‘Parole Officer Lee Han-shin’ has set a new record for its highest viewership rating.
According to Nielsen Korea, the fourth episode of the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Parole Officer Lee Han-shin’ (directed by Yoon Sang-ho / written by Park Chi-hyung / planned by CJ ENM, KT Studio Genie / produced by Kotap Media / hereinafter ‘Lee Han-shin’), which aired on the 26th, recorded an average of 6.3% nationwide, peaking at 7.6%, with an average of 5.9% and a peak of 7.4% in the metropolitan area, ranking first in its time slot including cable channels. The target viewership rating for tvN among those aged 20-49 also secured the top spot across all channels during the same time slot, proving its popularity. This is also the highest viewership rating for ‘Lee Han-shin’, and the consistently rising viewership graph suggests that this upward trend will continue.
The fourth episode of ‘Lee Han-shin’ captivated viewers with its intense developments and twists. In this episode, parole officer Lee Han-shin (played by Ko Soo) prevents the release of the main perpetrator of an investment fraud case, Kim Bong-soo (played by Kim Hyung-mook), and works to recover the hidden criminal proceeds of 40 billion won to return to the victims.
Lee Han-shin collaborates with Ahn Seo-yoon (played by Kwon Yu-ri) and Choi Hwa-ran (played by Baek Ji-won) to recover the money earned from the ‘Junbong Holdings’ investment scam, which was orchestrated by Kim Bong-soo and Park Hee-jun (played by Yoo Jung-ho). Initially, the detective Ahn Seo-yoon and the loan shark Choi Hwa-ran insisted they could never work together, but Lee Han-shin emphasized the “40 billion won in criminal proceeds” and brought them together as a team. Ahn Seo-yoon joined the plan to recover the criminal proceeds, while Choi Hwa-ran joined to reclaim the money owed to her.
Lee Han-shin speculated that the scammers had hidden gold bars in Jangju Restaurant and persuaded Choi Hwa-ran to purchase the property. Although Choi Hwa-ran hesitated at first, she eventually provided money to Lee Han-shin, and after acquiring the restaurant, they discovered the gold bars buried in the soybean paste in the earthenware jar during their treasure hunt. The sight of Lee Han-shin, unhesitatingly reaching into the moldy soybean paste to pull out the gold bars with a bright smile, had viewers bursting with laughter.
A brief confrontation arose between Lee Han-shin and Ahn Seo-yoon regarding what to do with the recovered 40 billion won. Lee Han-shin insisted that the gold bars should be returned directly to the victims, while Ahn Seo-yoon argued that, according to principles, the criminal proceeds should be returned to the national treasury. However, after witnessing the lives of the victims alongside Lee Han-shin, Ahn Seo-yoon changed her mind, showing a transformation as she stated, “I’ve lost interest in recovering the criminal proceeds.”
Now, the only thing left was to ensure that Kim Bong-soo faced justice. Kim Bong-soo had already bribed another officer, so he entered the parole hearing with confidence. However, Lee Han-shin submitted the victims' petitions as a straightforward approach and, using a “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” strategy, persuaded the officer bribed by Kim Bong-soo that “Kim Bong-soo has no money,” successfully blocking his parole.
The scammer Kim Bong-soo ended up in prison, and the criminal proceeds were returned to the victims. The sight of everything returning to its rightful place provided a refreshing sense of satisfaction to viewers. Additionally, the synergy created when three individuals with vastly different professions and personalities—Lee Han-shin, Ahn Seo-yoon, and Choi Hwa-ran—worked together delivered a thrilling catharsis. Viewers are left wondering what other morally bankrupt individuals they will thwart in the future and what satisfying blows they will deliver.
At the end of the broadcast, Lee Han-shin was attacked by an assailant while heading to his office. After being struck on the head with a brick and tumbling down the stairs, a significant expression from Ji Dong-man appeared on screen, hinting at his involvement in the incident. With Lee Han-shin bleeding and collapsed on the floor, viewers are left anxious about his fate.
Continuing its steady upward trend, the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Parole Officer Lee Han-shin’ has once again set a new record for its highest viewership rating and airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 PM.
