Thrilling Revelations in 'Taxi Driver 3': Lee Je-hoon Uncovers a 15-Year-Old Murder Mystery

SBS's 'Taxi Driver 3' delivered a spine-tingling episode as Lee Je-hoon's character uncovered an accomplice in a 15-year-old 'bodyless murder case.'

On the December 5th episode of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' (directed by Kang Bo-seung, written by Oh Sang-ho), the unresolved 'Park Min-ho bodyless murder case,' which was the catalyst for Jang Representative (played by Kim Eui-sung) to start the revenge service, was revisited. The episode achieved top ratings, with a peak of 10.8% nationwide, 9.4% in the metropolitan area, and 8.9% nationwide, securing the number one spot among mini-series aired during the week. The 2049 demographic ratings peaked at 3.1%, with an average of 2.8%, proving its popularity (according to Nielsen Korea).

In this episode, Jang Representative discovered that his old acquaintance Park Dong-soo (played by Kim Ki-cheon), who had been close to him 15 years ago, was in a nursing home after suffering from Alzheimer's following a hit-and-run accident. Park Dong-soo was the reason Jang Representative started the revenge service 15 years ago.

At that time, Jang Representative harbored a strong distrust of judicial justice, and Park Dong-soo was in the midst of a trial, claiming that his son, Park Min-ho (played by Lee Do-han), a former university volleyball team captain, was murdered by his colleague Lim Dong-hyun (played by Moon Soo-young). Due to the absence of a body, Lim Dong-hyun received a mere five-month sentence, and Park Dong-soo was desperate to recover his son's remains, but Lim Dong-hyun never admitted to the murder.

Understanding the pain of losing a family member, Jang Representative decided to help Park Dong-soo. Together, they searched for clues, which became a source of strength for their otherwise hopeless lives. Jang Representative obtained CCTV footage from the volleyball team's locker room on the day of the incident, which showed Lim Dong-hyun assaulting Park Min-ho and conversing with someone hidden in a blind spot, suggesting the presence of an accomplice. However, Lim Dong-hyun, who was serving his sentence, remained silent, and Jang Representative and Park Dong-soo vowed to confront him upon his release and not let him go until he confessed. This marked the beginning of the revenge service. However, Park Dong-soo vanished like a mirage, and time passed to the present.

Jang Representative regretted not searching more diligently for Park Dong-soo at the time. However, Kim Do-gi (played by Lee Je-hoon) and the team reassured him, saying, "It's not regret; it's something that needs to be resolved," and decided to operate the taxi service to solve the 'bodyless murder case' that ended unfinished 15 years ago. Kim Do-gi tracked down Lim Dong-hyun, who had become the owner of a large fitness club after his release. Kim Do-gi discovered that Lim Dong-hyun frequented a gambling den disguised as a funeral home and suspected another figure behind Lim Dong-hyun, as he had received a suspicious apartment immediately after his release.

To make Lim Dong-hyun talk, Kim Do-gi devised a plan. He began to unsettle Lim Dong-hyun by making it seem as if the deceased 'Park Min-ho' had returned. Kim Do-gi left notes and missed calls under Park Min-ho's name to provoke Lim Dong-hyun. Seeing a note that read, "Are you sure you're okay with saying you did it all?" Lim Dong-hyun was shaken and checked the CCTV to find out who left the note. He was shocked to see a man resembling Park Min-ho from 15 years ago on the footage, and when he received a text saying, "Let's meet, friend," Lim Dong-hyun's mental state completely collapsed.

Towards the end of the episode, a new villain hidden by Lim Dong-hyun was revealed. Alarmed by Park Min-ho's return, Lim Dong-hyun sought out his friend Jo Sung-wook (played by Shin Joo-hwan), who worked as the volleyball coach at Jin Kwang University, and asked, "Is Park Min-ho really dead? Did you bury him for sure?" Jo Sung-wook threatened, "Should I bury you too?" revealing his sinister side, confirming Park Min-ho's death and shocking viewers.

Meanwhile, the episode hinted that the key to the case might lie beyond Park Dong-soo's lost memories. It was suggested that Park Dong-soo received a text from Park Min-ho before his hit-and-run accident. However, when briefly lucid, Park Dong-soo tearfully told Jang Representative, "No matter how hard I try, I can't remember," evoking sympathy from viewers. The question remains whether Kim Do-gi and the Rainbow Heroes can uncover the full truth of this tragic case and complete the first revenge service of Rainbow Transport.

SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Taxi Driver 3' follows the secretive taxi company Rainbow Transport and taxi driver Kim Do-gi as they carry out private revenge on behalf of wronged victims. Episode 6 is set to air on December 6th at 9:50 PM.

Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, TENASIA syjj426@tenasia.co.kr