Check In Hanyang – K-drama Episode 1 Recap & Review

Yongcheonru

Check-in Hanyang episode 1 starts with Deok-su entering a gambling tavern and slyly approaching Man-dol, the best gambler in town.  Man-dol underestimates Deok-su and allows her to join him. Deok-su takes all his money, so Man-dol bets the Yongcheonru Red Certificate. They agree that there will be no takebacks, and Deok-su wins the card. However, Man-dol breaks his word and starts begging to get the certificate back. To get into the recruitment exam, one needs the certificate. He begs Deok-su to refund it, but with the help of a friend who works at the tavern, they cause commotion and escape.  

Elsewhere, Prince Lee-eun follows a group of workers carrying a palanquin. He stops them to check what they are carrying, but finds no one inside. Still, he and his guard continue to follow the men. He watches as the men take the palanquin to Yongcheonru. The prince is offended when he sees a man wearing royal robes at the guest house, but his guard asks him to wait for the appropriate time to deal with the disrespect to the king.

Meanwhile, Deok-su and her friend excitedly escape. It turns out that Deok-su intentionally approached Man-dol to get the certificate. She has long yearned to enter Yongcheonru, the luxurious guest house in Joseon. It is run by Mak-dong and Mae-hwa. As she looks at the gates of Yongcheonru, Man-dol finds her and takes her friend as hostage. A fight ensues, and Deok-su and Man-dol struggle over the certificate. Simultaneously, Lee-eun follows the palanquin out of Yongcheonru but loses track of it when he runs into Deok-su fleeing from Man-dol. Disappointed, he decides to settle the issue between the two by tearing up the red certificate. This pisses Deok-su off, and she vows to make him pay someday.

Prince Lee-eun returns to the palace and walks in on the king receiving gold from Mak-dong. The king is a puppet put on the throne by the rich families in Joseon. He is trying to free himself from that chokehold, but men like Mak-dong make it hard. Mak-dong offends the king when he brings this up. He offers the king more gold as a sign of repentance. Lee-eun interrupts their conversation and asks to learn business management at Yongcheonru.  Mak-dong agrees, but clarifies that Lee-eun will have to learn from the bottom. He was hoping the prince and the king would disagree with his terms, but Lee-eun says it is no problem.

On the other hand, the king asks to think about it. He later tells Lee-eun that there is a shadow ledger in Yongcheonru. If Lee-eun finds it, he can save the throne. The king shows the prince a drawing of the only brass key that can open the safe where the ledger is stored. In another twist, we learn that DeoK-su has one of the keys. 12 years ago, her family was killed and attacked. Her dad managed to get her to safety before he died and gave her the key for safekeeping. He also made her live as a boy to survive and hide her real identity. Among the people who attacked her family is Mae-hwa. This is probably why Deok-su wants to go to Yongcheonru, even against her dad’s wishes.

The following morning, Deok-su helps the street stall vendor who has been helping her all her life. The woman runs a small restaurant in town. She grows concerned when she discovers that the search for Hong Ja-on has resumed. Meanwhile. Deok-su drops by the market to buy a few things and forge the red certificate. Later, she says goodbye to the lady who has been helping her and prepares her things to leave soon.

In Yongcheonru, Mak-dong asks Mae-hwa not to worry about Lee-eun. He is sure they will never find the key to the safe. At the palace, Lee-eun worries about his cousin, the Crown Prince, who has been ill since childhood. He recalls his promise to his uncle, the former king, that he would always protect the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, someone poisoned the king, and that is how Lee-eun’s dad found himself on the throne. After visiting his cousin, Lee-eun packs his bags, ready to start his training at Yongcheonru.

The following morning, Deok-su stops by Yongcheonru to do due diligence. She helps a woman get back on a different lady who skipped the queue to get the famous golden ice snack from the guest house. The guest house only makes five orders a day, and there is a high demand for it. Mae-hwa notices Deok-su and notes that she is a cheeky one. She hopes that they will get some smart and cheeky recruits in their next intake.

The next day, Deok-su meets Joon-hwa, and they get into a deal to help him sneak a few snacks into Yongcheonru. Deok-su uses the snacks to bribe her way in.  After securing her spot, Sa-seon asks them to change into their uniforms. Lee-eun sees the brass key tied around Deok-su’s chest and tries to get a better look. A fight ensues as Jon-hwa steps in to help Deok-su. Another trainee, Soo-ra, also intervenes. Sa-seon and Mae-hwa find the four at each other’s throats and threaten to deduct some merit points from each of them.

In the epilogue, we discover that Deok-su saw Mae-hwa kill her dad.

The Episode Review

Our girl Kim Ji-eun is back, and we have missed her since we last saw her in Love Next Door. This episode sets the tone for what we can expect in this historical comedy-drama. Deok-su has been living for revenge for the past 12 years. She wants answers and believes she can only find them in Yongcheonru. At the same time, the hunt for her is still on. Still, she walks into the lion’s den under a presumed name. It is dangerous, but I have a feeling that Joon-hwa and Soo-ra will be of great help to her.

Like with any historical drama, we have the mystery and battle to secure the throne at the palace. Once again, the king is merely a puppet. To secure the throne, he is sending his son to Yongcheonru to find the ledger that will put an end to everything.  Ultimately, both Deok-su and Lee-eun are on the same side but still don’t know. It will be interesting to see their enemy-to-partners arc.