Insider 인사이더 [2022]

[abs-oluteM]

Look at the lace on his suit @Tofu @mademoiselle

I was tossing btwn starting this and Link...maybe I will start this first. 

Press Con

 

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Tofu]

@abs-oluteM I purposely did not post photos of the press conference because I didn't like this lace suit. 

[Chocolate]

I'm not so sure about this drama. Reminds me of the HK triad type of movie where there are no good guys. But Kang Ha Neul (Kim Yohan) is a bit too gullible and may I say, stupid, to sympathise with.

 

The drama starts off with Yohan running away from a gang. I think this is after his prison time because he sports a crew cut.

 

Then flashback to 1 year ago, Yohan is gambling, and keeping an eye on some big shot. But he went out to get a breather and when he came back in, the big shot is gone. Police cars come and the den is raided.

 

Yohan is a trainee judicial officer. His father had been a prosecutor and died in the course of work. He had 2 friends, played by Kim Sangho (Mok) and cameo by Yoo Jaemyung (Noh), whom Yohan trusts a lot. They were the ones who asked him to go undercover to the gambling den. Since the raid was not successful, Mok suggested that Yohan infiltrate the prison to recover some info from an aid of the big shot.

 

While Yohan is considering, the gambling den owner captures Yohan. He puts him in a dentist chair and pulls out his teeth!!! He also turns up to Yohan's grandmother's provision shop and threatens to harm her. So Yohan declines going undercover as he needs to protect his grandmother. But Noh is killed. Thus Yohan decides to go to prison.

 

Now, the question is who killed Noh? I gather that Mok and Noh are corrupt prosecutors. They are making Yohan do all the undercover work to save themselves. But Yohan doesn't know it. Then there is Heo Sungtae (Yoon) who is a tax and financial crimes prosecutor. He is after Mok's group. But he doesn't seem totally upright as well.

 

So Yohan goes to prison. Yoon tells Mok he knows Yohan is undercover and warns him his scheme will blow up in his face. Yoon meets the prison bus and asks Yohan to be truthful and he will help him not enter the prison and return to his trainee role. And Yohan, pretends! Mok rushes to the server room and deletes the data. He sacrifices Yohan to save himself. So there is NO record of Yohan as undercover/trainee?!

 

Yohan enters prison and is heckled by the baddies who were imprisoned from the gambling den raid 😨😨😨

 

On to episode 2.

 

[Chocolate]

Kang Ha Neul Goes Undercover To Infiltrate A Gambling Den In “Insider”

DRAMA PREVIEW

Jun 8, 2022 by E. Cha

 

JTBC’s upcoming drama “Insider” has shared a new sneak peek of its first episode!

 

“Insider” is an action suspense drama about a judicial trainee whose life falls apart in the blink of an eye while going undercover to investigate a corrupt prosecutor. While in prison, he begins to plot revenge for the betrayal he’s experienced.

 

Kang Ha Neul will be starring as the vengeful Kim Yo Han, while Lee Yoo Young will be playing Oh Soo Yeon, a powerful and well-connected underground businesswoman who makes Kim Yo Han an appealing offer.

 

In suspenseful new stills from the upcoming drama, judicial trainee Kim Yo Han embarks on a risky, high-stakes quest to infiltrate a den of corruption. While following a trail of corruption, Kim Yo Han’s hunt leads him to a secret gambling house hidden inside a former temple.

 

However, Kim Yo Han isn’t the only one with eyes inside the gambling den: when he isn’t looking, the sharp Oh Soo Yeon carefully scans him with a keen eye. Meanwhile, Kim Woo Sang (played by Yoon Byung Hee) and Uhm Ik Soo (played by Han Kyu Won) also appear to be watching him closely as they furtively exchange mysterious items during a game.

 

 

While Kim Yo Han mistakenly believes that his undercover mission is a one-time thing, an unexpected turn of events will force his journey somewhere deeper and darker.

 

The producers of “Insider” teased, “From the very first episode, Kim Yo Han will be swept up in the stormy whirlwind of fate. His story, which will begin from rock bottom and the edge of a cliff, will unfold in an exciting way.”

Source

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Lee Yoo Young Grabs Attention As A Mysterious Underground Businesswoman In New Drama “Insider”

DRAMA PREVIEW

May 21, 2022 by L. Kim

 

Get ready to see a new side of Lee Yoo Young in JTBC’s upcoming drama “Insider”!

 

“Insider” is an action suspense drama about Kim Yo Han (Kang Ha Neul), a judicial trainee who experiences a crisis while undercover for an investigation of a corrupt prosecutor and ends up struggling to try to obtain a hand of cards that will change his fate. While in prison, he begins to plot revenge for the betrayal he has experienced.

 

Lee Yoo Young will join the drama as Oh Soo Yeon, an underground businesswoman. She is a figure who strongly influences business with connections and money. Recognizing Kim Yo Han’s prodigious aspect, she proposes him an offer in order to achieve her goals.

 

The newly released stills offer a glimpse of Oh Soo Yeon’s overwhelming aura. She exudes unique charisma that is both sharp and soft, and her eyes shine with intelligence. Oh Soo Yeon shows different faces depending on the situation or person. She is a strategist who stands back to manipulate the flow of the game, but if necessary, she won’t hesitate to jump into the field. Oh Soo Yeon’s driving force is revenge, stimulating curiosity about her backstory and her relationship with Kim Yo Han.

 

Spoiler

 

Concerning the reason she chose to star in this series, Lee Yoo Young commented, “It’s such an honor to participate in a project with senior actors.The script was really interesting. It was one that made me expect unpredictable developments, twists, and action scenes as the episodes progressed. The drama is full of fun, thrill, and touching emotions.”

 

The actress then shared details about Oh Soo Yeon, saying, “She’s a three-dimensional and an active character with various charms, so I really wanted to play her. She is a woman of great power and also a human being who dreams of revenge due to pain. As she is a character with strength and vulnerability, I wanted to express both sides well. I also focused on playing the role of Kim Yo Han’s helper.”

Source

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Oh, so he is corrupt.

 

Heo Sung Tae Is A Corrupt Prosecutor Who Must Go Head-To-Head Against Kang Ha Neul In Action Suspense Drama “Insider”

DRAMA PREVIEW

May 24, 2022 by S. Cho

 

Heo Sung Tae will once again transform into a legendary villain in “Insider”!

 

JTBC’s upcoming drama “Insider” is an action suspense drama about Kim Yo Han (Kang Ha Neul), a judicial trainee who experiences a crisis while undercover for an investigation of a corrupt prosecutor and ends up struggling to try to obtain a hand of cards that will change his fate. While in prison, he begins to plot revenge for the betrayal he has experienced.

 

The first stills of Heo Sung Tae from “Insider” showcase his transformation into the corrupt sponsored prosecutor Yoon Byung Wook. As the tacit power of the prosecutor’s office, Yoon Byung Wook will directly go up against Kim Yo Han and Oh Soo Yeon (Lee Yoo Young).

 

Yoon Byung Wook is the youngest applicant to pass the bar exam, so he’s exposed early on to the ladder of success. Since then, he’s covered up financial crimes by various businessmen and collected his fair share of the efforts. While hunting down his opposing forces, he sees through the hidden “bomb” that is Kim Yo Han and embarks on a personal mission to get rid of him.

 

In the newly released stills, Heo Sung Tae depicts Yoon Byung Wook’s dark aura and strong sense of pressure to minimize the exposure of his true thoughts and emotions. The second his glasses come off, Yoon Byung Wook’s aura gets even darker. While his sleek outfit is charismatic and reflective of his status as an elite prosecutor, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

Yoon Byung Wook’s true self has a sense of looming madness, as he ignores the gazes of others and stares people down with a sharp look. His life has always been a winning game, but judicial trainee Kim Yo Han proves to be an unpredictable player which leaves Yoon Byung Wook no choice but to pull out all his tricks.

 

 

Heo Sung Tae shared, “This is a project where I felt greed to act with a unique tone.” He continued, “I felt that [the drama] was meticulous and turbulent. The script made me feel euphoria and anticipation for what was coming next. As I was filming, the environment of discussing and creating my character with the director was so fun.”

 

Regarding his character, Heo Sung Tae commented, “Since the surrounding environment is already made into the environment of a powerful villain, I tried to act without strength. I think I moved forward while always anticipating and being curious about where Yoon Byung Wook was headed next, as he’s got the type of power that isn’t afraid of anything.”

Source

 

[Chocolate]

I like episode 2. This is now one of the dramas that I look forward to, in addition to WHY HER. There's a great supporting cast too.

 

Yohan of course gets bullied in prison by the minions of the gambling den boss. He has to pay their losses from the raid in instalments. But how can anyone make money in prison?

 

Enters his cell mate boss (Song), who was last seen in Stranger 2 and Prison Playbook. I must say, he makes a more convincing prison boss than a prosecutor haha. He tells Yohan that this prison is a gambling prison - oohlahlah - he will sponsor him to gamble. Now, what does Song want in return - we wait to find out. There are 3 levels, and the goal is to get to the top level, where you get to play with more powerful civilians, all set up by the prison warden. There is also a top gambler (Jang Sun Oh) in the prison which we will see more of later - even the guards are "controlled" by him.

 

 

I love the part about gambling and hope there is more of it later. In episode 1, Yohan was supposedly quite good. He has a poker face. But now they are playing some variation of poker which is different from the korean type of game. So he loses as he cannot grasp the secret of the game. There is some ruckus and Yohan gets thrown into solitary. There he meets, I think, the guy he came into the prison to find. This guy will teach him how to win. Looking forward.

 

 

A tragedy occurs. Yohan also learns that he is no longer "undercover". That he has been betrayed. So he will change.

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Chocolate

[mademoiselle]

@Chocolate So he'd gonna become a prison 賭神? 😆

[Tofu]

@Chocolate I was out of town so I'm catching up on this drama (I'm on episode 2). Have you watched episode 3 yet?

[Chocolate]

There are 3 key figures in the prison.

 

• Jang Sun Oh (Kang Young Seok) - convict, top gambler, a lot of power
• Song Doo Chul (Choi Moo Sung) - Yohan's cell mate who is also a gangster boss, sponsors his gambling
• Noh Seung Hwan (Choi Dae Hoon) - convict, is he mute/deaf?

 

Kang Ha Neul Reaches A Dangerous Turning Point As An Inmate Under Close Surveillance In Upcoming Action Drama “Insider”

DRAMA PREVIEW

May 31, 2022 by S. Cho

 

Kang Ha Neul is faced with a dangerous turning point in “Insider”!

 

JTBC’s “Insider” is an action suspense drama about Kim Yo Han (played by Kang Ha Neul), a judicial trainee who experiences a crisis while undercover for an investigation of a corrupt prosecutor and ends up struggling to try to obtain a hand of cards that will change his fate. While in prison, he begins to plot revenge for the betrayal he has experienced.

 

On May 30, JTBC unveiled new photos of Kim Yo Han as he enters the lawless zone of Seongju Prison.

 

 

Spoiler

A stand-out point of the photos is the “order” that allows Jang Sun Oh (Kang Young Seok) to style himself as freely as he wants, as if he lives outside the prison. Although he wears the same uniform as everyone else, he’s the real power within the prison who orders the inmates around, even ahead of the guards.

 

Kim Yo Han also gets tangled in a meeting with Song Doo Chul (Choi Moo Sung). As a gangster and a gambler, viewers can look forward to learning what kind of deal these two establish.

 

 

Another inmate with his eye on Kim Yo Han is Noh Seung Hwan (Choi Dae Hoon). With Seongju Prison being made up of a chain-like hierarchy of those who feast and those who are eaten, Noh Seung Hwan is the first inmate to keep a wary watch out for Kim Yo Han. Although Kim Yo Han has succeeded in using crime as a shield and his poker face as a weapon, he must stay alert because Seongju Prison is a place built to chase out insiders.

 

The final photo shows Kim Yo Han as a bloodied mess after being dangerously attacked by his enemies. With an insider, a watcher, a person of power, and an antagonist all mixed into one place, stay tuned to find out how any of these characters will be able to survive.

 

 

The “Insider” production team commented, “Seongju Prison is a place that limits Kim Yo Han’s movements, and while it’s also a hell that’s covered in ruins, it is also a ‘stage’ where growth happens. Within that, the characters with strong personalities that are born, their individual greed, and Kim Yo Han’s transformation will present thrilling fun.”

Source

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Kang Ha Neul Faces Off With His Prison’s Top Dog On “Insider”

DRAMA PREVIEW

Jun 15, 2022 by E. Cha

 

JTBC’s “Insider” has shared an intriguing glimpse of its next episode!

 

“Insider” is a new action suspense drama about a judicial trainee whose life falls apart in the blink of an eye while going undercover to investigate a corrupt prosecutor. While in prison, he begins to plot revenge for the betrayal he’s experienced.

Kang Ha Neul stars as the vengeful Kim Yo Han, while Lee Yoo Young plays Oh Soo Yeon, a powerful and well-connected underground businesswoman who makes Kim Yo Han an appealing offer.

Spoilers

Spoiler

On the previous episode of “Insider,” gang leader Song Doo Chul (played by Choi Moo Sung) proposed that he and Kim Yo Han work together. Revealing that their prison was essentially a gambling house, Song Doo Chul asked Kim Yo Han to try to get close to the powerful Jang Sun Oh (Kang Young Seok), a genius card player who ultimately holds all the power within their prison despite being an inmate.

 

In newly released stills from the drama’s upcoming episode, Kim Yo Han finally succeeds in catching Jang Sun Oh’s eye. In the first set of photos, Kim Yo Han kneels in front of Jang Sun Oh with an injured leg, while the other man gazes appraisingly back at him with an unreadable expression.

 

The next set of photos captures the two men facing off in an unofficial card game outside of the prison’s tables. Each man has a card plastered on his forehead, with no other information to go off of besides his opponent’s card and behavior. Jang Sun Oh wears a bright smile as he carefully watches Kim Yo Han’s every move, and Kim Yo Han returns his gaze with a determined look as he points to his own card.

 

As their game isn’t part of the prison’s established gambling system, the photos raise the question of what the two men could possibly be betting on.

 

 

 

The producers of the drama teased, “The newly awakened Kim Yo Han is beginning to make moves as a true ‘Insider’ who has broken into Seongju Prison, within all of its established rules and laws. Instead of infiltrating from the bottom, he is going after Jang Sun Oh, who sits at the very top [of the prison’s hierarchy], and his actions will lead to unpredictable plot developments.”

Source

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

8 hours ago, Tofu said:

@Chocolate I was out of town so I'm catching up on this drama (I'm on episode 2). Have you watched episode 3 yet?

 

Yes, thoroughly enjoyed it. But I will have to re-watch because I'm a bit lost on the gambling strategy/probability counting. Also, I always thought people who are good with words (eg lawyers) are not good with numbers - but seems Yo Han can do both lol.

 

After you watch ep3, do you think Sun Oh was impressed with Yo Han after he dared to do this? But then, maybe not, since he was the guy who taught Yo Han about the game while in solitary, so it means Sun Oh had already picked Yo Han out as a partner early on.

 

 

22 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

@Chocolate So he'd gonna become a prison 賭神? 😆

 

Haha I think so because that seems to be the way to get power in the prison. There is already another 賭神 Jang Sun Oh - at the end of ep 3, it looks like they may work together...

 

Are you going to watch? The plot is quite different and also unpredictable. Give you a taste - check out the link https://youtu.be/czei4gVL9l4

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Kang Ha Neul Makes A Dramatic Transformation In New Special Poster For “Insider”

DRAMA PREVIEW

Jun 16, 2022 by E. Cha

 

JTBC has released a special poster for its new drama “Insider“!

 

“Insider” is an action suspense drama about a judicial trainee whose life falls apart in the blink of an eye while going undercover to investigate a corrupt prosecutor. While in prison, he begins to plot revenge for the betrayal he’s experienced.

Kang Ha Neul stars as the vengeful Kim Yo Han, while Lee Yoo Young plays Oh Soo Yeon, a powerful and well-connected underground businesswoman who makes Kim Yo Han an appealing offer.

Spoilers

Spoiler

On the previous episode of “Insider,” Kim Yo Han found himself alone and in danger after entering prison undercover. After initially struggling in prison, Kim Yo Han was approached by gang leader Song Doo Chul (Choi Moo Sung), who suggested that they strike a deal. Song Doo Chul asked him to try to get close to the powerful Jang Sun Oh (Kang Young Seok), the genius card player who holds all the power within Seongju Prison, and promised that in return, he would protect him from Jo Hae Do (Han Jae Young).

 

However, after the tragic death of his grandmother and the betrayal of Mok Jin Hyung (Kim Sang Ho), Kim Yo Han was consumed by uncontrollable fury. As he made a dark transformation from “insider” to “revenge-seeker,” he became determined to use the rules and structure of the corrupt Seongju Prison—which is essentially a gambling house—to avenge himself and his late grandmother.

 

In the newly released poster, the disillusioned Kim Yo Han sits at a gambling table as he sets out on a high-risk, high-stakes quest for vengeance. He boldly declares in the caption, “I’m going to be the one to end things.”

 

 

The producers of the drama teased, “Kim Yo Han’s battle for revenge and the hidden truth behind [his grandmother] Shin Dal Soo’s death starts now. As he gradually begins to see the identity of those whom he must fight, please keep an eye on how he moves towards his goal.”

Source

 

[Chocolate]

 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Episode 4

 

We're beginning to see where the story is going, or at least, I hope I am getting it right lol. But there was no gambling in this episode... 😭

 

 

Jang Sun-O

He has visions of a gambling empire when he gets out of prison, where even the police, prosecutors and powerful people will be under his control. He is in a way, doing his HR recruitment in prison. Thus, the prison time seems like a dry run for his future empire. For some reason, he likes Yohan, to the extent he is teaching him the trade secrets. It looks like his other followers are not too happy about that. I like this guy's scenes but have not watched him in any drama/movie before. I think Yohan may surpass him eventually.

 

 

No Seung-Hwan

So he is neither deaf or mute 😆 He is Sun-O's no. 2. A white collar criminal. In jail for 4 years for embezzelement.

 

 

Song Doo-Chul

I like him, but maybe from other dramas. Here, he was the first to "help" Yohan - by saying he will call off the gambling den boss who was hounding him for repayment of losses after the raid (but his minions were still after Yohan for the weekly instalments), by lending Yohan the gambling fund (which totalled $800M won 😱) and for breaking Yohan's ankle just so that he will have an excuse to go to the infirmary to look for Sun-O. I think his target was Sun-O and he was making use of Yohan to get to him. But I don't know why. When Yohan left his cell/protection and joined Sun-O, he tried to kill both Sun-O and Yohan. Now he is in solitary. Wonder if we will continue to see him.

 

 

Oh Su-Yeon

She first met Yohan at the gambling den before the raid. She seeks out Yohan in the prison and offers to help him. In return, she wants his help to get back at Yoon Byung-Wook. I think she suffered some PTSD - she is always reciting 1 prosecutor, 2 prosecutors etc. Wonder if she was raped when we was in her teens and thus has been planning revenge for 20 years.

 

 

Kim Yo-Han

He was made use of by his father's old work colleagues and landed in prison for an "undercover" project. There's some political situation at the prosecutor's office which I am not sure of yet. As a result, his "undercover" data is deleted from the system and he is left to rot in prison. His grandmother was also murdered. Thus, he now has to find out why and perhaps take revenge. The way to do it is to get power in prison - by gambling. There seems to be another group of prisoners in the lux wing who are even more powerful than Sun-O.

 

 

Mok Jin-Hyung

This was the father's colleague who betrayed Yohan. He was also seen moving the grandmother's body. At the end of episode 4, Yohan had stabbed him in the neck and he was bleeding profusely. Will he die? Seems too soon. He was after a video that he sent Yohan into prison to find. But the prisoner who has the video is now "mentally and physically challenged" after drinking clorox.

 

 

Yoon Byung-Wook

My favourite villian. Looks like he is the main villian from the prosecution. Not seen much of him yet.

 

All images from Asianwiki.

 

[40somethingahjumma]

For the love of Kang Ha-neul I watched the first episode but got the distinct feeling that this is one show I should binge watch. It looks great but I don't know I can't hang out for it from week to week.

[Alice Wonderland]

The first two episodes felt so hard to finish and thought ep 3 would be a bit better I still feel quite annoyed seeing how he still got beaten very painfully. But then it felt much better from ep 4. It gives me vibes like prison break and Defendant. 

[Chocolate]

On 7/1/2022 at 6:43 PM, Alice Wonderland said:

The first two episodes felt so hard to finish and thought ep 3 would be a bit better I still feel quite annoyed seeing how he still got beaten very painfully. But then it felt much better from ep 4. It gives me vibes like prison break and Defendant. 

 

Just to prepare you, the beating continues. It's hard to watch but fortunately we don't really see the actual impact...

 

But the plot is soooo good. Everything is unpredictable! New and old characters keep popping up, sometimes for just an instant, but they are crucial to the plot. Major twist at the end of episode 8 😭. The 2nd half will probably see Yo Han out of prison.

 

[mademoiselle]

Oh whut! It's Jang Sun Oh?! I don't want to believe it! But whyyyy?

[Chocolate]

18 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Oh whut! It's Jang Sun Oh?! I don't want to believe it! But whyyyy?

 

I'm very sad about that too 😭 He probably didn't have a choice. Just like Yo Han also had to do what he had to in prison, and now also coerced to kill someone when he is freed from prison.

 

But the point is, will Yo Han be able to forgive Sun Oh, whatever the reason? I thought their partnership was one of the best things of the drama...

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Chocolate

[mademoiselle]

1 hour ago, Chocolate said:

I'm very sad about that too 😭 He probably didn't have a choice. Just like Yo Han also had to do what he had to in prison, and now also coerced to kill someone when he is freed from prison.

 

But the point is, will Yo Han be able to forgive Sun Oh, whatever the reason? I thought their partnership was one of the best things of the drama...

I've actually hadn't paid that close attention to details about the corruptions and characters, so I'm finding myself lost in "some" of plot development. And how Oh Yeon Soo fit into all of this? What if Chairman Do ended up also working for those two Yang brothers outside? Because who the heck asked Jang Sun Oh to kill Halmoni? Confused. Confused. Need answers.

[Chocolate]

2 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I've actually hadn't paid that close attention to details about the corruptions and characters, so I'm finding myself lost in "some" of plot development. And how Oh Yeon Soo fit into all of this? What if Chairman Do ended up also working for those two Yang brothers outside? Because who the heck asked Jang Sun Oh to kill Halmoni? Confused. Confused. Need answers.

 

Oh, I am in the same boat. But I think that is because the drama has intentionally not made it clear and is leading us step by step. Which is why I don't know what to expect next, and that is fantastic.

 

Oh Yeon Soo seems to be suffering PTSD as shown in earlier episodes. I think she was either raped or something when she was a teenager by Heo Seong Tae's character/someone on the prosecutor team. So she has been planning revenge for 20 years. As we saw in episode 10, she was pimped out to Chairman Do, but he took care of her and she rose from there and got her contacts. Whether she continued to prostitute herself to get power or she was a mama-san is unclear. She met Yo Han in episode 1 during the gambling raid. She knows his background and probably knows he was framed and by the same people she is after. Thus, she decided to work with him to get his revenge.

 

For now, I think the main villian is Heo Seong Tae's character and his fellow prosecutor. They likely get a cut from the money laundering. I'm not too sure how Prosecutor Mok (the one who asked Yo Han to go undercover in prison) fits into all this - I thought he was corrupt at the beginning but he seems to be a lone ranger now.

 

I don't think Chairman Do would work with the Yang brothers because he got put in jail by the big shots when he lost his business to the Yang brothers and became "useless". But anything can happen I guess.

 

Why did Jang Sun oh kill Halmeoni? I don't think, but I think it is probably at Heo Seong Tae's group's direction. No one else seems to have a motive to harm Yo Han for now.

 

I like Choi Dae Hoon very much. His acting is very subtle, natural. He did very well in Beyond Evil and again here. He's made Nam Dae Moon an interesting character, a white collar criminal who has brains. I hope we see more of him later.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

In case anyone is wondering whether to watch, do! So good, the last 2 episodes. The plot just keeps developing and developing. Very interesting.