Queenmaker (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Ms. Hwang!
Ms. Hwang, are you okay?
Quick! Call an ambulance.
MS. HWANG, THIS IS HAN I-SEUL
Ms. Hwang, this is Han I-seul.
I'm writing to tell you something
for the last time.
You're right.
Everything you dug up about my past
is totally true.
But I've never sold my body to men
to make a quick buck
or live comfortably,
contrary to your careless speculations.
I couldn't get a student loan
in my final semester before graduation.
I was running out of options to make
more than ten million for tuition
over the short school vacation.
I couldn't ask my sick mother for help.
Whatever the reasons,
it's true that I was a waitress in a bar.
If you say
that's a fatal flaw preventing me
from joining the "noble" Eunsung Group…
then fine.
I'll accept that.
But if you're saying I must remain silent
about the fact that Baek Jae-min sexually
assaulted me because of my past,
then no.
I refuse to accept that.
The horrible events that took place
that day, now embedded in my memory,
have already destroyed my life,
and I am certain
that they'll keep eating away at me
for the rest of my life.
I heard people call you
"Eunsung's Go-To Lady."
You've once again wiped away a crime
that despicable bastard
Baek Jae-min committed without a trace.
Congratulations.
And please remember this.
The only person in the world
who knows the truth
about what happened to me
is you, Ms. Hwang.
-You're missing a cuff link.
-Christ, you're right.
Why didn't you check?
Oh…
Please. I'm the slob here.
I prefer it this way.
This is so uncomfortable.
Stop fighting!
Please stop!
WE HAVE THE UTMOST RESPEC
FOR PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AND DIGNITY
DIRECTOR BAEK JAE-MIN
Come in.
Ms. Hwang.
I can't believe I-seul did that.
You must be pretty shaken.
I'm okay.
Did she leave a suicide note?
Anything at all?
This is what I-seul held onto
until her final moment.
Why would she have…
I guess you don't know anything either.
No. I told you
everything I know last night.
Understood, sir.
And, Mr. Baek…
Yes, go ahead.
Do you still have the messages
you received from I-seul?
Yes.
Could I see them again?
Of course.
But the screenshot you took yesterday
was everything.
I'm aware.
But in order to get to the bottom of this…
I think it'd be wise to confirm the facts.
Okay.
Just a moment.
Here you go.
SECRETARY HAN I-SEUL
CALLING
SECRETARY HAN I-SEUL
What have you done?
What?
What terrible things did you do to I-seul
that forced you to fabricate
text messages to hide them?
I did what I had to
in order to try to help you out.
You've been crazy busy lately.
I felt bad seeing you clean up the messes
made by the Eun family's crazy women.
I couldn't burden you further
with something so trivial.
I am sorry.
I feel bad.
I should've been honest with you,
of all people.
You're apologizing to me
and not to I-seul?
A few bucks could've made it go away.
Now you have to deal with a dead body.
I'm sorry for that.
I didn't know
things would get so out of control.
But girls these days…
They're so unattractively fragile.
Are you being serious?
Because of you…
I-seul died because of you!
Ms. Hwang, come on.
I heard she worked at a hostess bar.
I mean, you were the one
who called over a hardworking girl,
exposed her past, blackmailed her,
and made her go up to that rooftop.
You did all of that.
Isn't this what they call
"gross negligence manslaughter"?
Have you no shame?
Look who's talking.
Think about all the terrible things
you did to clean up
the messes created by Eunsung's owners.
You've been swinging your sword
without a pang of guilt,
and now you've found your conscience
because a girl died?
Jeez, have you no shame?
Do you think…
I'd let you get away with this?
No, more than that,
you should protect me
by any means necessary.
Isn't it your duty to protect
the owners of the Eunsung Group?
That includes me.
Keep it up, Ms. Hwang.
GREENPEOPLE IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU
Mr. Baek wants to speak to me.
Did you tell him?
About I-seul's past?
Yes.
The intel obtained
by the Corporate Strategy
shouldn't be leaked to outsiders
without my permission.
But Mr. Baek
is not
an outsider.
You…
"Protecting the owner's family
by any means necessary
is protecting the company
and the jobs of thousands of employees,
and it contributes
to making this country great."
You told us this was the noble goal
of the Corporate Strategy Team,
didn't you?
GREENPEOPLE FOUNDATION
Drag her down from the rooftop.
Use Ms. Son's method.
Be extra careful with security.
Hello, subscribers. It's Oh Kyung-sook.
Only the darkness of night looms over
the rooftop of Eunsung Department Store.
Until all of the fired employees
have been reinstated,
we must keep going.
You know what?
To boost our spirits, I, Oh Kyung-sook,
will spice things up a little. Everyone!
Let's boost our energy
with a song to lift our spirits.
Let's sing "Like A Rock" together!
Let's live like a rock
Hey!
Heavy storms may get in our way
Let's live like a rock, never wavering
No matter what temptations lie ahead
Yes, ma'am.
-Stand down.
-Sorry?
Stand down on the rooftop. Now!
Now?
They must've arrived by now.
And we've already reported it to Ms. Son.
Wasn't I-seul enough?
I refuse to let any more people die
under my watch, so stand down!
I'll take care of things here.
You just remember your end of the deal.
Get ready.
-Oh Kyung-sook!
-Oh Kyung-sook!
-Oh Kyung-sook!
-Oh Kyung-sook!
Hey, On-sil.
Film everything that happens here, okay?
Hey, Dong-joo, what is it?
Don't miss a thing, okay?
-Okay.
-Make sure you film everything.
OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON I
PUT YOURSELF IN OUR SHOES
EUNSUNG DEPARTMENT STORE
Wait!
Damn it.
Jeez.
Dong-joo? What the hell?
ERROR
What's wrong?
Those crazy bastards.
You bastards!
Move!
Damn it.
What's wrong?
What's going on?
-Oh Kyung-sook!
-Oh Kyung-sook!
My friends! Can you hear me?
I love you, my friends!
What the…
Shit.
-You bastards.
-What are you waiting for? Drag her down.
SERVICE UNAVAILABLE
Stay away.
Crap. Stay away!
Go away!
Go away, or I'll jump!
I really will.
Don't you dare. I'm going to jump!
-Don't move!
-Stop!
Didn't you hear me? I said stop!
What's this?
Wait, you're the one
who brought these thugs here?
Huh? You're the lowest of the low.
Now you're getting thugs involved?
Oh Kyung-sook,
stop talking, and come down.
Now!
Are you nuts?
Why? Does your master
want me captured alive?
Forget it.
Tell her I'm not going anywhere.
You idiots, get up there and grab her!
Stop it!
I'm in charge here.
I never gave you permission
to come up, so leave.
Don't you hear me? Get back down!
No! Stop!
"Ms. Oh!"
Huh? What's that?
The footage of the human rights attorney
Oh's jump from a rooftop
has not only moved Korea
but the entire world.
With this jump,
she declared the establishment guilty,
bringing an end to their hubris.
The faith and courage
to jump from that rooftop…
The hope of the workers, Oh Kyung-sook!
Oh Kyung-sook,
we love you for bringing justice.
OH SACRIFICED HERSELF FOR WORKERS
HER NOBLE DEEDS ARE RECORDED IN HISTORY
SUBSCRIBERS
Former councilor Oh's YouTube channel
has now surpassed one million subscribers
and is getting massive attention.
Various global human rights groups,
including Amnesty International, stated…
This cult-like popularity
is possible because she's the new hero
that the public has been waiting for.
OH KYUNG-SOOK SYNDROME
WHAT IS THE CAUSE?
In this era when we need a true hero…
GET WELL SOON
What are you doing?
Let's see how far they'll go
to glorify you.
Stop watching!
I told you I didn't jump.
Gosh, my wife is so humble.
Seriously, I told you…
Give me that!
Okay, fine. Here you go.
You can't interview her now!
You can't. She can't talk right now.
Ms. Oh needs to rest now.
Please leave.
We'll set a date and let you know.
RHINO WITH WINGS
OH KYUNG-SOOK
OH KYUNG-SOOK'S WOMAN POWER!
Wow.
Shouldn't we recruit her
to our party right away?
We'll let you know.
-Excuse me.
-Sure.
Please leave.
-Only family members are allowed.
-I'm family.
I'm sorry.
-Our son?
-He's at school.
What did he say?
I'm glad
he didn't develop speech issues.
Whatever the reason,
he saw his mom jump off a rooftop.
Even I, someone who's lived with you
for 15 years, was flabbergasted.
The thing is,
it's not that I meant
to jump off the building.
That's not it.
-What are you talking about?
-I was forced to jump.
Toilet Hwang, that crazy bitch.
Because of that woman…
So it's true
that you used brute force.
Given the state of you,
I'm sure you lead them to the rooftop.
Go away.
I've got nothing to say.
You sure are something.
I accepted you saying you didn't realize
our marriage was crumbling
'cause you were too busy
chasing the Eun family.
But do you have to do it
while harming yourself?
Let me get some rest.
Why are you still loyal to them?
You deserve better.
While Former Councilor Oh's jump
has become
the talk of the town these days,
people have started boycotting
the Eunsung Department Store
for firing part-time employees
with growing support.
The criticism against Eunsung's owners
is growing just as fast.
This morning, Mayor Sa Jae-gon
visited the Sangah redevelopment district
to strongly demand Eunsung Construction
leave the construction site,
and drew attention for uploading a post
criticizing Eunsung on his social media.
Where were you?
That arrogant prick is spitting on me,
and I have no roof to protect me?
Don't I even get a cheap umbrella?
I'm sorry.
This is why we can't trust anyone
but family.
I'll be on top of things.
Please calm down.
What's gotten into Sa Jae-gon?
He thinks he's being smart.
To be reelected.
Thanks to you, Eunsung's image
has been tarnished lately.
He wants to cut ties with us
and find a stronger rope to hold onto.
Where the hell is Do-hee?
She took sick leave.
Sick leave?
She seems pretty shaken after the girl
from her team committed suicide.
She's bedridden at a time like this
because of one dead employee?
Ma'am, why don't we reprimand her later
and talk about
the fired temp workers first?
If we can't turn public opinion
around now,
not only the redevelopment project
but the succession plan…
Let's reinstate them all.
Think of it as an investment in me.
I think the bet's worth making
in a difficult situation like this.
Leave us.
You two as well.
I didn't expect to see you today.
You ruined your marriage
by having an affair,
and became the black sheep of the family.
Are you worried?
You must be the one who's worried.
You jeopardized your chances of inheriting
Eunsung due to your crazy behavior,
so you brought your husband.
Can he even get it up?
Behave yourself,
or I'll take away
what little inheritance you have.
Investment?
This is the first time
you've asked me for something directly.
I didn't think
I could afford to be subtle.
And…
I thought you must have already finished
your assessment of me
in the past seven years.
"Assessment"?
I know you want to make me a politician.
Wasn't that why you accepted me
as your son-in-law in the first place?
You're right.
You've worked hard over the years.
That's why I dare to make this suggestion.
I'm good with words,
I obey what you say,
I even live with your problematic daughter
without complaining.
Your goal is to rise to the top
of the business world
using me as your pawn.
I believe the time has come
to realize that goal.
People are suckers for a grand gesture.
If you surprise them
by reinstating the workers,
it'll improve the image of our group,
stop the boycott,
and appease the public's anger
all at once.
Mayor Sa, who's running rampant…
will be on edge.
Have you discussed this with Do-hee?
No.
It's my own idea,
and I'll carry it out alone.
I like your idea
of covering one issue with another,
but can you do this alone?
We lost a mere mutt.
I can still protect our house.
How dare you cut out someone I had
under my wing for over ten years?
Because she refused to sweep
your womanizing under the rug?
How dare you!
I'll let it slide this once,
so consider yourself lucky.
But your luck will run out one day.
You think you're smart,
but when your luck runs out,
you're nothing.
Being with my daughter
is the luckiest aspect of your life,
so hold onto her tight.
Duly noted.
I know why you want me to invest in you,
and I want to see
your detailed business proposal.
Come in.
CONDOLENCES
EUNSUNG GROUP
OUR CONDOLENCES
MAY SHE REST IN PEACE
My deepest condolences.
Mr. Baek,
thank you for coming.
I should've taken better care of her.
I'm terribly sorry.
Don't worry about the funeral expenses.
Just focus on
honoring I-seul.
Thank you so much, Mr. Baek.
Thank you so much.
I really can't thank you enough.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Ms. Hwang.
Stay strong.
What's all this?
Only celebrities receive
meals like this from their fans.
You got this from your fans
all across the nation.
Where to begin?
-Abalones? Yukhoe?
-I don't feel like eating.
Ms. Oh.
I saw everything.
Saw what?
What happened on the rooftop.
Hwang Do-hee took the thugs to the rooftop
and pushed you off the building.
I won't let them get away with it.
I used to work with the guys
who were there on that day.
I'm going to chase them down
and make them--
Yoon Dong-joo.
Pull yourself together. Okay?
You just got out of that shithole.
You're not going back to that life.
Are you a thug?
Who are you?
I'm from the Eunsung
Corporate Strategy Team.
How dare you show your face here?
Dong-joo.
I heard you like apples.
Gosh.
You sent those thugs up to beat me up,
and now
you brought a few lousy apples?
You think this will cut it?
Listen.
I won't let this slide.
This is clearly attempted murder.
How about we give
everyone their jobs back?
If you accept our apology
and don't make an issue about that day,
we'll make it happen right away.
If you're thinking
of taking things to court,
we won't be able to agree to your demand.
Try this. It'll be better than whiskey
on a day like this.
You look good.
Thank you.
I'm good enough to listen to your story.
Did you see the news?
Things must be tense at Eunsung.
Chairwoman Son's greed is endless.
Her two girls
are becoming wilder each day.
A girl from my team died.
Don't tell me.
Was it Baek Jae-min?
It took longer than expected.
Before he married Chae-ryoung,
I did a background check on him.
That asshole was flirting
with an announcer
until the day before the wedding.
I repeatedly warned Ms. Son
to keep her eyes on him,
but she wouldn't listen.
Once she decided
to accept him into her family,
she closed her eyes and covered her ears.
Should I have done the same?
As you taught me,
I should've closed my eyes,
covered my ears, and kept my mouth shut.
Hwang Do-hee.
What's on your mind?
You've enjoyed a comfortable life,
but now you feel too guilty to keep going.
Is that it?
You feel like you killed her
with your own hands?
DELETE THIS?
DELETE
Come in.
Ms. Guk.
Coffee?
I went to the hospital
and talked to Ms. Oh Kyung-sook.
And?
She seemed tempted
to reinstate all the workers.
Is that so? Thank you.
Excuse me.
It looks good on you.
Can I…
bet everything…
on you, Mr. Baek?
Do you think everything will end
if you just quit?
Cha-sun--
After you quit,
someone as smart as you will replace you
and clean up the messes
the Euns make, just like you have.
-Do you really think so?
-Of course.
That wretched family will never change.
How will you take them down on your own?
Dinner?
I'm good.
I wanted to visit you at the hospital,
but I was grounded.
Mom locked me up here
so I wouldn't go and make things
worse than they were.
Getting a divorce isn't a crime.
Am I wrong?
Why did you want to see me?
I heard a girl on your team
killed herself.
Yes.
Baek Jae-min is involved, right?
Ms. Hwang. I'm not stupid.
I may seem like a spoiled rich girl
who wastes money and likes men,
but I'm smart enough to know
Jae-min in power would be a disaster.
Then should we tell your mother
about what really happened?
Go public.
Make it the biggest shitshow ever.
How?
I heard that she used to work
at a hostess bar.
Let's say that he met her at the bar,
sponsored her, paid her tuition,
and smuggled her into his wife's company.
Then he took her abroad
for volunteer work as an excuse
and enjoyed their tryst.
Then she became pregnant.
Baek Jae-min betrayed her.
She was heartbroken and jumped.
Only a story as messy as this
could make Mom turn her back on him.
Are you trying
to kill I-seul all over again?
She took her own life anyway.
When I take over this company
instead of Chae-ryoung and Jae-min,
I'll take you under my wing.
Now that Baek Jae-min's won over Mom,
you're no longer useful to her.
It'd be unfair for you
to be ousted like this.
When I have to step down, I will.
But I promised Chairwoman Son my loyalty.
Whether I'm ousted or I stay,
I'll follow the Chairwoman's orders.
I knew it.
Mom did such a great job
training her mutt.
You got that right.
So please don't insult the deceased I-seul
or provoke I-seul's family.
I might go after the master's daughter.
Rumors of illegal slush funds
that Mayor Sa had been keeping…
It is rumored that during his candidacy,
a Korean-American businessman…
…in the overseas Korean community
where he was given 600 million won…
Call Chairwoman Son,
and ask her to dinner.
Yes, sir.
Sea bream is in season now.
I should've invited you first.
I agree.
You seem quite busy lately,
so I made a special exception today.
I don't want to be a useless old hag,
so I keep myself busy.
Is this your doing, ma'am?
Ma'am.
I'm the mayor of Seoul
AKA the vice president of Korea.
You still think of me as an employee
at one of your companies.
Get a hold of yourself. Why?
I, Sa Jae-gon, am no longer intimidated
by your threats.
What's your plan?
Will you cough up all the money I spent
on making you mayor?
Give up the Sangah District
redevelopment project, and take a break.
You've already made enough money
with all the help I've given you thus far.
Why don't you finish this?
I'm not really into fish
whose heads have gotten too big.
-Proceed.
-Yes, ma'am.
Moon Yong-soon, Mayor Sa's wife,
was spotted wearing 300 million won
worth of jewelry
at the charity exhibition
that was held a month ago,
and it's causing great controversy.
The jewelry that she was wearing
is a limited edition not sold in Korea.
UNDER SUSPICION OF SMUGGLING DIAMONDS
The Korean branch of the brand
denied providing the item
to her in a sponsorship deal.
Do you see this?
The question is,
who gave her the jewelry as a bribe?
Oh, wow, thank you.
What's this?
A hundred million?
DONATION COMPLETE
Yes.
Yes.
Thank you.
Shouldn't we finish him off?
How much more time should we waste on him?
Yes, ma'am. We'll wrap it up.
Mayor Sa's second son was arrested
for hosting drug parties.
Currently studying in the US,
Mayor Sa's second son was charged
with injecting a large amount of meth
at a club in LA's Koreatown.
The fact that he frequently hosted
drug parties was a shock to people.
I sincerely apologize
for disappointing the citizens of Seoul
with the recent shameful scandals
regarding my family members.
I hereby
resign from the position of mayor.
I'm sorry.
RESIGNATION OF SA JAE-GON, SEOUL'S MAYOR
Wasn't the press release
regarding your wife a mere rumor?
If you resign, you're admitting
the rumors are actually true…
So, you're going to take the mound now
and turn the tables?
I'll need a grand entrance to do so.
How?
As I told you before,
people are suckers for a grand gesture.
ACTING CEO BAEK JAE-MIN
WE WELCOME YOU AS A PART OF OUR FAMILY
EUNSUNG DEPARTMENT STORE
PERMANENT EMPLOYEE SIGNING CEREMONY
You did it!
Everyone.
It's been quite a journey.
You've fought hard
for your survival and won.
I promise I will take care of you
as if you were my own family.
Welcome back.
Good work.
Thank you for coming.
-Oh Kyung-sook!
-Oh Kyung-sook!
I should've visited you earlier.
But as you know,
I wasn't free to do as I wanted.
I'm aware of
your hard work on this.
I won't forget this. Thank you.
Let's continue working together.
Lawyer Oh Kyung-sook,
who protested on the rooftop
of Eunsung Department Store,
was also present.
Director Baek Jae-min
sincerely thanked Ms. Oh,
who jumped from the rooftop
to get the workers reinstated.
Mr. Baek.
Is it true that you'll be running
in the by-election
now that Mayor Sa has resigned?
Well.
Is that a yes?
It's not about the title.
I want to serve the people.
I'll put it that way.
If, by any chance,
the citizens of Seoul were to grant me
the noble honor of being mayor,
I want to serve people with all my heart
to the fullest extent of my abilities.
That'll be all.
Are you saying you're officially running?
The star of today's event isn't me,
but you, who got your job back.
Everyone here…
is family to me.
I apologize once again.
And thank you for everything.
We'll stay together until the end.
-Together until the end.
-Until the end!
-Together until the end!
-Until the end!
Thank you.
BAEK JAE-MIN HELPS
REACH DRAMATIC AGREEMEN
That was a long sick leave.
I'm sorry, ma'am.
No need to apologize.
You must've been pretty shaken.
It's a sin not to mourn a death.
But neglecting your duty
because of a dead person
is a greater sin.
Ma'am.
Forget about what Jae-min did.
He's destined for greater things.
We should ignore a small mistake
that he made in order to relieve stress.
It wasn't a mistake. It was a crime.
What are you trying to say?
Mr. Baek cannot be mayor.
He is a beast running rampant,
incapable of feeling guilt even when
his actions caused a girl's death.
And you want to give him a sword?
There's no guarantee
that he won't stab you with it--
Jae-min seemed quite upset with you.
Give him your sincere apologies,
and prepare for his campaign.
Ma'am.
That girl, Guk something,
has taken over your position.
But I could never trust anyone
who is still so wet behind the ears.
I'll never know whether she'll grow up
to be a useless weed
or bring me
a bountiful harvest in due time.
Reclaim your position.
And make sure
that Jae-min becomes mayor.
I refuse.
I refuse…
to follow your order.