This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 2 contains spoilers.
Access an archive of recaps, reviews and news from Money Heist: Korea – Common Economic Area.
So far it seems that Money theft the remake follows similar storylines to the original. The characters’ backgrounds are different and the way the professor relates to the negotiator is unfamiliar, but the order of events is the same. For some viewers, this may seem off-putting, but so far the Korean remake is a brilliant production with top performances.
Money Heist: Korea – Common Economic Space summary of season 1, episode 2
Episode 2 opens with Tokyo recounting the dangers of North Korea’s defection in the past and the brutal labor that ensues. Berlin was one of those flaws who had a traumatic experience after being caught crossing the border. His experiences shape the character he is in the present; he is a cold and scary leader.
These days, the professor tells Berlin that it’s important to keep the hostages under control. It’s a bit orderly at the start of the episode, with the hostages working their shifts to ensure the heist goes smoothly.
Seon Woojin returns to work and takes control of the narrative with reporters, declaring the Mint raid to be “fake news.” She asks Captain Cha Moohyuk to team up with her to get the best result. She calls the professor to start a new relationship so they can negotiate. The teacher asks her, “When was the last time you had an orgasm?” That’s when Seon Woojin realizes she’s dealing with a skilled negotiator. You can also tell that she is intrigued by him. She does not know that the professor is a close acquaintance.
Unable to help himself, Cho Youngmin conspires with the other hostages to try to undermine the heist team. One of the hostages causes a distraction by injuring himself with a shovel as Cho Youngmin flees. However, he is caught but then acts like he is trying to help his colleague with his injury. Of course, the heist team isn’t buying it for a second; they know he is a handicap. They know he’s a clown.
Berlin decides to divide the hostages into North and South Koreans after Cho Youngmin’s actions, and he establishes a new rule – if a South Korean hostage makes a bad decision, a North Korean hostage will be punished, and if a North Korean hostage -Korean makes a wrong decision, a South Korean hostage will be punished. A flashback reveals that it is the Professor’s plan to divide and have the hostages make enemies with each other. Tokyo is not comfortable with this plan, but focusing on the North/South Korean divide is an intriguing political game in the storyline.
Cho Youngmin continues to plot and asks Youn Misun to get his smartwatch so they can make a call. She doesn’t believe in his intentions, causing a stir between them. When this draws attention, Cho Youngmin tells Denver that Youn Misun is pregnant and needs a break.
Youn Misun is placed in the same room as Anne Kim (the ambassador’s daughter), who suspects something is up and catches Rio’s attention; Anne tells Rio that she needs to go to the bathroom because of her period. Youn Misun takes the opportunity to get the smartwatch. And then, Anne Kim kisses Rio in the bathroom but then takes her gun. Rio challenges her to shoot him, but the security is on. He immediately takes the gun away from her.
Seon Woojin is alerted by a signal from the smartwatch and tries to talk to Youn Misun, but Denver walks through the door. Youn Misun tells Denver that she is hungry, and he understands her needs very well and provides her with food. Denver asks if Cho Youngmin is hitting on her, but she clarifies that he is married, confirming their affair. It’s clear at this point that Denver already cares about her. Meanwhile, Seon Woojin calls the teacher and tells him that the last time she had an orgasm was two months ago. She then asks about the hostages’ phones. The professor feels suspicious because of the phone call with the negotiator, so he calls the heist team to check in.
Next, Denver confronts Cho Youngmin about impregnating Youn Misun. Youn Misun slips the connected watch into Cho Youngmin’s pocket during this confrontation.
In the evening, the professor has dinner with Seon Woojin; she tells him that she took a break from the heist situation. However, as the evening progresses, the Professor almost slips into being too curious. Seon Woojin asks the teacher why he was listening to his work call and pulls out the handcuffs to stop him. The professor manages to blame the situation and tells her that he wanted to get to know her better and suspects that she is involved with another man. Seon Woojin seems moved by the professor’s confessed feelings and apologizes to him. She states that she cannot be in a relationship.
But while spending the evening with Seon Woojin, the teacher got the necessary information. The professor tells the heist that one of the hostages has a smartwatch, so Berlin rounds up the hostages. Cho Youngmin clicks a link on a text on the smartwatch so the task force team can listen.
Berlin asks Cho Youngmin to come forward, so he returns the smartwatch to Youn Misun. Berlin tells Cho Youngmin to find out who has the smartwatch by scanning it with a metal detector. The vice bank manager tries to pretend to scan Youn Misun, but Berlin helps him. In a tense moment, the smartwatch falls to the ground in front of Youn Musin. Berlin smashes the smartwatch, leaving Seon Woojin and his team to fear for the hostages’ lives.
Seon Woojin tries to act like she doesn’t know anything about the smartwatch when she gets a call from the teacher, but the teacher doesn’t mess with the conversation. She warns him that if he hurts any of the hostages, it will hurt his negotiations. The teacher tells her that she has no more chance.
The end
Episode 2 ends in dramatic circumstances.
Berlin demands that Youn Musin be executed, but Denver and Rio try to intervene. Berlin tells Denver to kill her and hands her the gun. Denver takes the pregnant woman to a private location to execute her. Meanwhile, Berlin wants to know who gave the smartwatch to Youn Musin. Another hostage immediately accuses Cho Youngmin.
Denver is upset at being ordered to kill Youn Musin. He shoots before anyone can intervene, and the hostages hear him. Berlin tells Cho Youngmin that he’s not going to punish him directly because Youn Musin’s death is his punishment in a chilling final scene.
But it’s unlikely that Youn Musin is dead unless the story goes, especially when you know what happens in the original. Episode 2 is another impressive chapter as the heist moves in an intense direction.
Additional noteworthy plot points
- Seon Woojin worries about his mother, believing she needs to go to the hospital.
- Denver argues with his father, Moscow, over how he refers to his mother. Denver does not acknowledge the relationship with his mother.
- Anne Kim flirts with Rio.
- Berling tells Denver he’s naive because his emotions are making him weak — he assures her the heist plan will work.
- Seon Woojin suspects that the heist team may be tapping their phones, so she tells her co-workers to turn off all communication devices.
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