On January 18 and 19, 2025, Channel A premiered episodes 9 and 10 of Check-in Hanyang, a historical drama set in the Joseon era. The story follows four interns navigating secrets and ambitions at Yongcheonru, the kingdom's premier guesthouse.
Kim Ji-eun takes on the role of Hong Deok-soo, a woman living as a man to survive. Bae In-hyuk stars as Lee Eun, a prince in disguise as Lee Eun-ho. Jung Gun-joo plays Go Soo-ra, determined to rebuild his family's legacy, while Park Jae-chan portrays Cheon Jun-hwa, the rightful heir to Yongcheonru.
The previous episode of Check-in Hanyang ends with Deok-soo confronting Mae-hwa after receiving a threatening message at the gambling den.
Check-in Hanyang episodes 9 & 10 recaps: Deok-soo confronts her past, secrets unravel, and a vow for revenge
Episode 9 of Check-in Hanyang begins with Seol Mae-hwa meeting Deok-soo. She addresses Deok-soo as "Jae-on" and urges her once again to leave Yongcheonru for her own safety. Deok-soo, enraged, accuses Mae-hwa of killing her father, and vows to destroy her.
Mae-hwa is stunned by the accusation and denies any involvement. Deok-soo, thinking Mae-hwa is lying, points her sword at her. Mae-hwa, unfazed, grabs the blade with her bare hands, making them bleed. She challenges Deok-soo to stab her, stating that her death would fulfill her wish. Deok-soo, confused and frustrated, retreats.
Left alone, Mae-hwa recalls the night of Jae-on's father Hong Min-shik's death. She remembers finding him wounded and encouraging him to fight back. However, he grabbed the sword Mae-hwa was holding and stabbed himself. In his final moments, he begged Mae-hwa to protect his child, Jae-on.
Mae-hwa tried to fulfill this promise, but Jae-on, seeing her father stabbed with a sword held in Mae-hwa's hands, fled in terror. Mae-hwa then sent the Cheon Mak-dong army in a different direction, and pursued Jae-on herself, but she couldn't find her.
At Yongcheonru in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Lee Eun finds the gambling den's signboard lying on the ground. Puzzled, he hammers it back into place. Deok-soo returns to the den, overwhelmed with memories of her father and crying in solitude.
The next day, Yongcheonru is bustling again, hosting a convoy of Ming dynasty ambassadors who revel in the games. However, a senior member of the upper-tier group informs the defense minister about the illegal gambling den.
The minister arrives to arrest everyone but is shocked to see the Ming ambassador. The ambassador, annoyed by the interruption, dismisses the minister. Cheon Mak-dong intervenes, reminding the minister that the ambassador is a guest of the king and must not be disturbed. Reluctantly, the minister leaves.
Impressed by Deok-soo's handling of the gambling place, Cheon Mak-dong reinstates her. However, Mae-hwa remains displeased. Cheon Mak-dong suggests that Deok-soo bring her mother to Yongcheonru as a guest of him, expressing his desire to meet her.
The defense minister later meets the king, inquiring about the Ming ambassador's presence at Yongcheonru. The king reveals that the ambassador is preparing for the prince's birthday— a prince who is also the minister's grandson. This revelation leaves the minister stunned.
At Yongcheonru, Go Soo-ra teases Cheon Jun-hwa about confessing his feelings to Deok-soo. Flustered, Jun-hwa denies it, but Soo-ra advises him to at least admit he knows Deok-soo is a woman, as Deok-soo herself confided in Soo-ra. Realizing the potential awkwardness, Jun-hwa agrees.
Later, he confides in Lee Eun, who becomes briefly disheartened, thinking Jun-hwa is confessing to Deok-soo. However, when Jun-hwa mentions liking a woman, Lee Eun is relieved knowing Deok-soo to be a man, and helps him prepare for the confession.
Meanwhile in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Lee Eun's bodyguard informs him that Cheon Mak-dong is searching for the daughter of a former business partner he killed. They suspect this daughter is connected to the other half of the golden key, which confuses them, since Deok-soo already possesses a half.
At the Yongcheonru, Deok-soo's mother arrives at the place. On her way to meet her, Deok-soo encounters Jun-hwa, who tries to confess but fumbles his words, leaving her confused.
At this moment, Lee Eun appears, witnessing Jun-hwa holding Deok-soo's hand. Noticing a resemblance between Deok-soo and the woman in the posters, Lee Eun blurts out, asking if Deok-soo is a woman, startling them both. This concludes the episode 9 of Check-in Hanyang.
Episode 10 of Check-in Hanyang resumes from this last scene of episode 9 of Check-in Hanyang. Panicked, Deok-soo frees herself from Jun-hwa's grip and tries to deflect attention. Gu-sil, her friend, appears, calling out to her and Deok-soo finds a way to escape.
Deok-soo introduces Gu-sil as her fiancé, claiming they are engaged now that she has graduated from Yongcheonru. She leaves with Gu-sil, acting like an engaged couple, leaving Lee Eun astonished and Jun-hwa perplexed.
Elsewhere, Mae-hwa meets Deok-soo's mother, urging her to leave Yongcheonru with Deok-soo. Deok-soo's mother, recognizing Mae-hwa as the woman who compensated her, confronts her. Mae-hwa insists they must flee. Deok-soo arrives and warns Mae-hwa to stay away from her mother, leaving with her mother and Gu-sil.
In the meantime, in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, the defense minister brings wine to the Ming ambassador at Yongcheonru, accompanied by his wife. While the minister meets the ambassador, he spots Lee Eun and chases him.
Jun-hwa seeing the minister comes to the rescue and hides Lee Eun, who later thanks him, deepening their camaraderie. Lee Eun asks him about confessing to Deok-soo when Jun-hwa has said to be in love with a woman. To this, Jun-hwa gives an excuse of just practicing confessing to someone.
Now believing Deok-soo is a man with a fiancé, Lee Eun, later that night, questions her about female relatives, but she denies having any. That night, Deok-soo spends time with her mother and Gu-sil, treating them to Yongcheonru's amenities.
The next morning, Deok-soo's mother makes soup for her before departing. The hospitality head, panicked by the Ming ambassador's refusal to eat anything he has been served before, serves him the soup. The ambassador loves it, as it reminds him about his mother and hometown.
The head seeing this, requests Deok-soo's mother to prepare more soup, and the group assists her. Afterward in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, she shares a meal with them, asking them to care for Deok-soo.
On the other hand, the defense minister's wife confirms seeing Lee Eun in the Yongcheonru, solidifying the minister's suspicions about the prince's whereabouts. The minister confronts Cheon Mak-dong about it, but in return, he proposes arranging Lee Eun's marriage to the minister's niece.
To persuade the king, Mak-dong suggests blackmailing him with Lee Eun's sword, a potential murder weapon. The minister follows this plan and proposes this marriage to the king, showcasing the bloody murder weapon, leaving him furious and conflicted.
Meanwhile, in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Lee Eun follows clues from the posters, leading him to Mae-hwa. She calls him as the prince, and asks him if he's willing to kill for the golden key. Surprised by her knowledge, he anyway asserts his refusal to take lives. Mae-hwa, hearing his answer, advises him to investigate the night Jae-on disappeared, hinting at its importance.
The next day, Deok-soo's mother, haunted by Mae-hwa's previous shared words, visits her to know more about it. What Mae-hwa says then agitates the mother. Mae-hwa further tells her that there will be horses ready outside for them, and urges her to take Deok-soo and run away once again.
Deok-soo’s mother recalls sheltering Deok-soo after her father's death. Disguising Deok-soo as a poor child, she had hidden her from Mak-dong's men.
After speaking with Seo Mae-hwa, she frantically searches Yongcheonru for Deok-soo and heads to the kitchen. There, she encounters Cheon Mak-dong and is visibly shocked.
Memories of the fateful night resurface— she recalls Deok-soo seeking refuge in her home and Mak-dong arriving shortly after, hunting for Deok-soo. She also remembers witnessing Mak-dong kill someone right before her eyes that night.
At present in this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Mak-dong praises Deok-soo to her mother, who, though terrified, thanks him before fleeing to her room. There, she begins packing and urges Gu-sil to find Deok-soo.
After sometimes someone enters the room, and thinking it to be Gu-sil, Deok-soo’s mother asks if Deok-soo is with her. However, Mak-dong has arrived. Revealing he knows Deok-soo's true identity as a woman, he attacks Deok-soo's mother. Strangling her, he proceeds to poison her.
Deok-soo and Gu-sil return to the room to find Deok-soo’s mother lying unresponsive on the bed. Panicked, Deok-soo urges Gu-sil to fetch a doctor and repeatedly calls out to her mother. After some time, her mother regains consciousness but begins coughing up blood.
In her final moments, she reveals that the person who attacked her is the same one who pursued Deok-soo the night her father was killed. She identifies him as Cheon Mak-dong and pleads with Deok-soo to run away. Devastated, Deok-soo watches helplessly as her mother succumbs, breaking down in grief.
In the last scene of this episode of Check-in Hanyang, Deok-soo confronts Cheon Mak-dong. He offers his condolences for her mother’s passing and asks if she needs more time to recover. Deok-soo refuses, declaring her desire for vengeance.
She accuses Seo Mae-hwa of murdering the mother who raised her and her real father Hong Min-shik. As Cheon Mak-dong reacts with surprise, Deok-soo unties her hair and reveals her true identity as Hong Jae-on. On this note episode 10 of Check-in Hanyang ends.
Check-in Hanyang airs every weekend at 7:50 pm KST, and can be streamed on Viki and Netflix in specific regions. Episodes 11 and 12 are set to release on January 25 and 26 at the regular broadcast time.