Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 9 recap

We recap the Netflix K-Drama series Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 9, which contains spoilers.

There are many moving pieces in this series that feel difficult to work out, but by the end of each episode, everything makes sense. Episode 9 is one of those complex episodes that keep you hanging by the thread. Let’s recap.

Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 9 recap

Episode 9 opens with a flashback; The Professor meets someone from Berlin’s gang; he apparently wants a weapon off him, but he really wants to meet him. He’s soon knocked out unconscious. He’s tortured as they think he is a cop. Berlin is nearby, injecting himself with drugs. As he is tortured, The Professor tells Berlin’s people that they are brothers. Berlin is alarmed by this revelation; The Professor is delighted to see him.

A further flashback shows a younger Professor and his brother Berlin trying to escape North Korea together by crossing the border via a river. They have to leave their mother behind, but then, there’s gunfire. Their mother is shot in the water. This is where they were separated.

Back to the original flashback, Berlin is wondering why The Professor is visiting him after so long. The Professor reveals to him that their father passed away due to money; his father robbed a bank to pay Berlin out of the camp. The Professor shows Berlin a plan that his father did not finish. He wants to finish it with his brother.

In the present day, Berlin demands that Jeon Yongsu come to the Mint, or Anne will be killed.

At the apparent hideout for the heist team, Woojin and her team scope it out. The Professor lets off the timer for a bomb, so they leave urgently. The place is blown up.

Afterward, Woojin feels something is not right; she wonders why the place was not blown up before they got there and took all the evidence. She proceeds to interrogate Tokyo. Woojin wonders if they are robbing the Mint for political purposes, but Tokyo scoffs at that idea and states that Berlin has lost his mind due to his struggles with Huntington’s disease.

Woojin grows impatient and places a lie detector test on Tokyo. She presses her on the identity of The Professor. Tokyo plays with Woojin and describes a simple appearance of The Professor. Woojin asks Tokyo if she was kicked out of the Mint, which apparently angers Tokyo; she threatens to kill Woojin. She has to be restrained and transferred. Woojin wants to continue interrogating her, but she needs to calm down first.

A flashback shows that before Tokyo was wheeled out, Nairobi revealed herself as the traitor. Helsinki is angry at her, but Nairobi apologizes and states she has a son that she needed to protect; she reveals she had no choice after Kim Sangman compromised her. This was Berlin’s plan all along to reveal the traitor. Tokyo promises Nairobi that she’ll find a plan for her son and that she intends to leave anyway. Afterward, Nairobi proceeds to print money; Helsinki has calmed down, and he tells her he doesn’t blame her for Oslo’s death. Nairobi sobs uncontrollably.

Moving on, Kim Sangman tells Woojin that the counterterrorism unit is now in control of the hostage situation at the Mint. Jeon Yongsu is by his side. Sangman orders a unit to enter the bank to take the heist team out. Woojin is dismayed that they are putting the hostage’s lives in danger, but she is kicked out of the task team. And then, Woojin learns that Tokyo’s convoy never arrived (Berlin’s gang intercepted and attacked the police). It’s revealed The Professor wanted Tokyo to leave the Mint as part of a wider plan. Meanwhile, The Professor has Captain Cha tied up. The Professor tells him that they are conducting a revolution.

At the Mint, Jeon Yongsu arrives to negotiate, so Berlin comes outside with Anne, with a gun pointed at her. Berlin tells him of the nightmares he has caused and that he’s going to cause nightmares for him. Meanwhile, Tokyo and Berlin’s gang are carrying out an operation at Kim Sangman’s house. They take out his security with ease as they rush through the house using gas and rubber bullets. They are showing this as a live feed on social media so the whole world can watch.

Back at the negotiation, Jeon Yongsu asks Berlin to end the heist, but Berlin asks him to reveal what he did to him at the Concentration Camp, which included starving people. Jeon Yongsu tells Berlin that he already got revenge by raping his stepdaughter at the camp. This revelation causes a murmur.

On the live feed, Tokyo and Berlin’s gang reach a young boy, and they take him out of the house. However, Woojin shows up and tells Tokyo and the gang to put the child down and points a gun at them. Tokyo tells Woojin that Kim Sangman’s dogs will wake up soon and warns her not to cause any trouble. They allow the child to walk to Woojin, and Tokyo and the gang head into a van and drive off.

Ending Explained

It’s then revealed that the child in the custody of Woojin is Nairobi’s son. The lead woman as part of Berlin’s gang reveals on the news that Kim Sangman threatened to hurt this child as part of the heist negotiations. She reveals herself to be Jeon Yongsu’s stepdaughter and states that he raped her as a child and had her work at the camp as a medic. She reveals that the only person not afraid of Jeon Yongsu was Berlin, who she fell in love with. She finally reveals that Kim Sangman tried to get Anne killed.

Berlin speaks to the news and states that these politicians only care about money, which is what the Summit is about. With Jeon Yongsu and Sangman exposed, Berlin walks back inside with Anne. Berlin collapses, his illness taking a toll.

Yun Misun tells Denver that she’s in pain, so they head to a vault. She asks him why he’s avoiding her. She reveals she chose not to leave with the other hostages. As they are about to kiss, Helsinki interrupts them.

Rio questions Berlin; he wonders if the grand plan is really to get money. He tells Berlin not to mess up The Professor’s operation. Berlin tells Rio that he’s in the Mint for his brother and reveals that to be The Professor. Flashbacks show that The Professor told Berlin that they need the heist to look like a revolution against the establishment so that the people are on their side. Rio is shocked that they did not reveal themselves to be siblings, but Berlin explains they needed to keep The Professor’s identity a secret.

Berlin then stands up and tells Rio they should now await Tokyo’s arrival. Berlin then tells the hostages they are free to leave, but if they stay behind and help, they’ll all get three billion won each.

Episode 9 has many explosive revelations, with makes the story slightly complex, but the explanation at the end puts the jigsaw pieces together.

What did you think of Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 9? Comment below.

More Stories

• Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, part 1 review
• Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, part 2 review
• Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 8 recap
• Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area season 1, episode 10 recap
• Best and Highest Rated Korean Dramas