Son Seok-gu Makes a Powerful Debut in MBC's 'Casino', Setting the Stage for Intense Drama

Son Seok-gu made a striking first appearance, capturing the audience's attention.

On the 18th, the fifth episode of MBC's special series 'Casino' (directed and written by Kang Yoon-sung, produced by Arc Media, C-JeS Entertainment, and BA Entertainment) aired at 10 PM. The episode showcased Cha Moo-sik (played by Choi Min-sik) expanding his VIP casino business in Caliz, successfully acquiring the exclusive operating rights for the Bolton Hotel VIP Casino, thus opening the 'second casino game' and drawing viewers' attention.

The episode also marked the official debut of another protagonist, Lee Seung-hoon (played by Son Seok-gu), heightening viewers' expectations. Son Seok-gu, portraying 'Korean Desk' Lee Seung-hoon, was seen arriving in the Philippines, a scene that recorded a 4.2% viewership rating (Seoul metropolitan households, Nielsen Korea), reflecting the audience's anticipation for future developments.

Cha Moo-sik and Chairman Min Seok-jun (played by Kim Hong-pa) strengthened their position by securing the exclusive operating rights for the largest casino in the area, the Bolton Hotel Casino. Yang Jeong-pal (played by Lee Dong-hwi) developed a romantic relationship with Kim So-jung (played by Son Eun-seo), a front desk employee at the Casabi Hotel, and with Cha Moo-sik's help, she was scouted to the Bolton Hotel. However, Kim So-jung hinted to Philip (played by Lee Hae-woo), who assists in casino operations, that she has no ties with Jeong-pal, and through Philip, she approached Go Young-hee (played by Lee Hye-young), the owner of a Korean cosmetics company and a VIP casino patron, forming a new connection.

To solidify his VIP network, Cha Moo-sik partnered with a broker to target high-spending customer President Jung Seok-woo (played by Choi Hong-il) from Korea. By offering various conveniences such as golf, dining, and hotel room upgrades, Moo-sik gained Jung's trust and successfully lured him into casino gaming. President Jung became engrossed in the games, traveling to the Philippines multiple times within a month.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when two Korean college students were murdered by a gang in the Philippines. The incident caused a significant stir in Korean society, prompting the Korean National Police Agency to dispatch 'Korean Desk' Lee Seung-hoon (played by Son Seok-gu) to the Philippines for investigation. The episode featured Son Seok-gu's first appearance as 'Inspector Oh Seung-hoon', foreshadowing a conflict with Cha Moo-sik.

The preview for episode 6 showed Cha Moo-sik telling Yang Jeong-pal, "It's a murder case," emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Lee Seung-hoon received a report from local police stating, "It seems like the work of professional killers," indicating the start of a full-scale investigation and raising tension.

MBC's special series, the Disney+ original 'Casino', is a crime action drama depicting the intense psychological battle between legendary casino figure Cha Moo-sik, who makes a final gamble after his downfall, and Korean Desk detective Oh Seung-hoon, who relentlessly pursues him. The series has become a weekend night staple, steadily increasing in viewership and buzz with each episode.

With Cha Moo-sik's 'second casino game' in full swing, the anticipated conflict between Lee Seung-hoon and Cha Moo-sik surrounding the murder case will unfold in episode 6, airing tonight at 10 PM on MBC.

Reporter: Lim Chae-ryeong, Ten Asia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr