Unmasked (2025) s01e10 Episode Script

1
20 years ago
Cho Haewon Interview
Non-disclosure Agreement
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Ms. Oh Soryong…
are you different…
from Koo Hyeongtae?
Hanju's history…
is far more bloodthirsty,
twisted, and ruthless…
than you can imagine.
I've been watching you for a long time…
to see what kind of person you are.
And to see how far…
you're willing to go.
If your morals are stronger…
than Koo Hyeongtae's convictions.
At least till the end…
don't abandon me.
I need your help, Ms. Oh Soryong.
Will you?
What are you saying?
I wish you'd stop speaking in riddles.
Tell me what you mean.
If in the near future…
anything happens to me…
…don't believe what they tell you.
'Cause they did it.
Soryong!
Cho Haewon!
Soryong! Soryong!
Haewon!
Please! No, don't!
- Cho Haewon!
- You can't go in there!
"EP10: Oh, Soryong"
Hanju Central Hospital
I can't tell who's security
and who's police.
-It's that way.
-Yes, sir.
- Ma'am. Stay back. No, no, no.
- Stop them, stop them!
- Get back. Get back!
- Move away, please.
- Ma'am, step away.
- Don't touch me.
Back up, please. This way.
Step aside.
You're prettier in person.
I'm so sorry about your sister.
I never thought that our first meeting
would be somewhere…
…like this.
I guess our meeting was destiny.
I wonder if this is the last time?
You're surprisingly composed
for someone who just lost his sister.
Will you be…
requesting an autopsy?
Well, come on.
IN MOURNING
Open.
- Sir?
- Open!
Yes, sir.
I want you to get a good look
at what you did to her.
Autopsy?
What are you, a psychopath?
Huh?
You will not be desecrating
my sister's remains.
You've already done quite enough to her.
No, she'll be buried as she is.
What if it wasn't suicide?
You have evidence?
Well, do you?
So…
this was murder.
I'd wager you killed her.
You people smeared my sister's good name
and you drove her to suicide. Huh?
You enjoying this?
Aren't you bodyguards?
You're just gonna stand there?
The goddamn media vultures
are trying to take photos
of my sister for profit, what the fuck?
I assume in the past when you've written
your little stories on my peers,
in order to keep their honor,
they requested
that you withhold their names.
I'm prepared to defend my honor.
So…
you better come ready to fight.
Cho Jinman
The bitch is gone!
Guess it was all…
…just fate.
She had to go!
She had to go!
You hear that, Dad? It's finally my time!
Slap, slap.
When should I tell them
he finally croaked?
When was my lucky day again?
Hmm?
What's this about?
Hmm…
Well, so…
When do we
tell everyone my father is dead?
I'll be in touch when we're ready for it,
I already told you.
Stop calling me,
and for the love of God,
please try to lay low.
Got it?
Do I look like a manservant?
He thinks he can call whenever.
Things will change around here.
Let's see how long
you keep talking that shit.
I'm Koo Hyeongtae.
Man, you're practically dry by now.
Yeah… Well,
the call dragged on for a while.
You know what I think
the real issue is here?
It's the damn media.
I mean, just think about it.
You brought a criminal element
into the media,
and that's where
all your problems started.
The constant thorn in my side.
Well, this whole thing was avoidable.
You couldn't even take
that one show off the air, could you?
The thing about weeds,
they'll always keep cropping up
no matter how much poison you use.
So what?
You're gonna keep letting these people
muddy our affairs?
Not at all, no.
What I'm trying to say is
we need to find the root cause of it all.
That's why I'm gonna tell you this…
Are you sure Cho Haewon's dead?
I keep looking,
but I can't find any reports.
There's one article.
"Woman, forties, dies in a villa fire".
Wow, those Hanju bastards are scary.
I mean, this kind of censorship?
In this day and age?
-They're suppressing the media.
-I'm actually relieved.
If news of her death got out,
they'd be blaming Oh Soryong right away.
Silence is a relief.
Hey, this is the calm before the storm,
the silence won't last.
Apparently, they pushed
Lee Yumi's second trial date to next week.
Looks like the prosecutor's calling
for a death sentence.
Mr. Yoon, I think
we'll have to push back your episode,
so we can air the Lee Yumi episode first.
That okay with you?
I know that our coverage
could have an impact on the trial.
I'd be a monster if I said no.
Okay, let's do that then.
Did you get any sleep last night?
You!
Who do you think you are?
A detective?
Or you just like killing people
with your interviews?
Summons
For Oh Soryong's defamation of Cho Haewon
Come with me.
You think
you can interrogate people like a cop?
All I did was conduct a simple interview.
She didn't kill herself
after talking to you?
I'm sick of hearing about Oh Soryong
driving another person to suicide!
Don't you get
that once Hanju goes after you,
your days as a producer are numbered?
She confessed to me
that she killed Cha Seongwook.
Cho Haewon…
told me that herself.
She said that 20 years ago,
the cops, and even a certain producer…
were all paid off with bribes.
You said you dropped the case
'cause it was a dead end.
I guess that must have all been a lie?
So you're trying to interrogate me now,
Oh Soryong?
Producers are allowed to make mistakes.
They're fallible like everyone.
Sure.
If what Haewon said is true though,
then you committed a crime.
You stood to benefit from Haewon's death,
without her, it's like
your irredeemable past is erased.
You thought you'd eliminate Trigger too.
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Oh,
but it wasn't me.
You really think someone in my position
would be stupid enough to do such a thing?
All I know is…
it wouldn't be the first time
you covered up a murder…
without getting your own hands dirty.
You got evidence?
Can you prove that he was really killed?
Why are you treating his death as a fact
based on the claims of Ms. Cho?
You know, I've noticed a trend
in stories like this.
Sometimes it's blatantly obvious
the suspect did it,
but even when they're in custody,
prosecutors can't make the charges stick.
Once they finally get to court,
the accused is always able
to escape punishment.
You think the police, judges,
and prosecutors are all idiots?
It's not about personal connections,
flaws in the system,
or anything like that.
It's just… lack of proof!
Concrete evidence is the only thing
that proves guilt.
When I first heard her confession,
I was as naive as you.
"So she's the culprit."
"He's not missing, it's murder."
I didn't realize until afterwards
that her testimony alone
wasn't enough to prove her guilt.
So, did she give you
any solid evidence this time?
Just as I thought.
Back then and now,
Cho Haewon got her kicks
by holding the media
in the palm of her hand
and toying with us,
always with total impunity.
Her suicide was her final maneuver.
She ruined your perfect episode,
and she won her little game forever.
And you…
walked right into it.
I've been informed
that Chairman Cho Taesu of Hanju has died.
I heard a rumor…
the Chairman was actually--
He'd been bedridden.
He must have heard the news
that his only daughter
had committed suicide
after your interview,
and it was too much
for his fragile body to handle.
Here's what you need to understand.
Because of your involvement
in Haewon's death,
and in those of Choi Hoseong,
his father, and Chairman Cho,
the public perceives you as a killer.
So, might I suggest you start
rethinking your interview methods
because your body count's now at four.
Cho Jinman,
son of the late Cho Taesu,
alleges that his sister died the day
she was set to meet with Oh Soryong.
He claims her suicide resulted
from the producer's interview methods.
The police have obtained
evidence of other instances
where Ms. Oh's interviews
have caused harm…
- Hello, Ms. Oh.
- Hey.
- Morning, Ms. Oh.
- Ms. Oh, there you are.
Hey, Ms. Oh!
You all right?
What do you think?
I'm surprised you came in.
Today's your summons,
and it's the air date.
You make us proud, Oh Soryong.
You make us proud.
Thanks for helping,
even with such late notice.
You and Park Daeyong can make sure
the episode wraps up without a hitch.
Hey, don't think about that,
you have enough on your plate for now.
God.
Let's get started.
The president asked me
to pass along a message.
And what's that?
When you go to the police later,
don't say anything
to the reporters out front.
What do you mean?
He says if you say one word to them,
he'll have no choice
but to cancel your episode.
Mr. Son, that's absurd!
Don't get snippy with me,
I'm only a messenger.
That's all.
Shit.
Let's roll.
Nambu Police Station
Oh, she's here.
- She's here.
- Ms. Oh! Quick question!
Is it true?
Are you a sadistic interviewer?
Care to respond to Hanju's claim
of "murder-by-interview"?
Are your inhumane
interview tactics just for the ratings?
How'd it feel to stand where
one of your criminal subjects once stood?
It was suicide,
you people need to shut up!
You can't keep dodging our questions!
- Is it true?
- Give us a comment!
Care to comment, Ms. Oh?
- Ms. Oh, anything to say?
- Ms. Oh, please respond!
- Please, give us a comment!
- Tell us how you're feeling!
We understand
why you called an emergency meeting,
but we can't just remove the show outright
due to broadcast programming law.
I didn't mean
it has to get removed right away.
My point is that the situation is dire,
and this needs to be addressed.
You seem to have comprehension problems.
President.
Whether the show gets canceled or not,
shouldn't this talk of cancellation
follow a full discussion
of the situation at hand?
That's what this meeting's for.
It's a place for me
and our department heads
to share opinions on the matter.
Anyway, that concludes today's session.
As for you, Director of Programming,
meet me in my office right now.
President.
President!
What do you want?
Well, I just spoke with your secretary,
she told me you had a meeting
to discuss the cancellation of Trigger.
So I waited for you.
There is something I need to tell you
about Dr. Trigger, sir.
I've heard that you and Ms. Oh…
have a bet on to see
who unmasks Dr. Trigger first,
and the show's continuation
is on the line.
Could that be true?
Huh? Uh… well, yes. Yes.
You were there too, Mr. Son. Remember?
Regarding the good doctor…
Oh Soryong
happens to have already caught him.
There's actually two of them.
You know that?
Why is the Trigger staff
the most insubordinate?
Even producer rookies
have the gall to address the president
with such disrespect.
This is a serious matter
you're discussing here.
Do you mind if I tell you
who it is right now?
How dare you pull this in the hallway?
Go wait inside, Mr. Han.
Okay.
Who is it then?
Who the hell is Dr. Trigger?
I am, sir.
I can show you the VPN provider
that I subscribed to,
and I can tell you in full detail
where I made my post.
However, I only made the first post,
and then the rest…
were someone else.
-So what?
-Since our team's caught Dr. Trigger,
I'd like you to revoke the cancellation.
As for me,
I'll accept whatever punishment.
Why… would you post
something like that? Huh?
I thought I was doing the right thing.
I had no idea that it would get
so distorted and out of control.
I apologize.
The other guy used my account
to spread disinformation.
After everything he did,
I am requesting a formal investigation
into the fake Dr. Trigger.
Please help us catch him,
so that we can finally
get all the facts straight.
Will you do that, sir?
Mr. Han…
since when have you been
so dutiful and self-sacrificing?
Taking responsibility for my actions
is the least I can do.
If you tell me to leave,
I'll leave.
And I'll accept…
the punishment you see fit.
Really?
No amount of punishment will compare
to the absolute ridicule you'll face
when your team hears your confession.
You'll be an outcast again.
What could be worse than that?
I heard that when you worked on Soaps,
you used to eat your gimbap
in a bathroom stall.
Once a loser, always a loser.
Good luck with that.
Did you ever intend to honor
your end of the deal?
I guess that leaves me
with no choice but to…
…tell everyone about this,
and release the recording I took.
You know about this too, Mr. Son,
don't you?
I wonder why…
you chose…
such a loser…
for this charade.
Looks like
the public's turned against you.
It's so easy to fall out of favor,
you know?
Is this a part of your investigation?
All right.
Your name is Oh Soryong.
You're here
because of your suspected involvement, uh,
in the defamation of Ms. Cho Haewon,
namely, an interview.
Uh, you…
- Oh, you're here, sir.
- Mm-hmm.
Wow, here you are,
sitting right where Cho Haewon sat
20 years ago,
when she came in for questioning.
Pretty funny how things turn out, huh?
See how it is?
Everything always comes full circle.
Just the way things work, eh?
So…
I take that to mean
we'll be meeting again soon.
This detective here,
he came all the way here from HQ.
Be nice to him.
If you don't wanna meet again,
you'll have to smooth things over
with this one, got it?
Good luck.
What's with this coffee?
It's horrible.
Ms. Oh Soryong.
"BlueBeard" ring a bell?
"BlueBeard: Give me a few days
to bring Cho Haewon to Korea."
"You don't have to come here."
Yes.
That was the name of our source.
Were you aware
he was Cho Haewon's husband?
Yes.
They found his severed head
in a self-storage unit in Virginia,
in the US.
They found what?
What I'm saying is he was decapitated,
and his remains were recovered.
Interpol issued a Red Notice,
so we were just about to get on the case,
but then our suspect,
Ms. Cho Haewon, passed away.
So did they determine
an estimated time of death?
Aren't you listening to me?
We can't prosecute a dead woman!
It's all over!
What's important right now,
is that the number of dead people
associated with you…
is now a whopping five.
Now I wanna know…
when, where, and how you contacted her.
Now then, let's review each of those.
I'm here as a delegate from Trigger.
Let's get outta here.
Tofu cracker?
Not hungry?
Remember the guy
who put us in touch with Cho Haewon?
Well, he's dead.
Wait, BlueBeard?
They really are dying off.
I gave myself up to President Koo.
I told him I'm Dr. Trigger.
We can't get canceled
if we wanna do anything
about Haewon and Seongwook.
I told him
while Chief and Mr. Son were there,
so he can't make a move right away.
We didn't even talk about…
You think he…
God, Lunatic Han.
Empty-headed. My God.
Due to technical issues, the documentary
"Earth in Peril" will be aired instead.
Wait… what?
-Huh?
-Did…
What the hell happened?
What the hell's going on?
What even…
-Come on, pick up the damn phone!
-Dude, look… Look! Hey!
They canceled our episode
without any warning,
and I can't get in touch
with anyone in the control room.
Are you kidding me right now?
As I just told you,
these are the president's orders!
- Oh, get out of my way, okay?
- Sir, stop it!
- Goddamn it, don't touch me!
- Sir, stop!
Hey! Hey, wait!
- Let me in!
- You can't.
What are you doing?
Open the door! Open it!
Let me go! Open the door!
There you are.
You know it's against the law
to change programming on a whim.
The point of law isn't to follow it,
it's to use it.
It was a necessary cancellation
due to technical difficulties.
Broadcasting Act, Article 4, Section 2.
"Unless prescribed by this Act,
nobody shall interfere
with broadcast programming."
Three. "A broadcast entity
shall name a head of programming,
maintaining complete autonomy for them
and announcing their name at least once."
Not even you have the authority
to do this, sir.
I'll report you for violating
the Broadcasting Act.
Do you have any idea of the significance
of the episode you just canceled?
You just robbed a young woman
of what might've been
her final chance at salvation
before a death sentence.
Can you grasp the severity
of what you've done? Huh?
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Crimes need to be answered for,
regardless of who your father is.
Did you enjoy the investigation?
Huh, wasn't to your liking.
How low can you sink?
You're the reason…
I’ve had to sink this low.
Your pigheaded self-righteousness
is what caused this.
We're just getting started though.
I'm gonna put your staff
in front of the camera,
one after the other,
and they'll undergo
the same type of interrogation
that you underwent today.
Apparently, one of your own
turned out to be Dr. Trigger,
and another one defaced a wall
with nonsense
about Cha Seongwook still being alive.
And oh, did you know,
that last year,
Mr. Seo was caught driving drunk?
So you really were spying on us.
And Mr. Choi…
he enjoys the company of men.
Are you…
Are you blackmailing us?
Plain facts.
You love a good fact.
Go set up a press conference
and admit that you went overboard
with those interviews.
Admit you're to blame for everything,
and leave this all behind.
Soryong… this is your last chance,
it's not about our bet any longer.
You can take the fall to save your team,
or take everyone down with you.
The Internal Auditing Team just left.
I tried everything to stop them.
Soryong.
This is just unacceptable.
This is completely insane.
Is it true? Are you Dr. Trigger?
-Was it really you?
-Huh?
I just heard it from Mr. Son. Is it true?
Yes, it's true.
What?
You knew about this?
I don't approve of it,
but he didn't make any of that up.
As for the photos and footage,
someone else uploaded those.
Wow… so you…
knew all about this.
You were the first one who posted,
at the very least.
Who was it then? Huh?
Who was it?
Who was this mystery cheater? Was it you?
What?
Or, uh, was it you, Byeonggeun?
- What, have you lost your mind?
- What's the matter?
I don't see why we should have to tell you
anything right now.
Why?
When everybody else said you were weird,
I stood up for you. You know that?
And I get that nobody's perfect.
Name one person
who hasn't committed a minor infraction.
But God,
hiding behind a keyboard like a coward,
and exposing people
for their shortcomings?
Only a fucking loser would do that!
Who are you calling a loser?
Then just tell me who the cheater was.
See? You can't.
Because you're a liar.
It was shameful of me
to make a post like that.
I can admit it, trust me, I know!
I didn't make it up though.
I had no idea I would end up on Trigger,
I never even asked to be placed here!
I did it before I was hired.
Please.
You're the reason
our team is in this mess now.
Know that?
If you hadn't started
that bullshit with Dr. Trigger,
the real producers
wouldn't be getting fucked over.
"Real"?
Yeah. Real.
That's really flattering.
Real nice, everyone.
Gotta love the in-fighting.
- What a great look.
- You betrayed our trust.
We trusted you without question, Ms. Oh.
I'm sorry I kept it all to myself.
I just saw it as…
a secret weapon
that might help in a crisis.
Like a get-out-of-jail card.
I'm really so sorry…
- things ended up this way.
- Hey, Soryong.
Do you really think
saying "sorry" is gonna cut it?
Shit.
Ms. Oh. Ms. Oh.
I need you to…
I…
I gotta know why you went out of your way
to cover for Han Do like that.
I'm just hurt.
You hurt me, you know?
Remember what you said
about no one being perfect?
His methods were wrong,
but it happened before he joined,
and he was stating facts.
How could…
He was worried about the misconduct
in a publicly funded network.
When you sacrificed your integrity
and deleted the interview with Mr. Lee
so the president would promote you,
and everybody proceeded to judge you…
Mr. Han was the only one
who stood up for you.
Did you know that?
You, me, Mr. Han…
We're all just human.
No one's better or worse.
Cheer up, Oh Soryong!
The Late Cho Taesu
Father…
Father…
The Late Cho Haewon
Haewon!
Haewon! Why!
Cut.
Great work, sir.
- Very moving, sir.
- Thank you.
A friend of mine…
opened a year-old bottle of snake wine,
but the snake was still alive,
and it jumped out at him.
You sealed the bottle?
My goodness.
Director Jang?
Hello, Ms. Hong!
This is great!
This right here is a script, huh?
You sat down
and you cranked out great work.
This is why you gotta forget your pride
and focus.
I know how to make a hit show,
so just follow my lead.
You do that, and you'll be a star writer
from the moment you debut.
Looking forward to it.
Gosh, I'm so happy
to see you two shaking hands.
-So glad to see it.
-Same here.
Smooth sailing from now on.
- All right, shall we start?
- Yes.
Oh, right. Did you see the news today?
Oh Soryong's got more drama
than Soaps lately.
I haven't been keeping up.
You're telling me
you haven't even read the news?
You don't know about
today's press conference?
Hmm, the what?
Looks like it'll be a one-woman
confession show starring Oh Soryong,
so let's get started!
"To Koo Hyeongtae:
I'll do the press conference."
"The building lobby at 7."
You do realize
that agreeing to this conference…
Do you get how this makes us all look?
This isn't just about us, Soryong.
If you give in, you're putting
investigative journalism at risk!
They're gonna keep harassing us
from now on!
Just be true to yourself
and fight this like you always do!
For the millionth time,
if you go out there,
I will no longer see you as my leader.
Please move, Jeongseok.
I have to go.
She says she's gotta go, just let her.
Come on, Ms. Oh!
Not getting cold feet, are you?
Don't be scared. I support you.
I support you too.
There she is.
Ms. Oh, please!
Ms. Oh!
My name is Oh Soryong.
This is my first time doing this,
so I'll be reading from my notes.
I'm here today…
on behalf of the show Trigger,
to address certain issues,
many of which concern the way
in which our show conducts interviews.
I'll admit that issues have arisen
as a result of our show's
extreme interview methods…
which reflect our commitment
to reporting the absolute truth
to our viewers.
For this, I am sorry.
I assume full responsibility…
and as a result…
I intend to resign…
as Trigger's show runner…
beginning today.
What I just said…
was the formal statement
- President Koo asked me to deliver.
- Formal statement?
Hanju's history…
is far more bloodthirsty,
twisted, and ruthless…
than you can imagine.
I've been watching you for a long time.
To see what kind of person you are.
And to see how far you're willing to go.
If in the near future,
anything happens to me…
don't believe what they tell you.
'Cause they did it.
What you just heard
was part of my conversation
with Cho Haewon…
who visited me before she died.
Now if…
following this press conference,
anyone…
tries to pull our show off the air…
then that person
will most likely be…
a criminal accomplice trying to cover up…
the suspicious death of Cho Haewon.
Even if
our show ends up canceled…
we…
…proud investigative journalism producers…
we'll continue to fight
for free journalism,
and we'll seek out other outlets
if necessary,
to share the truth…
with our fellow citizens
and the whole world.
Oh Soryong really…
Oh Soryonged it.
Nothing can change a person's true nature.
Secret recording revealed,
suggesting possible murder of Cho Haewon
Yes, from the president.
If you'll excuse me.
This doesn't change a thing.
You've been demoted starting today.
Trigger will no longer have
their beloved champion of justice.
Yeah, well,
Trigger's still Trigger, even without me.
If you think you have the nerve,
try canceling it now.
Aw…
Looks like you came to the gunfight
with only your two fists.
Here's a complaint
about your breach of the Broadcasting Act.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Whose decision was it
to remove Oh Soryong from the show?
Is it true
you're being pressured to remove her?
Secret recording revealed,
suggesting possible murder of Cho Haewon
…will most likely be…
a criminal accomplice trying to cover up…
"Oh Soryong did what she does best!"
"Sorry for ever doubting you."
"Oh Soryong keeps justice alive."
Why bother attempting
to court public opinion
when it changes daily?
I only care what dogs think.
Hey, um, see the episode
about Ms. Yumi yesterday?
It turned out great.
And I'm guessing
it's thanks to the press conference,
but the ratings were great too.
What a relief, huh?
Hey, hey, wait…
Now that Ms. Oh's gone…
we really need to stick together
as a team.
Are you gonna keep avoiding
the office like this?
Didn't you watch the conference?
I haven't been avoiding the office.
I've been investigating.
Like she would've wanted.
To honor her will.
Of course you are, as you should. Yeah…
Uh, wait, wait, wait. Hang on…
Um, I got… a whole lotta candy here.
Have a lollipop?
You got any sugar-free ones?
Wait, didn't you see the episode we did?
"The dangers of sugar-free products"?
Hey, listen, that's--
The idea they're healthier
is a fallacy invented by corporations.
Those sugar substitutes…
and no disrespect
for people who really enjoy them…
anyway, that stuff's terrible
for your stomach lining.
There he is,
man of the hour.
I've been traveling,
so maybe I'm just out of the loop,
but I haven't seen you around here
in a while.
Mm-hmm!
Uh, hang on, Giho.
Do you have any thoughts
on who should take over for Oh Soryong?
Well, I'd assume
that Ms. Oh would want us to pick someone
who's a strong leader,
someone who's devoted.
Man, I just can't believe
they actually sent her to that place.
It's crazy stuff.
Disciplinary Action Report
Rationale for Disciplinary Action
Flower delivery for Ms. Oh Soryong.
Oh… I'm afraid she's not here right now.
Uh… who's it from, by the way?
Um… it's been a little while,
she came by and scheduled in advance.
Oh, here it is.
"Cho Haewon."
Ms. Cho Haewon.
Huh?
Cho Haewon…