'Fifties Professionals' Hits Series High as Oh Jung-se Recovers His Memory, Setting Up Long-Awaited Showdown

MBC's Fifties Professionals continued its momentum toward the second half of its run, setting a new series ratings high while delivering major developments for several of its central characters.

Episode 9, which aired on June 19, saw Bong Je-soon (Oh Jung-se) begin recovering his lost memories, while Jung Ho-myung (Shin Ha-kyun) finally came face-to-face with Han Kyung-wook (Kim Sang-kyung), reigniting a rivalry that stretches back a decade.

According to Nielsen Korea, the episode recorded 5.6 percent nationwide and in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a peak viewership of 6.1 percent, marking a new personal best for the series.

Fifties Professionals (Photo courtesy of MBC)

The episode's most significant turning point came through Bong Je-soon.

After regaining consciousness following a traffic accident, Bong began recalling fragments of his past and immediately took action after leaving the hospital. One particularly telling moment came when he discovered and removed a tracking device secretly planted by Jung Ho-myung, signaling that the once-naive Bong was beginning to disappear.

As he followed the final clues left behind by Elder Heo and searched for a hidden object, Bong's actions hinted at the return of "Bulgae," the formidable identity buried within his forgotten past. With his memories gradually returning, attention is now focused on what choices he will make next.

Jung Ho-myung also reached a turning point.

After rescuing Oh Ran (Shin Dong-mi) from threats tied to Heaven Capital, he revealed that he had once operated as a black-ops agent for South Korea's National Intelligence Service and disclosed the truth behind the events that occurred a decade ago.

The confession, however, failed to bring the two closer together. Unable to fully accept what she had learned, Oh Ran found herself increasingly distant from Jung.

Elsewhere, Kang Beom-ryong (Heo Sung-tae) admitted to Park Mi-kyung (Han Ji-eun) that he had once been involved with organized crime and urged her to walk away from danger. Despite his sincerity, his feelings failed to reach her, leaving behind a bittersweet emotional note.

Another standout sequence brought Jung Ho-myung, Bong Je-soon, Kang Beom-ryong and Prosecutor Kang (Kim Shin-rok) together for a tense confrontation.

Jung remained convinced that Bong was "Bulgae," an elite operative formerly affiliated with North Korea's Ministry of the People's Armed Forces. Bong, meanwhile, explained that he had spent years living without memories of his past and proposed cooperation instead of conflict.

Although a temporary alliance appeared possible, Jung refused to lower his guard. Prosecutor Kang's complicated feelings toward Bong added further uncertainty, pushing the relationship among the four characters into uncharted territory.

Meanwhile, Chairman Do uncovered a crucial clue while searching a camper van.

After discovering an old photograph showing Han Kyung-wook and Jung Ho-myung together during their days at the National Intelligence Service, he began connecting the dots between the current mystery and the events that unfolded ten years earlier.

The episode ultimately saved its biggest moment for the closing scene.

Alone at Oh Ran Chinese Restaurant after business hours, Jung Ho-myung was unexpectedly confronted by Han Kyung-wook.

"Long time no see, Ho-myung."

With those brief words, the long-awaited reunion between the two men finally began. Jung's mixture of shock and anger contrasted sharply with Han's calm confidence, setting the stage for a confrontation years in the making.

As Bong Je-soon's dormant identity continues to awaken and the search for the truth behind the past accelerates, Fifties Professionals appears poised to enter its most explosive chapter yet.

Reported by News Culture [e-mail]