King the Land (2023) K drama with Im Yoon Ah and Lee Jun Ho Episode 11

Episode 11 of King The Land begins with the last day of the Thailand trip. Won and Sa-rang keep fidgeting with each other’s hand while Sang-sik is sad that the trip was ruined because they split up. Won makes it up to them by getting everyone business class tickets and they are all excited.

Back home, Sa-rang brings gifts not only for Manager Jeon but also for the rest of the VIP staff and they are touched. Meanwhile, Su-mi and Sang-sik are briefing Won on the 100th-anniversary event. He then hangs out at the VIP lounge while working and Sa-rang tries to get him to leave. But this time she doesn’t try too hard as she reveals that she misses him too.

Hwa-ran’s plan to sabotage is underway as Sang-sik shows Won the guest list. Won is not too interested in her interference and tells Sang-sik to focus on the event’s rehearsal as he is counting on him. Of course, Sang-sik is touched and fawns over how cool Won is. 

Won then meets up with Hwa-ran and they lock heads once more. She explains that her guests, who are all government officials, can be used to make their businesses run smoothly. He doesn’t like that and says he prefers guests who helped build King Hotel.

At Alanga, Supervisor Do increases the sales target even more and Da-eul is frustrated. Do provides an alternative – fire a junior member which forces Da-eul to agree to the new target. Jealous of the Bangkok trip, Do also forces Da-eul to treat her as she claims that it is because of her that Da-eul was recognized as the best employee.

As for the King Air squad, the pilot continues to bother Pyeong-hwa. When she refuses to dine with him he orders the whole team to dinner as their senior. However, Ro-woon states that he has plans and drags Pyeong-hwa away much to everyone’s shock.

As they hang out at a cafe, Pyeong-hwa warns him for going against the senior pilot’s wishes. Ro-woon’s nonchalant behaviour has her wondering if he likes her. He says yes and she tells him that she cannot return his feelings. He says he doesn’t mind as he is not asking for anything in return.

Meanwhile, Won is busy overseeing the event preparations from the food to asking the doorman, Kim Bong-sik about his experience as the oldest employee. Bong-sik is all smiles as he regales his tales on how he is happy to be of service to the guests. He used to work as a salesman whose hunting ground was King Hotel but after seeing the staff being super happy he decided to work at the hotel. 

After their shift, Sa-rang waits for Won at the bus stop. He arrives from behind and tries to give her a surprise hug. She thinks he is a stranger and hits him. Poor Won falls and as she worries, he sneakily gets close to her and holds her hand. She realises that he is just playing around and smiles. He asks for a kiss on the cheek so that he can recharge his energy and she laughs while kissing him.

However, they are almost caught as they notice some of the employees on the other side of the street. They run into the first bus that arrives only to be greeted by King Hotel employees. Turns out, they entered a hotel shuttle bus. Sa-rang immediately pretends to be introducing Won to the shuttle service and the passengers all whoop and cheer. 

The couple quickly exits and then laugh at the whole ordeal. As they walk by the riverside, Sa-rang wonders if Bong-sik knew Won’s mother. He decides not to ask as he has realised that no one will ever answer him truthfully. After their date, Sa-rang returns home to Da-eul and Pyeong-hwa busy munching on chicken. They ask if Won has asked her out and she gets flustered and runs to her room as they chuckle.

As for the event, Sang-sik offers an olive branch to Su-mi and asks her to host it with him. They bicker but she finally gives in and agrees. Just then, a halo of light falls on Sang-sik and Su-mi is mesmerised by him before jolting back to reality.

It cuts to Grandma Cheon finding a suspicious figure in her kitchen and she hits him. It turns out to be Won, no surprise there, who had come bearing gifts from Thailand and decided to fix the water flow while he waited for her. He brings tons of silk scarves, pain-relief balm and other gifts for her and her friends.

She is touched but is annoyed when he says he didn’t get anything for his father and hands him back a balm. They eat lunch and Won brings up the topic of Grandmother raising Sa-rang. She recalls how Sa-rang’s mother had to live separately due to work because of which Sa-rang never showed any emotion.

But the only time young Sa-rang acted like a baby and threw a tantrum about wanting to live with her mother, the mother ended up in an accident. Since then, Sa-rang never asks for anything. On hearing this, Won promises to look after her and Grandmother.

Meanwhile, a curious Sa-rang asks Bong-sik about Han Mi-so. He doesn’t know much but directs her to room inspector, Kim Ok-ja who knew Mi-so. However, Sa-rang gets off on the wrong foot…literally as she enters the room that Ok-ja is cleaning with shoes. 

As for Hwa-ran, she warns Gu about Won messing up. He simply reminds her that he did not intervene when she first set up Alanga. Similarly, he will give Won a chance to prove himself. She is not happy and tells him that he will suffer the most when he abandons Won just like he abandoned Won’s mother.

Later, Won joins Gu while he is drinking and the latter tells him not to refuse help from Hwa-ran. Won instead asks if Gu ever had a dream for his hotel. Gu says yes and while he wanted King Hotel to make everyone happy, he never achieved the dream. He then angrily warns Won that he knows what his dream is and not to do it. Won just smiles and gives him the pain-relief balm.  

It is finally D-Day and a panicky and sweaty Sang-sik is trying to cheer up a relaxed Won. Won calms him down and tells him to have fun. Sang-sik heads to the entrance to greet the guests with Su-mi who also notices that he is sweating. He wonders if she likes him and she takes away the handkerchief she had offered him.

Well, the 100th-anniversary event begins and after Chairman Gu gives a speech, Won announces that it is time for the guests of honour to take the stage. But every time Assemblyman Park, who is invited by Hwa-ran, thinks it is his turn, Won invites employees, former employees and children of past employees to thank them for their contribution to the hotel.

Something unlocks in Gu and he goes through an old proposal of King Hotel being a place to provide happiness. Turns out, it was Han Mi-so’s dream. Hwa-ran sees the proposal and warns Gu not to ruin things as she has an equal stake in the King Group.

Meanwhile, Sa-rang invites Won home to cook for him as Pyeong-hwa is away. Sang-sik tries to call Won but he ignores it. They enjoy a hearty feast and drinks as they hang out in her bed. She decides to get up to get more beer and keeps stopping Won from helping.

Won takes matters into his hands – he picks up Sa-rang and carries her to the kitchen to get the drinks together. They end up making out as they decide they are not in the mood for any more beer. However, at that moment, Pyeong-hwa, Da-eul, Ro-woon and Sang-sik all enter. Everyone is stunned silent with Sang-sik fainting.

The Episode Review

About time we get some more Sang-sik and Su-mi. They definitely have the mettle to be the secondary couple in King The Land but it’s a shame they didn’t get to show off their chemistry till episode 11.

There is nothing suave or cool compared to the flirtation between Sa-rang and Won but Sang-sik and Su-mi are hilarious and cute together as they constantly get on each other’s nerves. It is also super sweet to see Won finally showing Sang-sik affection even though we know he is fond of him.

Something is definitely strange with Hwa-ran and their father. It may have come across that Chairman Gu is just misguided but he is as selfish as his daughter. Why does he not correct her when she declares that HE will suffer when HE abandons Won just like Won’s mother?

Did he do Han Mi-so a favour by abandoning her even if it meant hurting himself? That makes no sense. It is also strange the way he deters Won from following his “dream.” Does he think that it is Won’s dream to sabotage the hotel and put Hwa-ran up to fail? What is the reasoning behind his warning?

By the way, is it just us or is there too much rigmarole about how the employees love their job and how the hotel is a land of dreams? Sure, the K-drama also shows us the negative aspects of how they are overworked without any reward or gratitude. But Sa-rang, Bong-sik and the ‘VIP’ guests’ spiel on how they love the hotel and their job feels forced as if the drama is pushing the ideology of passion for work while expecting nothing in return.

How about, maybe they are working because they need the income to survive? While this is nothing new since Sa-rang has been going on with this ‘working to be happy and give happiness’ thread since episode 1, in this particular episode it feels a little too much that it needs to be addressed.