yes.
Min-ho, give a briefing.
According to the worker who survived,
cracks and water leaks were found when the construction began.
The construction manager tried to stop the work on that day.
But the company threatened to sue him
and enforced the construction.
According to Professor Choi of Haemyung University,
to build a structure on reclaimed land where Midtown was built,
foundation enhancement work is needed to prevent cracks from forming.
Isn't it a circumstantial evidence for faulty work?
Fully cover the company's position and put it in front
followed by laborers' statement.
-So you show the contrast. -Yes.
Hye-ri, do we have an important occasion?
No, do you want to have one?
The minister was informed of the accident, but went to play golf on that day.
-Min-ho. -Yes, I'll ask the minister
a question about golf at the Q&A.
And what else?
Is that it?
Let me present my item.
In my opinion...
Right.
Could it be someone's memorial day?
Didn't both your parents pass way in summer?
Collusive ties...
-An alumni reunion? -You don't attend reunions.
-I could've marked it to avoid it. -That's creative.
So...
Then, in the same year when Midtown was built,
the restriction was suddenly lifted like magic.
Therefore, I believe
that there were irregularities in the licensing process.
Seriously?
Yes, I wrote it all down in the report.
Why don't you become a novelist, not a reporter?
Magic? There are no facts here.
You're just repeating yourself. Where's an insider's interview?
No whistle-blower?
You just sat back at your desk and looked into some real estate.
Not a single line is good for broadcast.
I'm sorry.
Guys, let's brace ourselves, okay?
A lot of people will hate this report to be broadcasted.
With the election season ahead,
the government put the blame on an innocent person.
Rumor has it that the police commissioner resigned.
Do you know what it means?
A number of people under the commissioner will lose their job.
If we make even a little mistake,
how many people do you think will be out on the streets,
who are dying to kick our asses?
-A lot. -Yes.
I have a call from the 9th floor. It's urgent.
-Urgent? -Urgent?
-Yes. -I'll be back.
They usually don't call him on a day when he has no broadcast.
Are they going to give him a monetary gift?
-That's impossible. They're super frugal. -Hey!
No way.
No monetary gift.
MYSTERY ABOUT MIDTOWN
YEON-HWA LEE
How far did you find out about the cause?
You couldn't interview an insider, right?
Keep me updated.
Okay, bye.
You're here. Why didn't you go up first?
Do you have an idea, how the board meeting is going to be?
Yes, just roughly.
Be discreet about it.
It was only a domestic squabble.
Don't worry.
I'm pretty quick to feel out a situation.
So, let's begin.
You must know why we're holding an urgent board meeting.
Director Myung-ho Yoo.
I'm sorry for News 9's false report
about the Midtown accident.
I'm sorry.
Our leading news program
had to make a public apology and it's a great humiliation, isn't it?
I'm sorry.
I've always been trying to deliver
fair and objective news reports.
I made a mistake and undermined the credibility of the program.
I feel deeply responsible for what happened.
Mr. Baek-jin Kim.
Yes.
How do you feel about stabbing your colleagues
in the heart?
Pardon?
I don't know what you mean.
I'm sorry for the false report of News 9.
But I feel sorrier for the attitude of Argon.
The main reason
that News 9 had to make an apology
is you, Baek-jin Kim.
Does that
deserve a reprimand more than a false report
that demonized an innocent person?
Argon only corrected the error and delivered facts.
Both the police and prosecution made the error.
Not only News 9, but the others also made the same mistake.
So, how much ratings did your great Argon get?
They couldn't go over seven percent.
If you had passed it over to News 9,
we could've recorded ratings of over 20 percent.
You can't even sell many advertisements.
In the end, I made the wrong decision as the director.
I should've led,
Baek-jin Kim, who's my junior
into a better way. I'm sorry.
Have you ever imagined
what a disaster it would've been
if any other channel had pointed out our error?
"No firing at soldiers on the same side."
The phrase used to be hanging on the wall
of this famous broadcasting company's CEO's office.
Do you know what it means,
Mr. Kim?
Yes, it's a lingo telling not to attack a program from the same station.
But it was made to maintain order within a company.
Not only that, it's kind of bylaw
to establish the credibility of a station.
If you were a viewer, could you trust a broadcasting station
that carried two news reports opposing in perspective
within just a few hours?
At first, what you said seems right.
But, it sounds like you're saying you can sacrifice
the credibility of the entire HBC to keep the credibility of Argon's.
What are you doing?
Can we talk for a while?
Not with an ugly woman.
I don't want to talk with an ugly old man, either.
I have to spit it out and get it out of my system.
What is it that you wanted to say?
You and your scripts are unnecessarily aggressive.
You just have to answer. Not counter-attack every time.
In the next season,
is our program going to be removed?
What are you talking about?
I heard it in the editing room last night.
Argon is said to be on top of the blacklist.
People also say that our team's budget will be cut down by half.
They are planning to choke us and then kick us out, right?
You know, you've worked at a broadcasting station for ten years
-and you still don't get it? -What do I not get?
People talked about the same thing for the past ten years every season.
If the rumors were true, Argon would have been long gone.
You believe in everything you hear.
-Are you sure? -Think about it.
You were excited about the high ratings during the meeting a while ago.
You've worked here for the longest time, and all you do is spread rumors.
Don't make our people worried by letting them know about it.
You're a permanent employee. You wouldn't be affected.
But non-regular workers like me feel like we're walking on thin ice.
That's enough.
Just get back to your work.
GENERAL AFFAIRS
You're here.
Hey.
I heard an ugly rumor that Argon's budget will be cut by half.
Is it true?
Where did you hear that?
Just tell me whether it's true or not.
-Cheol. -Hey, Baek-jin.
Are we okay? What did they tell you?
Well, nothing much.
Why cut back on our budget then?
What are you saying?
Hye-ri heard some weird rumors.
So, I checked with the general affairs team.
Argon's budget will be cut by half starting next season.
That's impossible. It's tight already.
They don't want us to shoot our program.
Somebody must have slandered us. Who could that be?
I think it's that fucking Myung-ho.
He might be taking his anger out on us since he got humiliated.
That dumbass.
Come to the office now.
I'll discuss the budget with Yoo tomorrow.
Come on.
You beat everybody last time with five birdies.
Please go easy today.
Yes, I'll see you in a moment. Salute!
What's up?
Do you still have something to tell me?
What the hell are you doing?
It's absurd enough that I had to get reprimanded.
Now, you are cutting our budget?
Are you taking revenge?
Revenge?
Look, it's just like arithmetic.
A broadcasting company calculates things with only one thing in mind.
It scraps low-rated programs
and removes unnecessary workers.
That's all.
If you remove all those contract workers in your team,
things will get way better.
Once I push new workers to work hard and train them to be good,
you lay them off to save money.
How could our staff gain expertise on news broadcast if things are like this?
Do it with your own money.
If not, leave with your crew.
Work for an independent press. That's the trend, right?
I can't believe this. If you don't have money,
you should at least listen to those who pay you.
You remove a program because it tells the truth?
That's not journalism.
Tells the truth? You make up downright lies.
-What? -Give preference?
The mystery of the licensing benefits?
You're struggling to make up a fake cause of the accident.
That's enough.
You have great interest in the work of my team.
Baek-jin,
no matter what you do, your fate is in my hands.
Don't mess with me.
-Hey, Mercenary. -Yes, sir.
You assist Min-ho from now on.
Yes, but who is taking over my item?
Nobody should take that piece of crap. We'll kill it no matter what.
Stop pretending to be a reporter and do as I say.
-But sir... -Why? You don't want to assist anybody?
It's not like that.
I'm giving you this job
because you might cause trouble if you're left alone.
Don't damage Argon's reputation. Just do as your told.
Hey.
What is this?
"Mock exercise for broadcasting breaking news.
To the studio. Special instruction by the CEO."
-What the hell! -Why so suddenly?
Seung-yong, leave it there. We should go.
-Come on, hurry. -Hurry up!
You're not going anywhere!
Sir, it's a special instruction by the CEO.
Think of it as exercise.
We have no power. Let's go.
-Let's go. -What are you doing, Seung-yong?
-For God's sake. -Come on.
Jong-tae!
Seven minutes and thirty seconds. The anchor is in.
Baek-jin, are you ready?
-Go on. -Okay.
Five, four, three, two, one, anchor!
This is breaking news.
Another collapse has happened at the Midtown mall in Haemyung City.
Over 150 people were known to be on the scene
and the bad weather is hampering rescue operations.
This is the police announcement.
What? Is nobody here?
Hello?
Hello, may I help you?
Where is everybody?
They are out there doing a mock exercise.
-I see. -What can I do for you?
We met at the school before.
Yes. Hello.
-I didn't introduce myself before. -Right.
Are you a writer or reporter?
I think I'm a reporter for now.
My name is Soo-min Chae.
I provide legal advice for Argon.
I don't have a business card yet. I'm Yeon-hwa Lee.
Yeon-hwa.
Mr. Kim will be back soon. Please have a seat and wait here
Okay.
Good.
How long have you been working here?
It has not been long.
Baek-jin tells you off all the time, doesn't he?
Yes, I still have too much to learn.
Gosh, Baek-jin...
What do you say? Should I beat him up?
What? No. Please don't.
He was my senior in college.
He drank with me all the time,
but married my best friend.
I'm here to help him so that he won't go to prison.
Should I just send him there?
Yes, I'd like that.
This has been News 9.
What the hell are we doing here? It's annoying.
Gosh!
Take this off!
Now!
Nine minutes ten seconds.
Look, I'd rather do a fire drill.
Does this make us work any better?
Don't complain to me.
I'm just following orders.
Hey, how fast do we have to do this to pass?
Five minutes per story.
-What a load of crap. -I can't see anyone of News 9.
They needed this exercise.
Thank you all. I'll call you later.
We're busy. No more exercise.
Don't you dare call us again!
Let's go.
We published exclusive news, but it feels like we're being punished.
Why? We scored high ratings.
We did it alone.
They see us as a traitor.
From now on,
everybody will work outside the company.
Don't even come near the office.
What if they call me again?
Ignore them.
How do I report to you?
I'll be in the hideout. Come visit me anytime.
Can we go home after work?
Of course. Get out.
-Yes! -Get out!
-Let's go. -Can we really do that?
You stay here if you want.
No, thank you.
Come on, you're making me wait.
To the hideout?
Okay.
Goodness.
You know... He's not a bad person.
-Pardon? -I mean Baek-jin.
Right.
How do I say this... He has a high standard for his work.
He is a nasty perfectionist to the core.
Do you want to know how to get recognized by the psycho?
You just get off your ass and run.
No matter how ruthless Baek-jin is,
he gives credit to reporters who wear out their shoes running about.
Like Cheol Shin.
Goodbye, then.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
See you next time.
-There you are. -Thank you.
-Sir. -Yes.
Do I really have to work with the mercenary?
Just pretend.
I think I'll just teach her about the spelling system.
-I'll get going. -Yes.
-Hello. -It's me, sir.
What can I do for the Q&A with the minister?
About the Q&A session?
Translate it into English.
Excuse me?
The minister is Korean. Why do we need an English version?
You never know how things will turn out.
Just do as much as you can. Think of it as studying English.
Bye.
Goodness!
Argon is unbelievable!
Hello.
Long time no see. How are you?
I'm fine. How have you been?
Hey, Lawyer Chae.
I told you not to call me that.
Why not? It's more memorable.
Since your name is common, you need some kind of a nickname.
You are immature.
So,
do you think
I can avoid bankruptcy?
I think it'll be difficult in this state of mind.
TRANSLATION FOR THE Q&A SESSION
Gosh, I finished it.
LICENSING BENEFITS MYSTERY OF MIDTOWN
Things can't get worse anyway.
I'll wear out my shoes for this one.
-Why is there so many? -How many suits did you have before?
I stopped counting after the 30th one.
Don't just stamp your seal without thinking.
At least read it for once.
Sungjong Church case is quite tricky.
I don't care.
We made a public apology
and Hyun-tak got fired.
We've suffered enough.
I'll make sure that you won't go to prison.
So, buy me dinner.
Today? I can't, today.
I told you to leave tonight open.
-Hello, Ms. Chae. -Hey, you're here.
Hello.
This is what you asked for.
I got everything on foundation enhancement work.
Thank you.
I get it now.
What?
About the five red stars.
What?
Could it be this?
Did you just call me "this"? How rude.
Mr. Kim has been nagging us since this morning.
Because he marked today on the calendar as a very important day,
-but he couldn't remember what it is. -That's not possible.
I would never have marked meeting with her as important.
You almost about to cross a line there.
Buy me dinner. I'll forgive you.
I'm not available today.
I'm going to have dinner with another woman.
Who?
I'll get going.
Sure. Bye.
Thank you.
Who is she?
You have so many questions.
Here, I'm done.
-Aren't you going to tell me? -It's Seo-u, my daughter.
Goodness.
Can I join you and your daughter?
No, I have an important thing to tell her as her dad.
Are you going to scold her?
I'm not sure if I should scold her or placate her.
It's hard to raise a daughter.
Do you have a special occasion?
You're even wearing perfume.
Mind your own business.
-Baek-jin -Yes.
Seo-u is 15 years old already.
Don't treat her like a child, but like a grown-up.
Especially your tone.
It sounds like you're picking a fight. It makes people get stressed.
Be careful about it.
You don't seem nice, but you are.
Where are you going?
Have a cup of tea.
No, thank you.
I told you not to be all lovey-dovey with your lover when I'm with you.
He just misses me all the time.
Do you want me to set you up with a man?
Yes, if it's possible after midnight or two in the morning.
I'm a 35-year-old who earns only 1,500,000 won per month.
Can I even go on a date? I'm not even a regular employee.
Of course, you should lie about it.
Tell them that you are a TV writer and it sounds nice.
How nice!
What? Everyone's here already.
Why are you so late? You live in Seoul.
Joong-gu Wang, what are you doing here?
I've been waiting here for three days. The CEO is not home.
Really?
Gosh, look at you.
Follow me.
What? Do you know something?
Come here.
What is it?
(Subripper's note: Netflix doesn't have subs during this 2 mins, sorry)
What? Did Ms. Chae leave?
Yes.
You are quite stubborn
and indifferent.
I got callused.
That freaking Pastor Kang. He gets away with everything.
He gambled, but he didn't spend the church's money, right?
Goodness.
I can't believe we had to make an apology because of his lie.
Is Sungjong Church case almost done?
Almost.
Cheol,
I argued with Director Yoo after getting your call.
He knew about the mercenary's item.
What?
He mentioned something about Midtown licensing.
He lectured me not to struggle.
The item you killed this morning?
Did Director Yoo know about it?
Yes.
Now, he's using a mercenary as his spy.
Why does that fucking Myung-ho have to spy on us?
I don't know what is up his sleeves.
Gosh, our budget is reduced.
We get trained like a dog. And now, there is a spy.
No wonder you're drinking in broad daylight.
-That's not all. -What?
I was severely reprimanded on the ninth floor today.
They said I fired at soldiers on the same side.
The chief defended News 9
and attacked Argon only. The CEO was present, too.
That's preposterous.
What about Geun-hwa?
Didn't he say anything?
Gosh, we have nobody on our side in this company.
Those bastards!
Where are you going?
Hey.
"Eighty Thousand Hours After Retirement"?
What is it?
I think you'll leave the job before I do.
So, I pick this for you.
Why did you want to see me?
Sir,
I apologize.
Our news report put you in a very difficult position.
You're so quick to apologize.
Thanks to you, I even got a call from my grandchild living abroad.
-I'm sorry. -Stop apologizing.
Why did you really want to see me?
Two days ago,
the Chief visited Argon
and offered his words of encouragement.
What turned things around suddenly?
The CEO himself reprimanded me.
And our budget was cut by half
overnight.
I won't beat around the bush.
What on earth does the company want from us?
What do you want from the company then?
You got told off on the 9th floor. Are you that upset over it?
Come on.
Think about it in their shoes. What they said are all true.
Advertising revenue, high ratings and our reputation.
They aired a false report already. How can you raise the reputation?
Are you also saying that I'm wrong?
It's not about who's right or wrong. It's just about
how your team can survive.
If you had really wanted Argon to continue,
you should've bowed down today like Myung-ho did.
You think of Director Yoo as an opportunist
and an incompetent asshole, right?
You are mistaken.
Surviving like that and delivering the news,
is what a reporter should do.
But you just keep looking for the old Argon.
You know, the news is a living thing.
It moves and changes as our situations do.
-Sir... -What does the company really want?
What does the company really want?
The CEO wants to change the DNA of Argon.
He wants to get rid of those who are not afraid of him.
He wants to keep the shell, but replace the content.
Except for you, the face of Argon, he wants to replace them all.
Pardon?
You know, Argon is
the only investigative news program
in our station.
Sir.
Please help me.
I want to protect Argon.
Tell me.
How determined are you?
My team.
I'll do everything if I can protect my team members.
Midtown's CEO is just incredible.
He has fun at a gambling parlor by day
and drinks by night. Is he the same person who's being accused?
Who is this person?
Ho-jung Yang, the city planning commissioner.
He licensed the construction of Midtown.
I'm sure Haemyung City office and Midtown had something between them.
I was right.
By the way, who is that white-haired man?
I saw him somewhere.
Do you know him?
Wait.
Right.
JAE-YOUNG KIM DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC POLICY
DAE-SEOB KIM VICE MINISTER OF LAND
"Vice Minister of Land"?
Why is the vice minister here?
He's with the person who might've caused the disaster.
Does this make sense?
Welcome to this world where common sense doesn't apply.
Hide.
Not only he won't be arrested, but also his indictment will be suspended
thanks to the vice minister.
Let's share our photos.
Why would I?
I'll promise you a TV appearance, not just a phone interview.
With a caption "Reporter Joong-gu Wang." Deal?
Let's write up a contract.
Deal?
Deal.
Yes, sir.
I'm going to my dinner appointment.
Yes.
Right now?
I think...
No, sir. I'm coming.
Where should I go?
No problem. Please send me the address by text message. I'll see you.
Gosh, this is killing me.
I'm scared to do this, but I can't let it slide either.
MESSAGE 2 OUT OF 8
Okay.
TO MR. BAEK-JIN KIM
Sir, this is Yeon-hwa Lee.
I'm sorry to bother you.
Since it's a serious matter,
I thought I had to tell you.
I know you're busy, but I would be grateful if could take a look.
I'm sorry in advance.
FROM YEON-HWA LEE
-The all stop train -The phone number
-for Seoul Station -you have dialed...
is now approaching.
Send.
I did it.
All right. I did the right thing.
This line is busy now.
GEUN-HWA CHOI
12-56, Nonhyeon-dong
Okay.
Bye.
I'll be an hour late. Wait in a nearby cafe.
Under whose name is the reservation?
Geun-hwa Choi.
I'm sorry. Could you tell me a name of someone else in your group?
Is there
HBC newsroom on the reservation list?
Is there someone from Midtown?
Yes, the advertising executive is here.
-Please come this way. -Okay.
Hey, you're here.
Come on in.
I was sorry for last time, sir.
Have a seat.
Yes.
Give me a sundae soup, please.
You should mix it well.
Let's make a toast.
It's brimming over.
Drink it.
Look who's here. Reporter Yeon-hwa Lee.
-Hey. -Hi, are you alone?
Yes.
The sad contract workers
-have been drinking. -I see.
Will you join us?
-No, I'm okay. -Come on.
-Well... -Come join us.
Let's go.
Everybody, Ms. Lee has come.
Hi.
Such cracks are commonly found in large shopping malls.
If some cracks mean faulty construction,
not a single building in Korea would be fine.
The city planning commission confirmed the safety.
And inspectors found no problem.
Our engineers confirmed
that the construction manager broke the water main.
The broken main affected the upper floor through construction work.
Yes. I understand what you are saying.
If the company allows me,
I'll cover it based on facts.
Midtown is the backbone of the local economy.
The business suspension should be lifted soon for everybody to live.
I'm counting on you.
Guys, let's drink now.
Here, let me pour you a drink.
Come on.
Is it called Argon?
Yes.
I've been watching your broadcast.
The vice minister helped a lot so you can interview the minister on air.
You guys seem to get along well.
Thank you.
I'll look forward to your good reports.
Sure.
Now, let's have a drink.
Come on, let's drink.
Sure.
It's hot. I'm getting drunk.
And we all are temporary workers here.
Since we have only one piece of sundae,
shall we play the Love Actually game?
-Call! -I'm in.
-What is it? -You don't know it? You're a reporter.
In the movie Love Actually,
there is a scene where friends gather and tell stories about themselves
and whoever tells the saddest story gets to eat the chocolate cake.
Hugh Grant and who was it?
-Julia Roberts appeared in the movie. -Julia Roberts.
That's Notting Hill.
Notting Hill? Is it Notting Hill?
It's Notting Hill.
That's right. Why the hell didn't you notice it?
It hurts. Don't hit me.
Anyway, let's play it. Jin-hee, you go first.
Will the unhappiest person win sundae?
That's right, bitch. Go ahead.
Someone like me,
who is pretty,
and have a nice body. I'm such an attractive person.
But I have to pretend to be unhappy to win a piece of sundae
-which makes me -Is she serious?
-so unhappy. -She's full of herself.
-She's always like that. -You're disqualified.
You're disqualified for sure. Bong-gil, go.
Go ahead, Bong-gil.
You held up well.
If I keep holding up,
will I have something in the end?
If you want to do what you want to do,
you have to strengthen your power.
Just be patient until then.
So, in the end,
the company put on a show to prevent Argon
from making the follow-up report.
They even involved the vice minister.
Where do the connections end?
Just think of Argon.
Here.
I'll get going.
Bye.
I thought
once I come to Seoul and work at a broadcasting station,
I would see a lot of beauties.
You have them in front of you.
Don't act like an idiot.
But I only see fucking Baek-jin Kim. Damn it.
-Damn it. -Damn.
I'll eat the sundae.
Hey, are you freaking kidding me? Do you call that unhappiness?
I'll teach you what unhappiness really is about.
I was about to work just for a year
as a broadcasting writer. My week is made of
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Friday, Friday.
I've kept this lifestyle for eleven years.
Eleven years?
Every day,
I get insulted by the psycho
and sexually harassed by that sly Cheol Shin.
-And? -I've been single
for 35 years against my will.
You're single.
I also have a debt of 32 million won.
I'll eat it.
-You eat it. -No.
What about my story?
-Come on. -You can't compete.
You should be disqualified.
You're a reporter.
It's temporary, but you're a reporter.
Yes, she is.
Do I really look like a reporter?
Look around the office.
Who treats me as a reporter?
They call me a mercenary.
And they treat me like a zombie or a piece of trash.
When I was sent to Argon...
I was happy that I could come here,
but it hurts the most as well.
Hello.
I wish I had joined the company through the regular recruitment.
I took entrance exams for all broadcasting stations in Korea.
But,
I failed them all.
Good job, very good job.
But what else would I do? I want to become
nothing but a reporter.
It has been a week since
It's the preview.
the Midtown collapse in Haemyung...
Amid grief and anger, the accident site
is being restored at a fast pace.
-Even TV interrupts me. -Argon will have an exclusive interview
-with the minister to discuss -The preview has been totally changed.
-how to support the bereaved. -Mr. Kim is not in the picture.
It starts at midnight today.
But,
that's not the important thing.
What's important then?
Things about faulty construction and the cause of accident,
they all have been excluded. Why?
It doesn't matter when you can't see Mr. Kim.
My friend who's a writer of News 9 has just called me.
She told me something shocking.
Mr. Kim had a clash with the CEO.
I knew it.
The newsroom branded our team as a traitor
and stopped our follow-up report on Midtown
by threatening to lay off the contract workers in our team.
Mr. Kim gave up on faithful reporting
to protect us.
Can you believe it?
That the pompous psycho made such a deal for the sake of us?
Reporter Kim, don't be bothered about standing me up.
I had no expectations in the first place.
Congratulations on forgetting your wedding anniversary.
You must have lots of urgent and important news again.
I hope you keep living like that.
I'm sorry.
I couldn't even remember it when you were alive.
I forgot again.
Happy birthday to you.
You're so considerate, Won-ki.
Thank you.
Baek-jin Kim.
You haven't changed one bit.
I marked it on your calendar at the beginning of the year.
This is great.
Very courageous.
Should I tell him I was drunk?
That I was so drunk I lost my mind?
Right,
I'll tell him that I was too drunk.
That's it.
You've come early, sir.
Well...
Did you see the text message that I sent you yesterday?
Text message?
Yes, I sent you one last evening.
Does your number end with 8847?
Yes.
Where did you get it?
Actually,
I followed after Midtown's CEO
and took that picture for me.
Why did you
give it to me, instead of Myung-ho Yoo?
-Who? -Director Myung-ho Yoo.
Do you mean the director of the newsroom?
Why would I give it to him?
How do you know Director Yoo?
Pardon?
I first saw him on the soccer field.
Do not lie to me. You saw him at the job interview!
Mr. Geun-hwa Choi interviewed me, not him.
Is it true? Didn't Director Yoo recruit you?
No, he didn't.
Brief me.
-Pardon? -Give me a summary of it.
Well...
The person on the right is Jang-hyuk Seo, the CEO of Midtown.
Across him is Ho-jung Yang, the city planning commissioner. And...
He must be the vice minister Dae-seob Kim.
Yes, the CEO of a shopping mall
even met the vice minister as well as the city official.
This proves
that there are corruptions further up beyond Haemyung City.
If you want to make that allegation, you need a way bigger facts.
These pictures are not enough.
Bigger facts?
Please look at it again.
LICENSING BENEFITS MYSTERY OF MIDTOWN
The Midtown project had been disapproved for two years.
But a new company that was set up only three months earlier was licensed.
In the licensing process,
banks loaned big money without collateral.
And Midtown was built on top of all these.
Don't you think it's strange?
The land and loans were so easily given to build the mall.
How could it be possible?
Do you still think it's fiction?
-I'm sorry! -I think we should stand up, right?
I'm sorry.
Are you crazy?
No, I'm sorry.
Shall we go?
Gosh.
Mr. Kim, we have something to tell you.
I heard the company told you to lay off your contract workers.
They threatened to fire us if you follow up on Midtown.
Things are different from what you know.
It doesn't matter. We just wanted to tell you our thoughts.
The only thing I'm proud of is my body, but I'm a journalist, too.
I'm fine with being fired. Please make the report.
If I get fired, I can work somewhere else.
You always manage to get by, right?
But what about the dead?
Shouldn't we figure out why they had to be sacrificed?
A man's pride must not let this slide.
Tell them to kick me out. Who cares?
Please do it like a man.
I was about to quit soon, anyway.
I've collected enough materials to write my drama for ten years.
But the reality has turned out to be more dramatic.
So, please go ahead with the follow-up report.
I have nothing more to squeeze out of the newsroom.
Please don't worry about my job and go on with it.
Please.
-Please. -Please.
You such lousy workers.
Are you pulling a stunt like this?
It seems like you heard some rumors.
Argon has no problem.
What we deal with is tough and beyond your capability.
If it's too much, you can drop out anytime.
You're only temporary workers. How dare you touch my heart?
Get out.
Go do your work!
Get out!
Guys, let's get ready to go on air.
Let's get started.
Palm blast! Please go out.
Please go out.
Please go out!
Let's get ready for broadcast.
Is it because you're a mercenary?
You are fearless.
I killed it,
but you resuscitated it.
I'm sorry.
Go on.
Excuse me?
Use everything you have
and find something big no matter what it takes.
Are you
giving me an assignment?
But it's on one condition.
This is
only between you and me.
A reporter's work shouldn't be sentimental.
Why did you apply for this company?
I wanted to write news reports.
-Let's go. -Am I doing it with you?
Why does it feel so insincere?
To strike a vital point, first lower yourself in silence.
If you can't handle it, quit anytime.
It's the first assignment you gave me.
Get Baek-jin Kim here right now!
You're accused of sexually harassing Gwang-il's wife.
Is it true?
Why did you lie?
Don't worry. It can't be aired without my approval.
The person you exposed is a public prosecutor of Korea.
I have something to show you.
-Wait, let me ask... -Stay still.
May I decide on it?
I believed that at least you would listen to me.
Yeon-hwa!
---
Subtitle translation by Min-shil Moon