Original subtitles

-One milligram of epinephrine! -Yes, Doctor!

Epinephrine is in.

-150 joules! -Charged.

Clear!

No pulse. Epinephrine is in.

-200 joules. -Charged.

Clear!

The former President of JU Construction Hwang Gun-woong has passed away

around 11:30 p.m. on June 4th.

JU Construction announced the former President Hwang,

who had been showing improvement,

passed away on the night of June 4th.

In 2023, President Hwang suddenly collapsed at a gym in Seoul.

While unconscious…

JU'S HWANG DIES AT 49

…he was taken to a hospital, where he remained comatose for a year.

NOTICE OF DEATH

FUNERAL INFO

However, because Hwang regained consciousness

and showed improvement recently,

the news of his sudden death

comes as a shock to JU Construction.

The power struggle between the president and the VP is going to get intense.

I know.

Who gets President Gun-woong's shares will be the key.

This is going to cause a huge stir.

So what's going to happen to President Gun-woong's shares?

Well, major shareholders' shares will become even more important.

Right. I heard there'll be a shareholder meeting after the funeral.

-Really? -Yes.

Wow, a shareholder meeting? It's going to be chaotic.

Yeah, a lot of noise.

What do you think will happen?

Following his family's wishes, it will be a Buddhist funeral.

It will be held at Eungwansa Temple,

where the deceased's family has developed long-standing ties,

and we are discussing the details with the temple.

This leads me to inform you about the tribute video

to honor the late President Hwang Gun-woong's legacy…

MAY HE REST IN PEACE

THE SPIRIT OF THE LATE HWANG GUN-WOONG

I looked into some files after your call.

Something's definitely off.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

CEO: BENJAMIN LEE LOCATION: FLORIDA, USA

REVENUE: APPROX. 40 BILLION WON

SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS FURTHER INVESTIGATION NEEDED

2019-2024 OUTSOURCING PARTNER TRANSACTION HISTORY

DESIGN, BLUEPRINT

If what you're thinking is right, they must be slush funds, no?

Who do you think created them?

I think these began with the late president.

But he's gone now, so what can we do?

There's no need to reveal a dead man's corruption.

The bigger problem is that

even after President Hwang Gun-woong's collapse,

the shell company continued to run, and the slush funds remained active.

You're saying someone inherited it?

President Hwang Gun-woong who was getting better died suddenly.

What are you insinuating?

Someone stole the slush funds and is continuing to embezzle money.

I am saying it's possible that someone wants to cover up their crimes.

That's still hard to believe because--

An autopsy will confirm it.

Please ask the family.

No, this isn't enough.

We don't even know who's behind it yet.

A person died.

Find out who stole the slush funds

before his body leaves the temple for the procession.

Then I will talk to the family.

Yes, sir.

You bastard, did you not hear me last time?

I told you never to come back!

There's additional punishment if you embezzle more than 500 million won.

With other crimes, you're looking at a much longer sentence.

You came all this way to remind me about that?

If you give me information, the company will submit a petition on your behalf.

What?

We can help you reduce your sentence. What do you think?

You're asking about Archcle?

Was it former President Hwang Gun-woong's slush funds channel?

That was what I heard.

Hwang Gun-woong was meticulous when he started it,

so hardly anyone knows about it.

Archcle continued to do business after he collapsed.

Isn't it obvious?

The new owner who took over the company and the slush funds

must be operating it.

When Gun-woong wakes up, he'll be dumbfounded.

He passed away last night.

What did you say?

This is a serious issue.

Please tell me, who's the new owner?

I don't know.

If you start asking too many questions about what the owner does,

you can't maintain my kind of position.

Your answer isn't helpful.

The safekeeper.

There were rumors about Hwang Gun-woong having an inside man as his safekeeper.

Do you know who that is?

I don't, but…

I'm sure it's someone close to him.

-Thank you. -You know as well as I do

that there are only two people who are capable of stealing

Archcle and the slush funds.

I do know.

Wow…

Meeting begins now.

There is something I must tell you before we begin.

Confidentiality is a must for this audit we are about to begin.

Can you do it?

Yes, of course.

I trust you won't betray your colleagues for your friendship with someone else.

So who are we auditing?

We will catch the most dangerous rat that has been gnawing away

at JU Construction for a very long time.

These architecture firms are JU Construction's subcontractors.

Six years ago, they began collaborating with Archcle Design for elevation plans.

Archcle is an architectural design office in Florida, USA,

and the CEO is an architect named Benjamin Lee.

I've heard of it. Foreign architectural design firms are hired

to design elevation plans to increase the value of their buildings.

Archcle earned over 40 billion won in revenue over those six years.

But all of it is from the contract they signed with JU Construction.

How is that possible?

It is because Archcle is a shell company.

Former President Hwang Gun-woong set it up for his slush funds.

Wow, how in the world…

After the late president collapsed,

JU Construction and this shell company maintained their relationship.

Someone stole the slush funds and is continuing to embezzle money.

Are you implying his death is somehow related to the slush funds?

That's a bit of a stretch.

We are going to investigate this Archcle company.

But it's abroad, so how can we?

Ms. Ok,

I understand a former Audit Team member

is working at the Florida office right now.

You mean Section Chief Song?

Yes, I can contact her and ask for information.

Han-soo, Seo-jin and I will each visit one of these architecture firms.

Get as much information as possible.

Whatever it takes, we must find a connection

between Archcle and someone inside JU Construction.

-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

What should I do?

Mr. Yeom, I will tell you privately.

Excuse me?

We only have four days.

We must hurry.

Yes, sir.

How is the mood with the board of directors?

Everyone's waiting to see which of you will acquire the shares.

They seem to think President Gun-woong's shares will be transferred

to President Se-woong.

Obviously, Yu-seon won't support me,

so the question is which of us Mr. Bang will support.

But, sir,

if the board of directors give you their support,

Mr. Bang won't be able to go against the board's decision.

Okay. The directors are coming to the funeral tomorrow, right?

Yes, of course.

Ask them to meet me tomorrow night.

Yes, sir.

Hey, you're here.

Sir, you know Chae Jong-woo, the new general manager of Outsource Purchasing.

Yes, I do.

People raved about how good you were when Gun-woong was president.

GM Chae, keep up the good work.

You'd better pay close attention and support him well.

Our vice president is about to lose the word "vice" soon.

I look forward to working for you.

Should we go have lunch?

-I'd love to. -Me too.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LATE HWANG GUN-WOONG

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva…

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva…

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva…

Hello?

You're coming tomorrow?

Okay.

Communication with Archcle took place only through email and the online hard drive.

We never met in person.

LEE HYUK-JOON, INSEOL

And we only had meetings with JU Construction to discuss concepts.

Their designs weren't bad.

YOON SANG-EUN, GOONGA

You could tell they weren't veterans, but they were original and fresh.

I did think the price was a little stiff.

But JU insisted…

CHOI WON-SIK, GONGGAN JUNGRI

…saying it would increase the value,

so we had no choice.

Did they complete all the plans?

Of course. One time, they sent several design plans.

But what was weird was that they never took feedback for adjustments.

But they told us to make any adjustments we wanted to make.

But that causes copyright issues.

And if we chose not to go with theirs,

they never once expressed displeasure.

It was as if they didn't really care about the project.

As if all they cared about was getting paid, so to speak.

May I please have copies of all emails and files you received from Archcle?

Please.

May I please have the files?

ARCHCLE DESIGN FILES

COPYING ITEMS TO EXTERNAL DRIVE

Thank you.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

The address is in the outskirts of Florida. Can you look into it?

I've never heard of it.

Okay, I'll do it. I'll drop by the place after I get to work.

Any information is fine, so call me as soon as you can.

And hey, Ms. Song, please keep this on the down-low.

-You understand, don't you? -Got it.

I can't say you owe me a drink. We're so far away.

When you return to HQ, I'll buy you a drink.

Please.

Okay.

What could it be?

What do you mean? Archcle Design?

No.

What Mr. Shin wants to ask me to do. What could it be?

How would I know?

My heart is pounding.

-I've got it! -What?

Maybe you'll be more helpful by staying put and doing nothing.

-Maybe that? -Fine, forget it.

Why'd I even bother asking you?

SHIN CHA-IL, TEAM LEADER

-It's him. -Answer it.

Hello, Mr. Shin.

What?

Okay.

What's wrong? What did he say?

I'm afraid

Mr. Shin has figured out what my true talent is.

What?

Yes, I just finished.

But it felt like they worked just enough to leave evidence.

That was why past audits didn't reveal any serious issues.

Mr. Shin, if this person embezzled over 40 billion won

and had something to do with the late president's death,

who could it possibly be?

That is what we must find out.

Analyze the files you received,

and if you find anything, however small, call me right away.

Yes, sir.

Hello, Mr. Shin.

Go to the funeral and find out what's going on.

Keep a close eye on what the president and the VP are doing.

Oh, seriously. This is totally spying.

How am I supposed to do this?

Hey!

Mr. Yang.

What are you doing here?

Well, I thought I should say goodbye to President Hwang Gun-woong.

Yeah, right.

You're here as a spy, huh?

You came here to spy on the VP, didn't you?

Well, no, actually…

You're here because you want to know who gets the company,

wondering if the VP has a chance or not.

There's no fooling you, Mr. Yang.

You're so sharp.

I know you like the back of my hand.

Hey, don't worry about a thing.

Why? Is there good news?

The vice president summoned the directors, and they all said they'll be there.

Wait and see.

The vice president's reign is about to begin.

You can't feel it, right? But I can.

I can feel this beautiful light shining down on us.

Oops.

INSEOL, SENDER'S IP ADDRESS

GOONGA, SENDER'S IP ADDRESS

KGK, SENDER'S IP ADDRESS

DISPLAY ALL RESULTS

I searched the IP addresses from where Archcle's emails were sent,

but Benjamin Lee wasn't in the US.

-What? -He's been in Korea the whole time.

YONGSAN, SEOUL, HANAM, GYEONGGI

JU CONSTRUCTION

Section Chief Song in Florida sent these pictures.

It looked like they haven't been open for quite a while.

So it is a shell company.

And Archcle had been hosting design plan contests in their name.

Contests? Why?

Probably to get design plans to send to architecture firms in Korea.

Archcle is less likely to be caught if the contestants are overseas.

I contacted the accountant who assisted with establishing the corporation

to find out about Benjamin Lee.

Well, take a look.

If he was 22 years old back then, he must be 28 now.

Have you located Benjamin Lee?

Well…

Given these IP addresses, I can't pinpoint his location.

If you take a look, from Dongjak to Yongsan, Hanam and Ilsan,

they are all over the place.

Han-soo, go through the files

of the college students who entered JU's contests for the past six or seven years.

Yes, sir.

Ms. Ok, review the flow of money in the departments

that worked with Archcle.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Yeom, what are you investigating?

That's… a secret.

You don't want to know.

That's it for this meeting.

Seo-jin, I need to talk to you.

Who are you auditing to keep you so busy?

All audits are confidential, so I cannot give you any details.

What's this?

I thought we had gotten a little close, but I guess I was wrong.

I'm hurt.

This is our company's bloodhound, Audit Team Leader Shin Cha-il.

Watch out for him. Don't forget his face.

I am Chae Jong-woo of Outsource Purchasing.

You should've stepped aside.

Geez.

People in the VIP suites value their privacy,

so we haven't installed any cameras.

May I see the parking lot CCTV footage and the list of cars that came in?

Just a second.

NASEON HOSPITAL PARKING LOT VEHICLE LIST

NASEON HOSPITAL PARKING LOT VEHICLE LIST

This proves the VP was at the hospital

just before the late president passed.

What are you trying to say?

Dae-woong may be a little rough around the edges,

but killing his brother?

Perhaps…

I am trying to find everything that seems suspicious.

Bring me the evidence that proves

someone controls Archcle and the slush funds.

Remember what I said?

I can only convince the family when there is clear evidence.

I understand.

Mr. Shin, the VP met with GM Chae two days in a row.

I see.

Do I have to keep doing this?

Keep up the good work.

But I have work at the office.

As an introvert, I get dizzy when I'm around too many people, so…

The man next to the president is Vice Minister Ahn, isn't he?

Yes, of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

You'd expect to see a man of his position at the JU president's funeral.

I don't think we should talk about this while we're in mourning.

Why don't you give it some time?

The shareholder meeting is scheduled, and they will elect a new president.

It'll happen quickly.

But still…

We're not comfortable discussing this right now.

We should go.

You're all leaving? Without eating?

Okay, I'll see you again soon.

Goodbye.

What's wrong with those bastards?

Something in the air has changed.

They didn't expect to make such a sensitive decision so quickly.

Sir, this is just my opinion,

but I think they all want…

something specific.

They want a little extra, huh?

Yes, you know?

They're demanding they get a piece of the pie?

We should be prepared, don't you think?

Call General Manager Chae.

Yes, sir, I will.

The vice president might be the real owner of Archcle Design

and the slush funds?

There's a 50-50 chance.

But when you look at how he works,

he seems to believe a bit of corruption is needed to reach his goals.

But the vice president wouldn't go that far.

-I'm sure there's a misunderstanding. -Seo-jin.

What is your position when it comes to Vice President Hwang Dae-woong?

Are you an auditor or his niece?

Well, that's…

Make up your mind by the time you come to work tomorrow.

Munchkin.

You shouldn't space out while you're walking, or you'll hurt yourself.

I thought you were at the funeral.

What are you doing here?

I got sick of the food there, so I escaped.

You came home late.

Shin Cha-il must be up to something again.

What is it now?

Who is he auditing?

Sir.

What?

That question is for the auditor, your employee, not your niece.

What are you doing?

If you need information, I will give you a formal report.

But there is nothing I can tell you now.

Did something happen?

Uncle…

what about you?

What are you talking about?

Never mind.

You should go up and eat. I want to get some air.

Okay, thank you.

Sir,

I just spoke to Section Chief Song in Florida.

She said Archcle suddenly closed down their business.

-When? -Today.

I see.

I looked into the flow of money in the departments related to Archcle,

and Outsource Purchasing is currently re-vetting all subcontractors.

Archcle is one of them, of course.

Turns out, the budget allocated for Archcle has been cut.

Outsource Purchasing did that?

Yes, it was the new general manager's first order of business.

Hello.

Have you made your decision?

Yes.

As a member of the Audit Team,

I am going to put my personal business aside for now.

I see.

Sir, I found it.

What did you find?

Benjamin Lee's Korean name and personal information.

Here it is.

I looked through the list of college students

who entered JU's contests and found him.

His Korean name is Lee Beom-seok. He graduated from an American university.

But the address and phone number aren't current.

His emergency contact is his uncle, so I called him many times,

but he hasn't answered.

What the hell? All that work for nothing.

Where in the US did Benjamin Lee go to college?

New York.

Get me a copy of Mr. Chae Jong-woo's résumé.

Yes, sir.

Here it is.

EMPLOYEE RECORD, CHAE JONG-WOO

The safekeeper.

There were rumors about Hwang Gun-woong having an inside man as his safekeeper.

Ms. Ok, get me business trip records within the US for the New York office.

I will make a request.

Han-soo, keep calling Benjamin's uncle.

Yes, sir.

I'm going.

Seo-jin, get information on Chae Jong-woo of Outsource Purchasing.

Yes, sir.

Finally, tell me about JU Construction's vision.

Following my brother's footsteps, I will continue to run a transparent business

and at the same time,

turn JU Construction into an industry leader.

Thank you for talking to us.

A few more shots please.

Please look into the camera.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

Unbelievable.

You called reporters for an interview while we're in mourning?

It's work.

Why don't you care about JU's image when you're the VP?

Careful. You sound like you were waiting for Gun-woong to die.

Look who's talking.

Why have you been meeting with the directors?

As if you were waiting for this day.

What do you think you're doing?

What if people see you?

Must you do this when you're brothers?

-Brothers? Who? -Who?

You little…

What's going to happen to the company?

Mr. Bang, think carefully

about who this company really needs,

instead of uselessly dwelling on bloodline.

-What do you want? -I have a question for you.

-Come back later. -It won't take long.

What is it?

When did you get so close with Mr. Chae Jong-woo?

Why would you ask me that?

Was it before the late president collapsed?

If you're going to talk nonsense, get out.

Around 11:30 p.m. on June 4th,

why did you go and see President Hwang Gun-woong?

Why do you want to know that? Get out.

Is there a reason you can't answer me?

I don't feel like answering you.

You were the last visitor to see President Hwang Gun-woong

before he died.

Tell me why you went to see him.

What are you implying?

Are you…

saying I killed my big brother?

Get out.

What is it?

Police?

EMPLOYEE RECORD, CHAE JONG-WOO

FUTURE STRATEGY PROJECT SELECTED FOR JU IN JAN 2024

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUDGET PROJECTION

JU FUTURE STRATEGY BUSINESS LIST

NEW BUSINESSES FOR MEDIUM- OR LONG-TERM GROWTH

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION YULLYEONG FACTORY

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS

VICE MINISTER AHN DONG-SU RUNNING FOR BY-ELECTION?

VYING TO REMOVE OLD REGULATIONS

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION IS CONSIDERED

THE FUTURE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

Why won't he pick up?

How many cups have I had?

Hello? Yes, I did call you.

I am Gu Han-soo of JU Construction's Audit Team. Are you…

Mr. Benjamin Lee's uncle?

What?

Benjamin lives in the US?

Yes, he lives with his parents.

He hasn't been in Korea for the past five years.

I have confirmed it with the immigration office.

Who could've sent Archcle's design plans that were emailed from Korea?

Benjamin probably lent his name,

which means Archcle's real owner

exchanged emails with the architecture firms and received money from JU.

Mr. Shin, I looked into General Manager Chae like you asked me to.

Before his transfer to Outsource Purchasing, he was at Yullyeong Factory.

Here. I got this from the Architecture Department.

APPROVAL APPLICATION

JU chose modular construction as its future strategy

and it was applied to the Yullyeong Factory project,

which is getting major funding.

Both the president and the vice president approved it.

But there's something strange.

Issues on modular construction regulations remain unresolved,

but if you turn to the next page,

the budget for research has increased recently.

They increased the budget when there are regulation issues?

What if things go wrong?

That's what worries me.

They could call it an investment for the future…

VICE MINISTER AHN DONG-SU VYING TO REMOVE OLD REGULATIONS

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION IS CONSIDERED

Or it could be a way to create new slush funds.

Also, the man in charge of R & D on this project at Yullyeong Factory

was General Manager Chae.

And…

some believe he supports the vice president.

Hello.

Hello.

We only have one more day.

The hearse is leaving tomorrow.

I'm sure we'll find something.

The vice president looks really upset.

Did you visit Mr. Hwang Gun-woong on the night he died?

Yes, I did.

Why?

I got a text from him.

It's our understanding that you two weren't on very good terms.

What the hell…

Why would I lie?

What did you talk about?

I never got into his room.

The nurse stopped me, saying he was asleep.

I don't know if he really was asleep or if his wife wanted to keep me away.

By the way…

why are you asking me this?

It's just a formality.

TRUSTWORTHY POLICE, SAFE NATION

They questioned everyone who saw him that day, including all hospital staff.

You shouldn't be too concerned.

Goodbye.

Damn it, where is it?

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Ksitigarbha…

May he rest in peace.

Thank you for coming all this way.

Of course I had to.

Thank you.

The vice president was interrogated by the police.

Sir, there you are. I've been calling you.

Something terrible…

Something terrible happened.

What is it now?

Well…

The vice minister sent these back, saying he doesn't need them anymore.

After he's taken every gift I've given him?

And, sir, well, there's also…

Also what?

I heard this from a high-level official at Cheongon City Hall,

and some are saying they should reconsider

the Cheongon Sports Complex contract.

Unbelievable.

Feels like the whole world is against me.

-Director Yang. -Yes, sir.

Contact the directors

and ask how much they want.

But, sir, how…

how would you get the money…

That's none of your concern.

Tell him everything?

Since when do you trust Mr. Yang so much?

I don't trust him.

There's a question I need him to answer.

Yes, sir.

-Mr. Yang. -Yes?

There's something I need to tell you.

-Go ahead. -Could we talk over there?

What?

-Slush funds? -You didn't know?

Slush funds? Seriously?

Wait, who do they belong to?

To the late president, but we don't know who has them now.

Mr. Shin thinks his death has something to do with the slush funds.

Is he suspecting the vice president?

SHIN CHA-IL, TEAM LEADER

Please tell him for the sake of the company.

The business trip record of the New York office you asked for.

GLOBAL STRATEGY CHAE JONG-WOO, FLORIDA

MEETING WITH ARCHCLE'S ACCOUNTANT

Where in the US did Benjamin Lee go to college?

New York.

Vice Minister Ahn, isn't he?

You'd expect to see a man of his position at the JU president's funeral.

Some believe he supports the vice president.

YEOM KYUNG-SEOK, AUDIT

Hey, Mr. Shin,

I've heard what's going on,

so what do you want to know?

Now that you've heard,

I need you to be honest with me.

Was it the VP who promoted Mr. Chae to the general manager

of Outsource Purchasing?

General Manager Chae?

The slush funds… Wait a minute.

It was the president's order to promote General Manager Chae.

But the vice president didn't object.

Why are you asking about General Manager Chae?

Is the subcontractors' list complete?

Yes, sir. Here you go.

You call this an official document?

-Excuse me? -What is this?

Who writes documents like this?

You should be ashamed of yourself.

I'm sorry.

This isn't just to Mr. Kim.

You are all a mess. A total mess!

As long as I'm here, everything about this department will change.

We'll never again embarrass the top brass by mismanaging the subcontractors.

Do you understand?

Get your heads on straight and focus on work.

Do this again.

Yes, sir.

May I please have a minute of your time?

Were you the man in charge at Yullyeong Factory?

Yes, I was, so?

The research funding increased, and the labor cost rose significantly.

Even for recruiting more researchers, wasn't it too excessive?

R & D is always in need of more funding.

It may seem unnecessary now,

but you need to spend the money for the future.

Even when the regulation issues remain unresolved?

The bill will pass soon.

So we must get ready.

You are certain it will pass.

I'm an optimist.

You're close to VP Hwang Dae-woong, aren't you?

-Should you be asking me that? -Is there a reason I can't?

What about with the current president?

What is it you really want to ask?

Have you heard of Archcle Design?

I haven't.

You haven't heard of the architecture firm JU mainly works with?

I'm still trying to catch up.

Is there a problem with that firm?

JU DESIGN PLAN CONTEST APPLICATION

Who is this?

This is Benjamin Lee. You know him?

I do not.

But you met him in New York six years ago.

I don't know what you mean.

Here are records of your trips to Florida.

It matches the date Archcle was founded.

We have it on record that you went to Florida

and met with the accountant.

You have two options.

First is to be terminated and face criminal charges

for setting up illegal slush funds alone.

Second,

is to tell me the real owner and ask for leniency.

I will give you time.

You have until this evening.

-Welcome. -Hello.

Could you please follow that SUV?

CHAE JONG-WOO - OUTSOURCE PURCHASING GENERAL MANAGER

Hello, I think the Audit Team leader is onto me.

The vice president just left the building, and I am following him.

Han-soo, find out where President Hwang Se-woong goes,

and Seo-jin, find out where Vice President Hwang Dae-woong goes.

I will give General Manager Chae an ultimatum.

Then, he will run to the owner of the safe.

The vice president left the office,

and I'm following him in a taxi.

Yes, you want me to…

Yes, sir.

Oh, man.

CHAIRMAN BANG GI-HO

I think I found the real owner of the slush funds.

Yes, I will call you right away.

Mr. Chae?

Mr. Chae.

SHIN CHA-IL, TEAM LEADER

Your call is being…

What's wrong?

Did something happen?

The phone is off. Your call will be forwarded to…

YOON SEO-JIN

Hello, Seo-jin.

Han-soo, we're in big trouble.

Subtitle translation by: Kim Yeojung