Money Heist: Korea-Joint Economic Area Part 2: Captain Cha Moo-hyuk aired his suspicions of Park Sun-ho, as Professor heard every word courtesy of the bug planted in Cha’s spectacle frame.
Later, he had dinner with Inspector Seon Woo-jin, and they walked to his cafe. She answered a phone call and put her hand in her pocket, where she discovered a message from the ambassador’s daughter, Anna. As she discovered this, the voiceover revealed ‘Professor’ had fallen for the inspector. Did Woo-jin suspect (not trust) Park Sun-ho, or did she just want to share her finding with the task force?
‘Professor’ smelled a rat and returned to the monitoring station immediately. Moscow had hit the dirt, and Nairobi had almost concluded the printing of the money. However, things were about to take a turn as the police finally had direct and unfiltered communication with a hostage.
Money Heist: Korea-Joint Economic Area Part 2: Recap
Episode 7
The seventh episode of the show saw audiences introduced to Cha Moo-hyuk’s backstory. A nightmare for double agents, his current role was something way before his skill level. This knowledge bred mistrust among the task force towards him.
Within the Mint, hostages were resentful towards the police and wondered if the authorities would actually save them. Questions about Anne emerged as they remained suspicious about her knowledge of the escape plan. Her status as a VVIP also saw tensions rise. It was perhaps due to her that the cops abandoned the infiltration attempt, as she may have been viewed as a high-value asset.
As these events were taking place with the Korean summit on the horizon, everything happening was making the powers that be a tad uneasy. The deal was in jeopardy and the instruction sent across was to end things quickly.
Woo-jin met her ex-husband, who let slip information that led her to conclude that there was a traitor among the robbers who would look to eliminate Anne. She rushed to inform Professor, who relayed the information to the command desk within the bank. The group sprinted in search of Anne, who, as per an instruction, was on her way to a vault. Helsinki spotted a mask and continued on his rounds. While the group ran through the Mint, Rio combed the cameras for Anne. Once Tokyo returned to the director’s office, she and Rio deduced that Anne was on her way to a vault. The duo also saw that a camera was moved with the culprit using the blind spots well.
Anne was about to enter a vault, and a huge explosion followed. Tokyo and Rio forced the vault open, and smoke drifted out. Berlin arrived and got the news that Anne was in, but the girl showed up unscathed in the hostage room as the group questioned Helsinki about the cause of the explosion. The inspector used the incident and information to rebuild trust among the robbers.
Meanwhile, Cha visited Professor in the cafe and had a meal. He then made the age-old washroom excuse and snooped around to find something to get his suspect’s DNA. Professor learned that Moo-hyuk was onto him and had Rio plant messages as though Cha had written them.
As Moo-hyuk tried to learn whether Park Sun-ho and Professor were the same, the task force witnessed Cha’s chats and concluded that he was a traitor. Law enforcement went to apprehend Moo-hyuk, but he overpowered everyone and fled with the information. Park Sun-ho= Professor. He sent a voice note to Woo-jin.
Moo-hyuk also tried to warn Woo-jin’s mother, but Professor saw that coming and took care of the situation himself. The inspector’s mother saw him in the act, and he went in to dispose of her. He stopped as he witnessed her memory loss issues and knew she wouldn’t be a credible point of information.
The episode ended with the police following through with their plan, i.e., ensure hostage safety and stop the printing of money. They shut off the power to the Mint. At the same time, Oslo took a fatal blow to his skull when he went to give water to the restrained security guards. The group received a note from the hostages, and Mint director Cho Young-min managed to sneak a weapon into them.
Episode 8
It began with a flashback to the days Professor got his group up to speed about the plan. The group celebrated at the end of the lessons, and Nairobi, who tried to seduce Park Sun-ho, got kicked out into the corridor.
Back in the present day, Denver, Nairobi, Berlin, and Moscow went after the hostages. Denver got to the loading dock first and prevented the assistant director from setting off a bomb booby trap. While the two groups battled in the loading dock, Park Chul-woo attacked the group’s communication systems within the bank. This was a decisive blow as Professor could not contact them or function as the eye in the sky.
An extraction group bombed the door and broke through. They exchanged gunfire with Moscow, Berlin, Nairobi, and Denver, who ran out of ammunition. As this was happening, the hostages went to the roof to attempt their real escape plan. Tokyo eventually saved her colleagues and drove the extraction team out. When the robbers discovered the hostages weren’t in the loading dock anymore, they rushed to the roof. Denver stopped many of them on the stairs but urged Mi-seon to flee.
The cops set up an air bed for the hostages to jump on. Berlin shot through the door on the roof and ran to prevent anyone from jumping. As the assistant director and Anne leaped, he caught Anne in mid-air and got back up. The director had gotten entangled in a harness and was also recaptured. Mi-seon and Tokyo pulled them up.
The group discovered Oslo’s corpse and laid down the law for the remaining hostages. Buoyed by Anne’s speech and the 29 who escaped, the group showed solidarity and did not obediently follow instructions.
Berlin continued his search for the mole within the group and grew increasingly unstable as he did not have medication for his condition. Rio remained the prime suspect as his parents had appeared among the crowd outside the Mint, where the politicians promised amnesty via a big screen address.
Unknown to the group, Nairobi was revealed as the snitch. Berlin, however, remained convinced about Tokyo and Rio, going so far as to restrain them with Helsinki’s help.
The two were taped on tables, with Berlin desperately seeking a confession. After Rio obliged, Berlin proceeded to send Tokyo out to the police. He then stepped out of the Mint with Anne and demanded North Korean prison camp warden Yeon Jong-soo be brought to the Mint.
Thanks to the hostage escape, the authorities learned of Berlin’s illness and used it to their advantage. As Huntington’s is rare, they tracked down shipments of the same and came across a bulk one. It was picked up by a car that vanished near an abandoned resort. Woo-jin personally went to the location, which she correctly suspected was the robbers’ initial base of operations.
Park Sun-ho prepared for this and allowed the cops to search a bit. He then triggered multiple bombs, which had quite a loud activation noise. Everyone escaped safely. In this episode, audiences learn that Berlin and his family fled the North due to his rare illness.
Episode 9
The flashbacks showed how Professor approached Berlin and the group of mercenaries. Berlin showed a sign of recognition when, as his group waterboarded Park Sun-ho, the man said he wanted to meet his brother. There didn’t seem to be animosity as Berlin understood his brother did what he had to, to escape.
Woo-jin interrogated Tokyo unsuccessfully, as she refused to cooperate. She was officially taken away when the truth emerged. Nairobi stepped in Berlin’s path and confessed she was the traitor. Tokyo and Berlin shared words that showed it was their plan to play on Nairobi’s conscience. She was the leak as she saw her child among the crowd where Rio’s parents were also present.
Berlin tossed out Tokyo anyway, as she would be rescued and give Professor some information about Nairobi’s child and the latest updates from the Mint. It seemed to be a pre-planned strategy should communication systems fail. The act would also lay a false trail that there was disharmony among the group. However, Berlin later disclosed that it was a gamble, and Rio hoped Professor would identify it and act.
Woo-jin saw Kim in the command center, and light dawned on her once she was ordered out. Why would someone kill after getting a commuted sentence? Someone had leverage on Nairobi!
Tokyo’s convoy was stopped en route, and Berlin’s group broke her out. The lead woman revealed herself as Seoul. This group of mercenaries worked under Berlin and was there as a backup.
Woo-jin learned that all the identified robbers’ families were part of Kim Sang-man’s broadcast. Hence, the politicians tried to get to them in that manner.
Seoul, Tokyo, and the mercenaries headed off to save Nairobi’s child. As this was happening, Jeon Yong-soo appeared at the Mint and attempted to change public opinion. He accused Berlin of raping and burning his stepdaughter at the camp.
However, the robbers anticipated this and following their successful mission at Sang-man’s house, and they turned the tables on the authorities. Seoul revealed herself as Yong-soo’s stepdaughter and claimed he raped her. She also said that Yong-soo wanted her at the camp as a medic for that reason; Berlin saved her. The group also exposed Kim Sang-man as the one who used an innocent child to kill a hostage and jeopardize the safety of everyone. Berlin then turned the definition of thieves and owners around.
He also told Rio about why it was crucial for them to position themselves as revolutionaries instead of just criminals. The episode ended with Berlin offering the hostages the opportunity to leave, with the catch that those who stayed would get 3 billion won.
Episode 10
The episode saw Professor save Woo-jin when she collapsed outside his cafe. Within the Mint, the director called the money a ruse and said they would be fired for cooperating with the criminals. Anne reminded him he was anyway on his way out for endangering the ones within. True to their word, the robbers let the ones who choose freedom leave.
Seoul refuted Moo-hyuk’s attempts to free him and gave Tokyo medicine to take to Berlin. The Task Force suspected the robbers and moved the media away from the bank. It proved to be an impediment, as Tokyo needed the distraction to get back into the Mint. Nevertheless, she rode straight through and escaped the drones that were sent after her. Moscow got shot in this sequence. Another important event was Mi-seon opting to sprint back in after initially walking out.
Cha Moo-hyuk escaped from Professor’s lair and was pursued by the mercenaries. He got hit by a vehicle and ensured Professor couldn’t catch him. Woo-jin connected the dots and identified Professor as Park Sun-ho.
Tokyo informed the robbers that the summit would move a day ahead.
Episode 11
Seoul urged Professor to use Woo-jin for their plan as entering the hospital to deal with Moo-hyuk would be too risky. Rio continued to express his doubts about Professor after seeing Moscow’s injury. The dying man had a heart-to-heart with Mi-seon before he finally succumbed. As this was happening, the robbers kept digging away at their escape tunnel.
Woo-jin met Professor and invited him to see Moo-hyuk in the hospital. It seemed to be a ploy as someone was following her. She then planted a tracker under his collar while embracing him. Seoul realized this was she saw the inspector following Professor back to the hideout. Park Sun-ho disposed of the tracker and Woo-jin received a suspension for her actions as she was accused of conspiring with Professor.
The tunnels met, and the escape route was ready. Once Professor returned to his lair, Woo-jin had him at gunpoint. He then revealed the truth about the JEA- it was just for the conglomerates to get rich. Park Sun-ho blamed himself for it as it was his research that made it possible. He shot Woo-jin to end the episode.
Episode 12
Professor entered the vault and saw the printed bank notes. The robbers then carried the bundles to the escape route. Woo-jin regained consciousness in the lair and saw that the bullet had just pierced her bulletproof vest. She broke free and informed the authorities about Professor’s hideout.
Whilst signing the summit papers, the two politicians opted to storm the bank, no matter the collateral damage.
Soldiers stormed the bank and entered a fierce gun battle with Rio and Tokyo. Using the distraction, they opened the doors as well to get reinforcements. Tokyo took a bullet wound but recovered and rejoined the gun battle. Stockholm (Mi-sun) also joined the group to fend off the soldiers.
As one soldier, Park Chul-woo was in the Mint earlier, he knew the escape plan and went to the tunnel. There, they discovered a blocked tunnel containing only the hostages.
Moo-hyuk returned to the Task Force tent and joined the group’s efforts from within. The cops surrounded the hideout, as two people had now verified it. As one escape route was blocked, Professor seemed on the verge of a breakdown. His brother stayed behind due to the detonator failure, and Seoul rushed back to help him. She pulled him through the tunnel after the soldiers opened the vault and shot a detonator to trigger an explosion that blocked the escape route. Woo-jin made her way to the tunnels to apprehend the gang but got arrested by the soldiers.
The mercenaries planted bombs at various locations around the square that exploded and revealed giant red balloons. These popped and scattered Korean won on the ground. Disgusted by Sang-man’s actions against the public interest, the Police chief and Moo-hyuk left the Task Force tent.
The robbers made it out and fled to Russia on a train. To mitigate the damages, the authorities tried to spin the narrative and justify that anything has its own opposing point of view that would be pushed by the others. However, the element of doubt had been sowed, and the citizens viewed them as real robbers.
Money Heist: Korea-Joint Economic Area Part 2 Ending Explained
Why was Woo-jin arrested?
The Task Force needed a fall guy, and Woo-jin’s unfortunate equation with Professor made her the perfect person of interest. Her proximity to the mastermind and the investigation and her actions following an official dismissal from the group only aided the authorities in suspending her.
As the robbers fled, the politicians couldn’t save face as they were presented as real robbers. To show their superiors a win of some sort, Seon Woo-jin was taken into custody.
What was the escape plan used by Professor to get the robbers out of the Korean Mint?
The authorities captured the hideout from where the gang was to emerge and board a truck to the train station. Professor seemed lost until he figured out something in a drawing from his childhood. He threw it into the water after Berlin supposedly died, but the light from a torch showed him as an escape route. It was one of the tunnels connecting the north to the south. He knew it was functional as his father was tasked with closing them off, but one remained open.
Professor steered the raft and the group through the tunnel before they emerged in the North, quite close to the train station.
What was the point of giving the newly printed money to the people?
Part of the newly printed money was placed under manholes near the square. The resulting explosions saw balloons emerge and pop to create a money shower. The point behind this was to back the robbers’ narrative. They were revolutionaries who identified Korean Unification as a way for the rich to get richer and fill their own pockets. As revolutionaries, the robbers constantly exposed the lies (Jeon Yong-soo, Kim Sang-man) and opened the people’s eyes. Hence, giving the money back was an act of taking from the haves (real robbers) and giving back to the have-nots (the people).
Did Berlin survive?
Audiences never actually saw Berlin and Seoul’s bodies. The duo survived the explosion and emerged from a drain onto the street, where they merged with the crowd and escaped. Professor came to know this when he got a call from an unknown number while at the train station. It showed Berlin in a kiosk and Seoul standing outside, showing that their love story would continue.
Will Money Heist Korea return?
Woo-jin made it to the holiday village location Professor had shared with her. Once there, he revealed that he wasn’t done yet and had a “wonderful plan” in store. Park Sun-ho claimed it would go down as a revolution in the history of crime.
The original Money Heist didn’t have such a reveal at the end, with the gang only returning once Rio was captured.
Based on the show, the ending, and the fact that key characters made it to the end, there is every chance that Money Heist Korea could see the gang reunite to pull off another heist.
