King the Land (2023) K drama with Im Yoon Ah and Lee Jun Ho Episode 15

Episode 15 of King The Land begins with Chairman Gu being shocked on seeing his ex-wife, Han Mi-so. Secrets come tumbling out as it is revealed that she created a union which the then president considered a rebellion. Despite being Won’s grandfather, he held the boy hostage and made Mi-so leave. She tells Gu that she has simply come to warn and request him that as a parent, he should let Won live his life. 

It cuts to a harried Won leaving the lounge on hearing about Sa-rang’s exile and bumping into Mi-so. When she moves to him, he moves back and she is hurt. They sit across each other and he comforts her as he says he has never blamed her. Nonetheless, she feels guilty and keeps apologising.

But he now understands her actions as he too has someone he needs to protect. He tells her to live for herself without needing to protect anyone and leaves. But with every step, his feelings keep rushing up till he breaks down and falls on the floor. He goes back in and hugs her as she starts crying.

Meanwhile, at the exile hotel, Manager Park reveals that the employees are doing everything they can but the hotel is not doing well. If the hotel is sold, the banished won’t have a place to go. At the staff lunch, the head manager gleefully says that the hotel will be sold soon. Sa-rang tries to pitch in an idea to save the hotel but he shuts her down. 

She is disappointed, but looking at a pinwheel she remembers when she and Won were stranded near Jeju. She smiles and gets to work. At that moment, Won arrives and he is relieved to see her. He gets emotional but puts on a brave face and walks to her.

She is surprised to see him and it seems tense between them. She has to work and awkwardly puts a pin on their reunion. She suddenly returns and smiles as she asks him to go with her (phew, you almost had us there Sa-rang). She puts him to work setting the tables and Manager Park mistakes him for a part-timer, ordering him around. He is confused but agrees till she recognises him and is shocked.

Sa-rang rejoins him and after work, they finally catch up. He tells her about Mi-so and how despite everything he has still not forgotten her. Meanwhile, Sa-rang tells him about her days such as going on a morning run in the forest behind the hotel and hanging out with all the locals who are friendly.

He asks her to return to King The Land but she wants to stay at least till next week as the exile hotel is short-staffed and there are 3 banquets. He is confused by her eagerness to help and she reveals how the staff are trying to save the hotel from being sold. 

At the airport, the creepy pilot, Captain No keeps hitting on Pyeong-hwa till she finally explodes and kicks him in the groin. She ends up revealing that No is the ex-husband who secretly registered their marriage. She threatens to tell his current wife and walks off with Ro-woon threatening him as well and running after Pyeong-hwa.

She tells him to leave but he refuses as he is afraid she will disappear. Ro-woon takes her for a drive and she wonders why he is not curious about her divorce. He says it rains for everyone but some get wetter than others. However, the rain always stops and he offers to be her umbrella. She smiles and kisses him. 

Meanwhile, Sa-rang takes Won to all her favourite haunts. The locals are glad that she isn’t alone anymore and welcome him. At night, he works on something secretly. At the next staff dinner, Manager Park keeps trying to win over Won while he and Sa-rang giggle at her attempts. The head manager arrives with news that he has been busy looking for ways to use the land after the hotel is sold.

He also reveals that it is Hwa-ran who has told him to sell the hotel since it is under King Distributions. Annoyed, Won declares that he will buy it under King Hotel. He reveals his plan of a forest therapy program with a retro aesthetic so the hotel becomes the main tourist attraction of the village. 

Sa-rang is impressed and says she wants to be like him and Won reiterates that he wants to be like her. They keep praising each other till Manager Park interrupts them. She is aghast to learn that he has come to take Sa-rang back to Seoul and she refuses as they need their best staff to revive the exile hotel. She uses her connection of being Sa-rang’s first mentor and both she and Won compete to get Sa-rang to choose one of them.

Meanwhile, Sang-sik, Da-eul, Pyeong-hwa and Ro-woon show up at the exile hotel unannounced to surprise Sa-rang. Pyeong-hwa and Ro-woon are all lovey-dovey as they are dating and Sang-sik is glum that he is the only single one. As for the purpose of the visit, the girls have a bad feeling but Sang-sik sticks to his gun to surprise Sa-rang.

But of course, Park informs them that Sa-rang and Won have just left for Seoul. Da-eul takes over as leader of their group ‘Six Siblings’ and announces that she will decide what to do moving forward and her first plan of action is to have Sang-sik treat them to short ribs. 

Back at King The Land, Chairman Gu gives Sa-rang the polite but cold shoulder and her smile falls. It is also Won’s first day as president of the hotel and he and Gu have a cordial truce. Hwa-ran as usual pokes the bear and says it is not over. Won doesn’t want to fight her as they are family but she scoffs as she never saw him as one. 

At home, her estranged husband barges in as she paid his lover to leave. She points out that she would have willingly divorced him if he had just waited for the right time. He slaps Hwa-ran but she slaps him back. She ends up projecting onto him that love doesn’t exist and everyone leaves. She tears up after he leaves but her son shows up. Ji-hu says he will be the one to listen to her and go back to USA. He hugs her and she keeps crying. 

At Alanga, Supervisor Do announces they need to fire someone. Da-eul pulls out receipts of Do using corporate funds for personal use and tells her to quit but she brags that she is friends with a director. At that moment, Won and Sang-sik bring gifts and congratulate Da-eul for bringing in the most sales. Do is shocked they know each other and Sang-sik says they are like family. As they leave, Do apologises but Da-eul doesn’t budge.

Sa-rang is deep in thought as she hangs out with Grandmother while Won is ring shopping. He sees an engagement ring that symbolizes eternal love and he smiles.

They have dinner at the same restaurant they had gone to on her birthday. He is anxious and keeps checking his phone for the drone operator to give him the signal. When it is time, Sa-rang suddenly says that she wants to call it quits. She feels out of place and wants to leave. Won is speechless while holding on to the engagement ring. A heart made of drones lights up the sky in front of them.

The Episode Review

Okay fine, looks like Han Mi-so does have a legit reason to abandon her son. It is super dramatic but well what can we expect from a twisted chaebol K-drama family? We also have to talk about Lee Junho who does so well when he breaks down after meeting her. You can literally see Won struggle with every step before accepting his feelings – deep down, he is just a boy who longs for his mother.

A pretty refreshing take as well on the cold and soulless protagonist finally reuniting with a long-lost parent by either rejecting them or throwing their arms around them immediately. King The Land introduces a third and very realistic option that tugs at heartstrings.

And even though Sa-rang and Won were apart for probably 5 minutes, we missed them. The way they easily resume their usual back-and-forth is so adorable. But the ending of King The Land episode 15 better be a red herring again.

Sa-rang needs to save us all from heartbreak by saying she wasn’t talking about breaking up with Won. She could very possibly be talking about leaving King Hotel as Gu gives her the cold shoulder and everyone must be uncomfortable as she is the president’s girlfriend.