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On January 11 and 12, 2025, Channel A aired episodes 7 and 8 of Check-in Hanyang, a Joseon-era drama about four interns at Yongcheonru, the kingdom's top guesthouse.
Kim Ji-eun stars as Hong Deok-soo, a woman disguised as a man, with Bae In-hyuk as Lee Eun, a prince undercover as Lee Eun-ho. Jung Gun-joo plays Go Soo-ra, striving to restore his family's fortunes, and Park Jae-chan portrays Cheon Jun-hwa, the heir of Yongcheonru.
Previously, Check-in Hanyang episodes 5 and 6 depicted Deok-soo’s secret identity unraveling amid challenges at Yongcheonru. Episode 6 ended with her shocking arrest for murder, while Lee Eun found the golden key.
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Check-in Hanyang episodes 7 & 8 recap: Deok-soo's arrest, hidden truths, and a gamble for survival
Episode 7 of Check-in Hanyang begins with Deok-soo being arrested for murder. She is dragged to the police station, screaming her innocence. No one believes her except her groupmates. As she is taken away, Lee Eun surprises her by telling her not to worry.
It is revealed that Seol Mae-hwa has gone to the defense minister. She informs him about Deok-soo’s fraudulent admit card. Mae-hwa suggests that arresting Deok-soo could help them catch a "bigger fish." The minister, provoked, orders her arrest.
Deok-soo’s mother hears the news of her daughter’s arrest. She rushes to the police station, begging the officers to believe in Deok-soo's innocence. The guards push her away and threaten her with swords. Deok-soo’s friends take the distraught mother away.
At Yongcheonru, the upper-tier group mocks Go Soo-ra about Deok-soo’s arrest. They talk about how she will be tortured, making him and Cheon Jun-hwa uneasy. Lee Eun arrives and threatens them to stop. He then decides to visit the police station, with Cheon Jun-hwa and Go Soo-ra following him.
At the station, Lee Eun sees Deok-soo being interrogated by the defense minister. The minister shows her the murder weapon, the royal sword, and questions her. Deok-soo denies killing anyone, frustrating the minister and the officer in charge.
Lee Eun recognizes the sword. He recalls his father warning him about the minister targeting him. Despite his concern for Deok-soo, Lee Eun reluctantly decides to stay back. The defense minister, remembering Mae-hwa’s words, grows disappointed that no one has come to Deok-soo’s rescue. He orders Deok-soo to be jailed until he delivers his verdict the next day.
Deok-soo’s groupmates leave the station and head back to Yongcheonru. Along the way, Lee Eun and Jun-hwa split up. Lee Eun goes to the palace, while Jun-hwa seeks his father’s help.
Jun-hwa pleads with his father to save Deok-soo, but his father refuses. He tells Jun-hwa that he has no interest in Yongcheonru. He asks Jun-hwa to handle it himself. When Jun-hwa asks for money, his father denies him further help. He advises Jun-hwa that not everything can be bought with money.
Desperate, Jun-hwa goes to Mae-hwa, but she also refuses to help. She tells him no one in the city will lend him money. With no other choice, Jun-hwa pawns his belongings. The pawnshop owner, sensing his desperation, deceives him. He offers a silver nugget instead of gold. Jun-hwa, left with no choice, takes it to the defense minister.
The minister is initially pleased to meet the son of Yongcheonru’s owner. However, when he sees the single silver nugget, he becomes enraged and dismisses Jun-hwa.
Meanwhile, in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Lee Eun retrieves half of a key from his bodyguard at the palace. The key was found in the Yongcheonru owner’s home. Lee Eun grows suspicious but keeps his thoughts to himself. He vows to free Deok-soo to retrieve the second half of the key.
In a flashback in Check-in Hanyang, the Yongcheonru owner, Cheon Mak-dong, is seen hiding the real key. He replaces it with a fake one to mislead Lee Eun. He recalls his past with Deok-soo’s father, Hong Min-sik, who refused to join his plot to overthrow the king.
In prison, Deok-soo’s mother visits her with food. She scolds Deok-soo for gambling with the murdered man. She also tells her about Mae-hwa visiting her with compensation for Deok-soo’s arrest. Deok-soo, realizing Mae-hwa’s involvement, becomes determined to escape.
That night, she tricks a guard and escapes. However, her injured leg slows her down, and the guards catch her. Mae-hwa hears of the escape and goes to find her. On the road, Deok-soo spots Mae-hwa but is captured before reaching her.
Later in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Lee Eun visits Deok-soo’s cell. Seeing her asleep and having a nightmare, he leaves a balm and a peach branch at her doorstep. The next morning, Deok-soo finds them and smiles.
Lee Eun meets the defense minister. He offers to become the minister’s ally in making his grandson the crown prince, as long as the prince is wise.
Jun-hwa returns to his father, offering himself in exchange for Deok-soo’s freedom. His father, moved by Jun-hwa’s words, agrees. However, when he visits the minister, he learns Deok-soo has already been released.
Then in Check-in Hanyang, Deok-soo returns to Yongcheonru, where Mae-hwa announces her expulsion. On the way, Deok-soo meets Mak-dong, the Yongcheonru owner. She promises him something in exchange for staying. Mak-dong gives her a chance to prove herself. Mae-hwa warns Deok-soo to stay away from Yongcheonru, but Deok-soo challenges her instead. Here, episode 7 of Check-in Hanyang ends.
Episode 8 of Check-in Hanyang starts with a flashback. Deok-soo’s father- Min-sik and Mak-dong are walking through their neighborhood. Min-sik buys candy for his pregnant wife. The candy seller also offers to read fortune for Min-sik, and suggests naming his unborn child "Jae-hwa." Min-sik laughs, saying he only wants a healthy child.
Hearing him, Mak-dong asks for the name and takes "Hwa," naming his son Cheon Jun-hwa. Min-sik takes "Jae," naming his child Hong Jae-on—Deok-soo’s real name.
Check-in Hanyang then reverts to the present, Deok-soo convinces Mak-dong to let her stay in Yongcheonru by proposing a gambling place. Mae-hwa, unhappy about the situation, makes it hard for Deok-soo to gather supplies.
Deok-soo’s group welcomes her back with grilled pork. They celebrate her freedom. Later that night, Soo-ra asks Jun-hwa if he likes Deok-soo. Jun-hwa denies it, but Soo-ra reveals he knows Deok-soo is a woman. Lee Eun, still after the golden key, tries to retrieve it from Deok-soo’s clothing but fails.
The next morning in Check-in Hanyang , Lee Eun, Cheon Jun-hwa, and Go Soo-ra discover Deok-soo's plan. Cheon Jun-hwa supports her, but Lee Eun and Go Soo-ra object, stating gambling is illegal. Deok-soo reassures them she isn't breaking any laws and doesn't need their help, insisting it is her responsibility.
Cheon Jun-hwa, determined to help, visits his father and asks to take charge of Deok-soo's gambling place. Cheon Mak-dong agrees, seeing this as a chance for Jun-hwa to get involved with Yongcheonru. Mak-dong then reveals a secret: Lee Eun is a prince who freed Deok-soo.
Shocked, Jun-hwa recalls his interactions with Lee Eun. He later visits Deok-soo and helps her clean and organize the gambling den. Lee Eun arrives but leaves quietly after seeing Jun-hwa and Deok-soo sharing a laugh while working together.
Later in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Lee Eun returns to the palace and shows his father the golden key, but also shares his suspicion that Mak-dong might have switched it with a fake. The king grows enraged and restless, and orders Lee Eun to complete his duty quickly, in order to prepare to take the crown prince's position soon.
Lee Eun agrees but is puzzled by his father's excitement. He asks if the key holds more significance. The king, agitated, yells at him to focus on the task. Later, Lee Eun visits Deok-soo and watches her craft gambling equipment from scratch to save money.
The next day, Jun-hwa returns to the pawn shop. He sells more belongings but negotiates better, getting a fair price. He gives the money to Deok-soo.
Meanwhile, Go Soo-ra faces harassment at Yongcheonru from the upper-tier group. While serving a guest, he is tripped by an upper-tier member, making him spill tea on a guest’s expensive silk. As punishment, Soo-ra must pay for the silk from his salary. Jun-hwa and Deok-soo witness this. Deok-soo uses Jun-hwa's gambling money to pay Soo-ra's penalty, leaving them with no funds for the den.
Lee Eun learns of their situation and disguises his bodyguard as a wealthy cousin willing to invest in the gambling place. With his help, they start setting things up. Soo-ra, initially upset at Deok-soo for paying his fine without consulting him, eventually helps with preparations.
One morning, Lee Eun visits the gambling den. He finds Deok-soo asleep, having the peach tree branch he once gave her, beside her. The sunlight falls on her face, and he raises his hand to shield her from it.
Once the den is ready, Mak-dong visits and is impressed. Deok-soo suggests hiring Seol Mae-hwa as the host to attract more money. She explains that Mae-hwa knows how to play without revealing her cards. Mak-dong is surprised by Deok-soo's insight and curious about how she knows this.
Mae-hwa arrives, and Deok-soo proposes a game to demonstrate Mae-hwa’s skills. During the game, Mae-hwa recalls her past with Deok-soo, also known as Jae-on, and her father, and distracted, she loses.
Meanwhile, Lee Eun grows suspicious of his father's secrecy about the key. He orders his bodyguard to investigate Deok-soo's father. On his way to Yongcheonru, he notices the wanted poster showing Deok-soo dressed as a woman, and becomes more suspicious.
Later, in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Deok-soo falls asleep at the gambling den but wakes up to a sudden noise. She rushes outside to find the nameplate of the place on the ground and a sword-stabbed note reading "run away." Realizing who sent it, she writes to Mae-hwa and arranges a meeting.
Upon meeting her, Deok-soo reminds her that a long time ago, Mae-hwa had told her to pick a game she knows well to confirm her victory, and today she understands it.
Mae-hwa, listening to her, approaches her calmly calling her "Jae-on". But Deok-soo doesn't let her say anything, and drives the sword she is holding into Mae-hwa's chest. On this note episode 8 of Check-in Hanyang ends.
Check-in Hanyang broadcasts on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:50 pm KST and is available for streaming on Viki and Netflix in selected regions.
Episodes 9 and 10 of Check-in Hanyang are scheduled to premiere on January 18 and 19 at the usual time.
