King the Land Episode 1 Recap: Sa-rang begins her job at King Hotel — despite the occasional hiccups. Gu Won struggles to integrate himself into the family business.
King Hotel, a luxurious 6-star establishment owned by the esteemed King Group, looms splendidly amidst the bustling city of Seoul.
Today, Cheon Sa-rang (portrayed by Yoona) arrives with an infectious smile to interview for her dream job. As she enters the interview room, her high heel suddenly breaks. Undeterred, she cleverly and resourcefully fashions a makeshift virtual heel, seamlessly maintaining her poise as she strides into the room, unnoticed.
However, Sa-rang, despite being in her second year of college and not meeting the prerequisites for a fourth-year position, boldly expresses her desire to intern at the illustrious King Hotel. Deep down, she realizes that the odds may be against her, but she remains determined to give it her all.
To her surprise, the following day, Sa-rang receives a phone call informing her that she successfully passed the interview and has been offered a one-month internship at the King Hotel. Overwhelmed with joy, she jumps up and down, her excitement radiating through every fiber of her being.
A Man with a Determined Smile
Gu Won, portrayed by Lee Junho, is the heir to the prestigious King Group. Today marked his first day as an intern, as his father intended for him to learn from the ground up. However, on this very day, Gu Won finds himself arriving late for work. How did this happen? Well, he mistakenly parachuted onto the wrong building! Departing from Jeju Island in a private plane, he descended from the sky with style, only to land in the completely wrong location.
Being a scion of a wealthy family and having no prior work experience, Gu Won is unfamiliar with the ways of employment. When tasked with photocopying, he resorts to searching the internet on his phone for guidance. Eventually, a helpful colleague intervenes, but their attempt at assistance leads to a catastrophic ink spillage throughout the room. Unbelievably, both of them are dismissed by their supervisor, despite having barely spent a day on the job.
Unbeknownst to the supervisor, Gu Won is not just any ordinary employee but the son of the King Group’s owner. This ignorance leads to comical situations, leaving the department head looking quite foolish. However, Gu Won readily accepts his dismissal, as he never intended to become an apprentice in the first place.
Gu Hwa-ran, Gu Won’s elder sister, shares a rare disagreement with her brother. Their father has entrusted Hwa-ran with the management of King Hotel, while he attempts to push Gu Won to learn the ropes of business. However, Gu Won finds himself caught in a bind as Hwa-ran constantly holds him back. In her desperation, she pleads with their father to compel her younger brother to live in England.
The Girl with a Simple Smile
On her first day of work, Sa-rang is assigned the task of maintaining and cleaning the fitness center. She approaches her duties with utmost diligence. However, her day takes an unexpected turn when she receives a handwritten letter from a disturbed guest, inviting her to his room. Filled with anger, Sa-rang contemplates taking matters into her own hands. Coincidentally, Gu Won happens to be wearing the same shirt as the unsettling guest, leading Sa-rang to mistakenly curse and scold him without giving him a chance to explain. Confused and angered, Gu Won exclaims, “What!?”
As the story unfolds, Sa-rang finds herself transferred to the lobby. With her infectious smile, Hwa-ran explains the reason behind this change, stating, “The lobby is the face of the hotel. Your smile will be the face of the hotel.”
Meanwhile, Gu Won embarks on a journey to study in England.
7 Years Have Passed
In the present day, Sa-rang has become a full-time employee at the esteemed King Hotel, recognized for her exceptional performance and selected as an outstanding employee.
While residing in England, Gu Won receives a mysterious letter that compels him to make a sudden decision—to return to Korea. This time, he expresses his desire to take charge of running a hotel to his father. His father, pleased with the opportunity for both Hwa-ran and Gu Won to prove their skills, contemplates who truly deserves to be the next successor to the family business.
Today, as Gu Won wakes up in his suite and takes the elevator for his first day of work, he realizes he has left his phone behind. In response, Gu Won’s secretary contacts the lobby and requests a staff member to retrieve the phone. It turns out that Sa-rang is the one assigned to this task.
However, Sa-rang urgently needs to use the restroom, causing a momentary dilemma. The team leader insists that Sa-rang retrieves the phone first and attends to her restroom needs later. Reluctantly, Sa-rang complies. As she journeys towards the suite, she battles against her desperate need and the ticking clock. Upon entering the room, she notices the exquisite Heavenly Room before her. Faced with a difficult decision, Sa-rang contemplates breaking the rules and using the guest restroom, as opposed to letting her enemy break down the walls.
As she finally sits on the luxurious sanitary ware, a sense of relief washes over Sa-rang. This is how it was meant to end. However, lacking a clue, she absentmindedly picks up the remote control and unintentionally opens and closes the electric curtain within the restroom. It is precisely at this moment that Gu Won walks back into the room to retrieve his phone. Perplexed by the moving electric curtain, he enters the restroom, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight.
Sa-rang’s face contorts in shock as she sees Gu Won standing there, witnessing her liberating her enemy in that very moment!
Images : JTBC Korea
Watch King the Land Episode 1 on Netflix: click here