Ryu Seung-ryong's Struggles in 'Seoul House, Working at a Major Company' Bring Bittersweet Laughter

Ryu Seung-ryong's challenging adaptation at the Asan factory in 'Seoul House, Working at a Major Company' brought bittersweet laughter.

In the fifth episode of JTBC's weekend drama 'Seoul House, Working at a Major Company' (directed by Jo Hyun-tak, written by Kim Hong-ki), aired on the 8th, Kim Nak-soo (played by Ryu Seung-ryong), who was demoted to the Asan factory instead of a major company in Seoul, was depicted struggling to find new hope amidst the disregard and contempt of the factory workers. The episode recorded a viewership rating of 3.9% in the metropolitan area and 3.6% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea's paid household standards.

Kim Nak-soo, who became the safety management team leader at ACT's Asan factory, known as the exile site for ACT headquarters' high-ranking employees, found himself in a harsh reality check as he received handovers from his predecessor, including tasks like unclogging toilets, cleaning up dog feces, and inspecting safety management charts. The indifference of people who didn't even glance at him and the predecessor's words that he could just stay idle all day and leave after work made Kim Nak-soo uncomfortable from his first day.

Arriving late at the cafeteria meant he couldn't even eat properly, and in this fierce survival environment, Kim Nak-soo imagined the ACT sales team staggering without him and dreamed of returning to the headquarters. However, contrary to his imagination, the ACT sales team, led by Do Jin-woo (played by Lee Shin-ki), was thriving even in his absence, highlighting the bitter contrast to Kim Nak-soo's self-consolation.

Unable to waste any more time, Kim Nak-soo proposed a conversation with Lee Joo-young (played by Jung Eun-chae), the foreman at the Asan factory, to seek advice. Lee Joo-young, with her straightforward leadership and excellent problem-solving skills, was practically the powerhouse of the factory, and Kim Nak-soo thought he needed her help to work properly there.

However, having seen many headquarters people pass through the safety management team leader position, Lee Joo-young found Kim Nak-soo's efforts futile. To Kim Nak-soo's desire to do real work, Lee Joo-young coldly advised, "There's no such thing. Just stay quietly and leave when you want," to prevent him from harboring false hopes.

After the conversation with Lee Joo-young, Kim Nak-soo, reflecting on his position, stumbled into despair but found hope in an exile diary. The diary contained the story of a predecessor who, like him, was demoted to the factory but successfully returned to the headquarters, filling Kim Nak-soo with hope.

After confirming the identity of the predecessor with sales team deputy Jung Sang-goo (played by Jung Soon-won), Kim Nak-soo resolved to return to the headquarters. Like employees running towards the cafeteria during lunchtime, Kim Nak-soo set his sights on the significant goal of returning to the headquarters and began running again, raising curiosity about whether he can follow the path of the predecessor in the exile diary and return to the headquarters to climb the executive promotion route.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-gyeom (played by Cha Kang-yoon), who was hired as the Chief Destruction Officer (C.D.O) at 'Jealousy is My Power,' struggled to adapt to the excessively free-spirited company atmosphere. Continuing a fierce clash of values with CEO Lee Jung-hwan (played by Kim Soo-gyeom), Kim Soo-gyeom, in true Korean fashion, declared his resignation from 'Jealousy is My Power,' expressing his desire to live authentically. Attention is focused on whether Kim Soo-gyeom, like his father Kim Nak-soo, will find his own answer to what real work is.

The desperate efforts of Ryu Seung-ryong, who found a ray of light in a future full of dark clouds, will continue in the sixth episode of JTBC's weekend drama 'Seoul House, Working at a Major Company,' airing on the 9th at 10:30 PM.

Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, Ten Asia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr