Summary
While many chapters have been poor in this series, episode 15 provides a lay-up to the finale with plenty of action and drama to start the beginning of the end.
This recap of Netflix K-drama series Privates Lives episode 15 contains significant spoilers.
We will be recapping this weekly — check out the archive.
The opening
Kim Sang-man learns that Lee Jeong-hwan likely faked Jeong Hyeon-cheol’s death and helped hide him. Meanwhile, corporal Kang Soo-jin is following Jeong Hyeon-cheol — Kim Sang-man asks to send in his men to surround Cha Joo-eun, Lee Jeong-hwan and Jeong Hyeon-cheol. The trio has to find a way to escape the building. Lee Jeong-hwan distracts the men away from the others; however, it doesn’t work as Cha Joo-eun and Jeong Hyeon-cheol are found.
This is a fast opening that will please the fans.
Lee Jeong-hwan fights the men off as best as he can
Cha Joo-eun is outside and a hostage, meaning Lee Jeong-hwan has a decision to make. He tells the leader of the men not to put a finger on Cha Joo-eun and walks outside. Lee Jeong-hwan proceeds to fight all the men with ease, but it’s not enough to stop them, so he tells Cha Joo-eun to depart in a vehicle. What a life-saver!
Jeong Hyeon-cheol is sick of his life
Meanwhile, Jeong Hyeon-cheol is still attempting to escape the building. Kim Jae-wook finds him. He asks Hyeon-cheol if he still has “the video” and asks him to hand it over. Jeong Hyeon-cheol calls him evil and that he’s not going to fall for it; he tells him he is sick of “All off this” and jumps over the railings to kill himself. Episode 15 shows a man so desperate and depressed with the situation with GK Technology that he chose not to live — a shocking start to the penultimate chapter.
Lee Jeong-hwan is captured
Lee Jeong-hwan sees Jeong Hyeon-cheol jump and kills himself, and then he’s surrounded and beaten by Kim Jae-wook and his men. Kim Jae-wook tries to create a narrative that Lee Jeong-hwan killed Jeong Hyeon-cheol and took his phone from him, which has the video. He tells his men to search him as he’s tied up.
The video
Kim Jae-wook uses Lee Jeong-hwan’s phone and rings Cha Joo-eun. He asks for Jeong Hyeon-cheol’s phone, but she puts it down. Cha Joo-eun wants to buy some time and think of a plan. She looks at the video and sees Lee Dong-ju, Minister of Land pick up 500 million won from Kwon Hyuk-jang who was the Chief Judge at the time; he’s given 400 million won; it’s part of the bribe. Yoo Byung-jun is also in the video, along with Mr Park — the Hwayeong City mayor, Mr Park from Janghwa Construction, Mr Kim from Kangsu Daily. It’s everyone who is in the leader.
Cha Joo-eun rings Kim Jae-wook and tells him she will visit him, but that he must not lay a finger on Lee Jeong-hwan. Episode 15 sees the peak of the conspiracy, with a video showing everything the world needs to know about the dealings behind political doors.
Corporal Kang Soo-jin is working on the inside
Cha Joo-eun tells Detective Kim Myung-hyun that it was his colleague Corporal Kang Soo-jin that attacked her that night and removed the CCTV footage and gives him Jeong Hyeon-cheol’s phone. Kim Myung-hyun meets corporal Kang and gives her the phone. She immediately updates Kim Sang-man. Kim Myung-hyun is pretending he doesn’t know that she’s working as a GK shadow; she warns Kim Sang-man to remove all his men as the police are coming.
Cha Joo-eun to the rescue
Cha Joo-eun arrives with her own back-up of men to save Lee Jeong-hwan and carries him away from the chaos. Kim Jun-beom finds Jeong Hyeon-cheol’s dead body. With Lee Jeong-hwan saved, he has an emotional and intimate conversation with Cha Joo-eun. They appear very grateful for each other. All the high octane drama is bringing them even closer.
Kang Soo-jin has been exposed
Detective Kim Myung-hyun sees his colleague Kang Soo-jin get into a car with Kim Sang-man; she gives him the phone, but there’s nothing of value on it. Kim Sang-man tells her that she has been exposed. He grabs her by the neck, furious at her mistakes. Teary-eyed, she leaves the car, and Kim Myung-hyun asks if she’s a GK shadow. Kang Soo-jin apologises, but detective Kim Myung-hyun tells her they shouldn’t see each other anymore. Surprisingly, he hasn’t decided to report her to his superiors — but then again, they are essentially as corrupt at this point.
An impromptu conversation with Bok-gi
Lawyer Oh Hyun-kyung meets Bok-gi and asks her where the ledger is. She tells her this is strictly business and believes that she’s trying to become First Lady but reminds her that if Yoo Byung-jun finds out who she really is, she will be finished. Bok-gi brushes off her warnings and walks away from the conversation.
Bok-gi reveals who she is to the assemblyman
Afterwards, Bok-gi tells Yoo Byung-jun her real name and asks if it is familiar. A flashback in 2007 shows the assemblyman as a prosecutor looking up her name. In the present, he is dismayed, but Bok-gi reminds him that he wants the ledger. She tells him that they can be great partners. In the next scene, Bok-gi is introduced to the party conference. Afterwards, she gives him the information.
Cha Joo-eun tells Bok-gi to stop
Cha Joo-eun asks Bok-gi what her plan is. She also tells her that she’s helping Kwon and thought they were a team; she wonders if this is all about Kim Jae-wook to make him jealous. Bok-gi tells her that they all have their reasons for what they do, for happiness. What’s ironic about the whole scene is that Bok-gi never looks happy.
Stop everything
Kim Sang-man tells Kim Jae-wook that they need to stop the news and the police — all of them. Meanwhile, Lee Jeong-hwan meets reporter Kim Gi-cheol. He is pretending to be Jeong Hyeon-cheol’s brother and gives him some information. As he does, the police walk in so Lee Jeong-hwan grabs the information and flees.
A path for Yoo Byung-jun
Cha Joo-eun tells Lee Jeong-hwan that they should expose the true faces to the people and let the public decide. A press conference is then held by candidate Nam Hyeong-jeong from the Conservative Reform Party; she withdraws her candidacy. She gives her support to Yoo Byung-jun. Following on from this, Yoo Byung-jun’s campaign goes into PR mode, with Bok-gi by his side. Kim Jae-wook looks on with despair. Late in the night, Yoo Byung-jun tells Kim Jae-wook that he will get rid of Bok-gi soon. Kim Jae-wook tries to ring her as he is concerned. Episode 15 shows the man conflicted; he clearly loves Bok-gi and does not want her hurt by these events.
Remove all traces
Assemblyman holds a press conference and states the accusations against him are slanderous. He shows a photo between Yoo Byung-jun and with Lee Dong-ju as evidence to the media. Meanwhile, Kim Sang-man tells Kim Jae-wook to remove all traces as the news plays with the scandal now aimed at Yoo Byung-jun.
The ending
As the episode draws near the end, Lee Jeong-hwan finds Assemblyman Kwon dead — he asks the woman nearby to ring the police and quickly departs The Gentleman Club. Meanwhile, Kim Jun-beom shows detective Kim Myung-hyun the dead body of Jeong Hyeon-cheol. Meanwhile, in a car park, Cha Joo-eun is tasered as she helps out a woman who looked distressed — it was a trap.
Yoo Byung-jun meets Kim Sang-man, and he reveals that Kim Jae-wook and Lee Jeong-hwan will be blamed for the murder of Assemblyman Kwon. Kim Jae-wook meets Chief Jeong Dae-sang who pulls a gun on him — he asks Jae-wook to cuff himself. This is one big set up.
As the episode draws to the end, Lee Jeong-hwan is found by the police.
While many chapters have been poor in this series, Privates Lives episode 15 lives up to a lay-off to the finale with plenty of action and drama to start the beginning of the end.
