“Jirisan,” the iQiyi Original Korean drama series starring Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon, continued last weekend with episodes 3 and 4 following the victim rescues led by wheelchair-bound star ranger Jun Ji-hyun and comatosed rookie ranger Ju Ji-hoon--in spirit form.
Signalling with rocks and twigs arranged in a way only they knew, Ju Ji-hoon, seemingly in the spiritual realm, worked with Jun Ji-hyun to locate and help those in need on Jirisan.
The drama’s mystery deepened with serial murders to further test the two. The latest episodes of “Jirisan” showed a number of climbers getting poisoned after they drank tainted beverages. And as Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon set out to investigate the matter, villagers were blown up and killed by “potato bombs” to deepen the mystery.
As the Haedong branch office lead Jo Dae-jin, actor Sung Dong-il aroused much suspicion. In addition to the bloodstained yellow ribbon in his desk drawer, Jun Ji-hyun found that victims were found on dates that corresponded with the days that Sung Dong-il was off duty.
However, a suspect with five scratches at the back of his hand also appeared and seemed to be related to administrative officer Lee Yang-sun, played by Ju Min-gyung.
Who exactly is the murderer? Where does the truth lie? As fans around the world follow the unravelling of Jirisan’s many mysteries, the suspense continues to drive an online buzz globally.
The budding relationship between Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon continues to be a focal point of viewers worldwide. In the 2018 timeline, the pair opened up to each other and grew closer through their sharing of stories.
Ju Ji-hoon comforted Jun Ji-hyun who suffered a panic attack from recalling the trauma of her parents’ deaths when she was young.
The two even pretended to be a couple to investigate the disappearance of snakes kept in conservation. Enquiring about purchasing a snake-based aphrodisiac at the shop, Ju Ji-hoon was left utterly embarrassed. Indeed, the pair’s amusing interactions often soothed the otherwise tense series.
The mystery behind the drama’s new poster is also spotlight in the new episodes as Ju Ji-hoon is seen in his spirit form. The mysterious visual features Ju Ji--hoon in a white bloodstained jacket and hunched over in the forest with a line that translates as, “The mountain will reveal something again. What exactly will happen...”
Hinting at the unsolved mysteries and perhaps an impending crisis, it perfectly echoed his line in the show, “Someone killed my colleague and that person continues to murder on this mountain.”
“Jirisan” centers on a team of national park rangers who are responsible for search and rescue on Jirisan.
The iQiyi Original K-series exclusively simulcasts with Korea at 8 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday on iQiyi International app or iQ.com worldwide.