Original subtitles

[sirens wailing]

The First Responders Season 2

[♪ thrilling rock music playing]

The First Responders Season 2

The characters, places, organizations, and events in this drama are fictitious

Child actors were filmed in safe situations

Scenes involving animals were staged

and filmed in compliance with applicable animal welfare guidelines

Chief.

[sighs]

[♪ soft music playing]

Mmm.

[exhales deeply]

You've always taken care of me, chief.

Take care of you? I only scolded you.

I was alone too.

Being alone…

was the easiest.

But…

we don't always take the easy path.

That's what it's like to be a firefighter.

Take this with you

when you leave.

I'll go back to the station first.

Please take your time.

Public official ID Dokgo Soon

[♪ dramatic music playing]

Hot Zone: A dangerous area at the heart of an incident,

where the risks are highest. Access is strictly controlled

-Climb up. -There you go. Very good.

-Good job. -Put your other foot up.

-Have some sikhye. -There are persimmons too.

All right.

-Who are they? -They're my friend's children.

They wanted a tour of the station.

-[Jihoon] She's Yoonseo. -Hello.

-Hello. -Say hello.

[Jihoon] Say hello, Yoonseo.

-By the way, what's all this? -They're from Chief Dokgo Soon.

I see.

How is she? Is she okay?

We'll have to wait and see.

Seeing that she's still taking care of us like this,

don't you think she'll come back soon?

She will.

Once a firefighter?

[firefighters] Always a firefighter!

Once a firefighter?

[Yoonseo and Jihoon] Always a firefighter.

[laughter]

[elevator dings]

[Seol] Huh?

What are you doing here?

Thank you for looking after Yujung. She'll be discharged soon.

Fortunately, we were able to pump her stomach quickly enough,

and she hadn't taken a lot.

[sighs] I heard that her father did it.

It doesn't seem like he gave her a lot, though.

[Hogae sighs]

So, you're back now?

Yes.

To let you know that I'm off work.

That I made it back safe.

[chuckles]

I've said this before, but you don't have to report back to me.

-[lock beeps] -I thought you weren't coming back.

[♪ light music playing]

Why did you come back?

You said you would leave Taewon when you got promoted.

I'm a detective. I came back to catch the culprits.

[scoffs]

Then I look forward to working together.

What's so good about working cases together?

What are you doing?

-I partially look forward to it. -[scoffs]

You said the police need cases to get a workout.

Firefighters need reports to get a workout.

[phones buzzing]

-Hello? -Yes, this is Song Seol.

[Pil] Get over here quickly. There's a gang fight.

-A gang fight? -Many injured? Understood.

[indistinct shouting]

Hey, you bastard!

[♪ tense music playing]

-[Pil] Oh, my gosh. -[Hogae] Are they gangsters?

Don't come any closer! It's dangerous.

Jeez, they have axes. How do we stop them?

I have a plan.

What? A plan?

Police, you bastards!

Myeongpil!

-Turn on the sirens. -Turn on the sirens.

[sirens wailing]

[gangsters clamoring]

-They're running away. -Let's at least try to catch one of them.

-Okay. Paramedics! -Coming!

[Hogae] Get back here!

-[paramedic 1] Where are the injured? -This way! Hang on, over here!

[Seol] There's an injured person.

Jeez, what's that?

[both gag]

[♪ foreboding music playing]

He's already dead.

It wasn't just a fight.

It's a murder case.

[♪ thrilling rock music playing]

[Pil] Why is the stomach like this?

Is it full of gas, because of decomposition?

[camera shutter clicks]

[Pil] What's this?

[exhales deeply]

The body has been tampered with.

It may take a while to identify him, because of the decomposition.

[Samsoon] John Does are my specialty.

There's little you can do this time, Ms. Woo.

[Samsoon] There's no fingerprint I can't lift.

-What the heck? -Book an autopsy for tomorrow morning.

-[Pil] Okay. -[Samsoon] What time in the morning?

-I'm going too. I'm up for a challenge. -[camera shutter clicks]

This may be harder than you think.

We'll head out first.

-We'll call you later. -[Samsoon] Okay.

[♪ foreboding music playing]

[camera shutter clicking]

Juyoung General Hospital

How is he?

It's acute kidney failure.

[doctor] The tissue shows damage to the renal tubule,

accompanied by hypercalcemia.

The creatinine level

is 88.42 umol/L higher than the average.

Signs of permanent kidney damage are starting to appear.

Then…

what do we do?

He needs a kidney transplant

before necrosis of the renal tubule.

[sighs]

His stay of execution is up, so we're moving him to the prison infirmary.

-Take him out. -Wait, he's a patient.

Please listen to his doctor's opinion.

The patient is on emergency dialysis.

You may move him after he's done.

This man is a murderer.

Are you aware of that?

We'll try to finish the dialysis quickly and get him stabilized.

Please wait until then.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

Yes, sir. I'm keeping a close watch.

Don't take your eyes off Ma Taehwa until he breathes his last breath.

All right. Keep it up.

Hello.

Hello, Sunga.

You've gotten prettier.

Let's eat. Please go ahead.

Ma Taehwa's kidneys are messed…

are not functioning.

[chuckling]

So it'll be any day now.

[Youngsoo] I don't know if it's divine punishment,

but because of that man, I ended up…

putting Sunyeol away myself.

[Youngsoo] Taewon Police gave us a tip, and yesterday,

we got the rat who stole the lighter oil and your police shoes.

You know Sunyeol, right?

He brought a few items to Ma Taehwa

-in exchange for money… -Handcuffs.

…without knowing how serious things could get.

He was probably blinded by…

Ma Taehwa's money.

I'm ashamed to face you.

No, it's all right.

Sunyeol will be released on probation soon.

His former RIU colleagues even wrote a petition.

[gasps]

Thank you.

Thank you so much for helping him.

It may be hard for him to return to the police force,

but he's a healthy man,

so I'm sure he can still make a living somehow.

So, please,

don't let him do such a thing again.

[♪ calm music playing]

All right, listen carefully.

Number One.

Go to math cram school after school,

study for an hour at the study hall after that,

and then essay writing, okay?

Did you finish this week's assigned reading?

No, I'm going to read it in the study hall.

Okay. Make sure you do.

Number Two.

Go to after-school care after school

and solve five pages of arithmetic,

and go to English

and art cram school on time.

Call me afterward, okay?

We got it.

Okay. Carry your bag properly.

All right, done. Go.

Number One and Two, don't move!

Hey, your cell phone!

Goodness. What time is it?

Ms. Woo, please check the clothes and shoes first. They're very important.

Detective Kong can take care of that. I'd like to see the autopsy.

I need to see the autopsy for a special case like this

to help evaluate the evidence.

Hey.

Well…

This special case's autopsy

may be a bit too gruesome, so I'll take care of it.

While I was in training,

I practically lived at the NFS for a month.

At that time, the bodies that came in one after another

were serial murders in southwestern Gyeonggi-do.

The third corpse

was buried using the idea behind a kimchi fridge

after being cut into a total of 12 pieces.

I went through and numbered every single one of them.

Should I continue?

This is for you.

Kid, take the evidence.

Yes, ma'am. You can enter here.

I'll be on my way, then.

[Samsoon] It's an unidentified body found in a junkyard in Myeongdo-dong.

It was at the site of a gang fight, but we haven't found any connections yet.

And as you can see, there are a few distinctive marks on the body.

It's highly likely that the victim is a gang member.

I think the mutilated body was left on display intentionally

by the gangsters to set an example.

-[Hong] Intentionally? -To show the tragic end of a traitor.

They're ruthless.

[♪ tense music playing]

[pathologist 1] Oh, my. What is this?

[pathologist 2] It's pretty severe.

[Hong] Overall, the exterior appears larger due to decomposition,

and there's…

an 18-inch cut with sutures on the abdomen

and abdominal distension.

[Hogae] I can understand the stabbing,

but the sutures don't make sense.

And why is only the abdomen bulging?

[Hong] It may be full of decomposition gas.

Decomposition starts with the organs and blood in the abdomen.

We have a lot of germs in our intestines.

But since the abdomen was already split, the decomposition gases

would escape through the sutures.

So the abdomen shouldn't stay so full like this.

Is there something inside?

[Hong] You're quite knowledgeable.

It's a little hard.

We'll see once we open him up.

There are a lot of lacerations on the scalp

and a grating sound of bones.

There seem to be a lot of fractures in the skull.

Is the full body scan data ready?

We should use bone reconstruction to view the fractures before we make an incision.

[pathologist 1] We weren't able to get a CT scan,

because the machine suddenly broke.

They're going to repair it in the morning and run CT scans after the autopsy.

[Hong] There's a C-arm in the building, right?

[pathologist 1] Yes.

[♪ foreboding music playing]

What are you guys up to?

[Chiyoung] At 1:00 p.m.,

a deliberation committee for a suspension of execution presided over

by Deputy Prosecutor General Park Dongjin will be held

at the East District Prosecutors' Office.

We barely managed to buy some time.

If the execution of a sentence

prevents the preservation of life,

the prisoner's sentence is suspended.

I'm just suggesting we follow the law.

Why do you think I'm going to take your side?

[distorted voice] Hello.

It's my first time talking to you, Chief Prosecutor Jin Chuljoong.

I knew there was a skillful mastermind on his side.

"Mastermind"?

That's a nice nickname.

[Chuljoong] Was Ma Taehwa's acute kidney failure your doing as well?

[distorted voice] I wouldn't call that a part of my plan,

but Ma Taehwa's choice.

There are things in the world that you hate more than dying.

I don't care if he stays in the hospital or attempts a jailbreak,

so do whatever you guys want.

[automated voice] A window is open.

A window is open.

[distorted voice] Nowadays, cars are walking computers.

And computers can be hacked.

The vehicle control system is focused on performance,

so the security system is pretty lax.

What the hell are you doing?

Pick-up drug trafficking investigation report

[Chiyoung] This is a copy of the drug trafficker's case files

that you personally stole

to make Director Ma Taehwa's alibi.

[Taehwa] Make sure no one finds out

that I met with the chief prosecutor.

Father. Father.

I love you!

It's Chief Prosecutor Jin Chuljoong.

[Chiyoung] He's our living alibi.

Chief Prosecutor Jin Chuljoong went through the hassle of finding him.

I'll be a junkie instead of a murderer.

[scoffs]

It's fine that you had Prosecutor Yeom Sanggu

take the fall and made it out alone,

but you shouldn't have left a trace.

Are you threatening me with something as trivial as this?

[distorted voice] That's right.

That isn't enough to provoke you.

No one has ever caught on to my plan before…

except for one time.

[breathes deeply] Bang Pilgu.

The arson-suicide case.

Ma Taehwa couldn't have done it alone.

[Hogae] It included fire investigation, forensic medicine, and forensic science.

This is a professional.

[distorted voice] You have a very talented son.

Detective Jin Hogae from Taewon Police Station.

Is that enough to convince you?

I enjoy playing chess.

One wrong move can ruin dozens of good ones.

If you want your son alive,

keep what I said in mind.

And please drive safely.

[beeps]

[♪ ominous music playing]

Taewon Fire Station

[sighs]

[♪ somber music playing]

[whimpers]

[Dojin] That's when I promised

to be the first one in and the last one out.

I hope you… No, I hope that we

can work as firefighters for a long time.

Bong Dojin. Bulldozer.

Okay?

Yes, ma'am.

[chuckles]

[Soon] Once a firefighter…

always a firefighter.

-Darn it. This is so annoying. -Isn't this ridiculous?

[sighs]

[Jihoon] I mean…

[Dongwoo] This has to be a mistake, right?

What are you guys up to?

[firefighters gasp]

-[Soon] Long time no see. -[Inju] Chief.

What's wrong? Did something happen?

Well…

[distant groan]

Ms. Dokgo Soon, field commander of Taewon Fire Station?

-Hold on, please. -Yes?

-What brings you here? -[Youngsoo] I'm here to enforce

a search and seizure of electronic information,

mobile phone and wired and wireless communication transcripts,

body cameras, and CCTV footage in response to Taewon's serial arson,

Next Officetel arson, and attempted bombing.

A search and seizure?

What did our chief do wrong to do all this?

The serial arsonist, Yang Sangman, was your ex-husband.

And he called you on the day of the incident

and arranged a meeting on the roof of Next Officetel, correct?

Yes, that's correct.

Despite being able to assume

that the serial arsonist had knowledge of firefighting and fires,

you not only failed to inform anyone, but went to meet Yang Sangman.

[Youngsoo] Also, do you admit to missing

the golden time without taking any action

despite having time to warn firefighters and police while on the rooftop?

How is that our chief's fault? It's the arsonist's fault.

You're being charged

with professional negligence and absence without leave

for failing to respond appropriately as a field commander

due to personal relations.

-[Inju] Being charged? -[Kisoo] What do you mean?

-Hold on. -[Dongwoo] Please wait!

-Move aside! -Wait!

[Hong] Shoot.

As expected, there are comminuted skull fractures.

He hasn't been identified yet, right?

No, as there were no fingerprints.

[Hong] The last joint of every finger was cut off with a blunt tool.

What about the teeth? Are there any indicators to help identify him?

[Hong] Let's get a dental X-ray.

Shoot.

They ground all the teeth down.

In addition, number 25 on the upper jaw

and numbers 37 and 46 on the lower jaw are completely lost.

Even his teeth?

[Hong] They must have been ones with traces of dental treatment.

You can identify someone with their dental records.

It's an attempt to counteract identification through forensic dentistry.

You can identify someone with medical records.

[Hong] Forceps, please.

[♪ thrilling music playing]

[Hong] It looks like work gloves.

It was likely left behind while damaging the teeth.

From fingerprints to the teeth,

the culprit worked really hard to hide the victim's identity.

[Hong] Let's look at the abdomen.

Shoot.

There are multiple rib fractures.

What's this?

-Can you zoom in and come here? -[pathologist 1] Sure.

[pathologist 2] What is this?

[Hong] There are unidentified foreign objects in the body.

[Samsoon] What are those things doing in a human body?

Ms. Yun, have you seen anything like that before?

[Hong] It's my first time seeing this in my seven years of performing autopsies.

Can you send a photo of this X-ray to Mr. Kang Doha?

I think he should have a look too.

[pathologist 2] Yes, ma'am.

[camera shutter clicks]

No matter the cause,

a human being shouldn't do this to another human being, right?

[Samsoon] You can tell the perpetrator's personality

while performing autopsies, right?

What do you think about the perpetrator of this case?

[Hong] They killed and mutilated a person for a particular purpose,

so they're meticulous and calculating.

They have the arrogant belief that they won't get caught after doing this.

And there's a certain level of inhumanity

in how they treat people like tools and are insensitive to the pain of others.

That's what I can tell.

There's one more thing.

This isn't their first time, and they'll do it again at any time.

[phone buzzes]

[♪ ominous music playing]

What is this?

No!

-[phone ringing] -[sighs]

[Hong] I can't concentrate today.

[pathologist 1] Hello? I understand. Okay.

[phone clanks]

[pathologist 1] That was the Trace Evidence Room.

Do you remember the evaluation for Prosecutor Park Hongjun?

It's an emergency, and they need help.

[Hong] Yes, that's pretty urgent.

Can you two help them finish up?

[both] Yes, ma'am.

[Hong] I'll have to cut these if I want to make an incision.

[♪ tense music playing]

No, Hong! Don't touch it!

[blasts]

-Didn't you hear something just now? -What was that?

I think it came from the autopsy room.

Check on Ms. Yun first.

[Samsoon] Ms. Yun, are you okay?

She's unconscious!

Everything in the stomach was glass marbles.

[Kang Doha groans]

She's bleeding from her head and hand.

Please call for help first!

Unknown caller

Restricted number

[phone buzzing]

-Hello? -[blackmailer] Put me on speaker.

-Who… -[Kang Doha] Who are you?

I said put me on speaker.

You're being blackmailed right now.

[blackmailer on speaker] Second order to follow.

From this point on,

no one can leave or enter without my permission.

That's not hard, right?

If you don't listen to me, this whole place will blow up.

Don't you understand?

I told you.

No one is allowed to leave, enter, or call anyone!

They're watching us.

Who are you?

The person who planted the bomb in the corpse.

It exploded just now.

Who said there was only one bomb?

Check for yourself.

Is it true?

[Kang Doha] It's a homemade bomb.

A detonator and explosive.

They knew we'd cut the wires first, so they planted two.

With this amount of explosives,

the glass marble explosion pales in comparison.

[blackmailer] You're familiar with body bombs, right?

Bombs planted within a body.

What did you use as an explosive?

-[blackmailer] ANFO. -What is that?

Do you remember the Port of Beirut explosion in 2020?

The warehouse that exploded contained ammonium nitrate,

the main component of ANFO.

[blackmailer] As expected of an expert.

I'll give you a rundown of the situation, so listen carefully.

Seventeen people in the autopsy wing.

Forty-five others on different floors.

If it explodes, 17 people die immediately

while the remaining suffer serious injuries.

[blackmailer laughing]

I guess that's the number of casualties.

But how unfortunate.

If your bodies explode into a million pieces,

will you be able to identify who's who?

[blackmailer giggles]

So don't just stand around dumbstruck.

Mr. Kang Doha,

check the left thigh.

[♪ tense music playing]

This seems to be a circuit from inside a pager.

[Kang Doha] Antenna coil.

It's a wireless signal receiver.

Wireless signal receiver: A hardware that receives wireless signals

Just one phone call and it'll explode.

[blackmailer] I'm so glad that you recognize it.

If you didn't recognize it, I was going to detonate it.

[blackmailer laughing]

Put your phones on the autopsy table and pull down the blinds.

We'll lock the doors from here.

[door closes]

[phone ringing]

[blackmailer] Why aren't you answering?

Answer it, Mr. Kang Doha.

If you don't want the same disaster in Beirut to happen at the NFS,

be mindful of what you say.

[phone ringing]

Hello, this is Kang Doha.

No, there was a machine malfunction.

[staff] Oh, I see.

But it sounded like an explosion,

so should I head over?

No, that's all right.

[Kang Doha] Ms. Yun is quite upset about all the disruptions.

She's telling me to hang up.

[staff] Oh, I apologize. Please keep up the good work.

[blackmailer] Well done.

-What do you want? -What do you think?

How is Ms. Yun's condition?

[Hogae] You're watching us.

She's unconscious. She needs to go to the hospital.

[blackmailer] The explosion wasn't enough to kill anyone. Don't overreact.

Wake her up.

The wounds have stopped bleeding, but she's not waking up.

I think she's having trouble breathing. What's going on?

[Hogae] She's having trouble breathing.

Don't you need Ms. Yun? Let me make a call to a paramedic.

[blackmailer] Do as you please.

Whose phone are you going to use?

Woo Samsoon?

Use Ms. Samsoon's phone. Put it on speaker.

[phone buzzing]

There's nothing much here.

Hello, this is Song Seol.

[Hogae] It's your next-door neighbor. I have an urgent question.

Detective Jin?

What's wrong?

Uh…

What do you do when you hurt your chest

and your breathing is irregular?

You're hurt? Are you sure you're okay?

Not me, but…

Can you just answer my question? I'm in a hurry.

Chest trauma and irregular breathing.

So they're having trouble breathing, right?

Yes, I believe so.

[Seol] When nothing is wrong with the lungs,

the chest will swell as you breathe in

and contract as you exhale.

You need to check if that's the case.

It's contracting as she breathes in and swelling as she exhales.

What if the opposite is happening?

Then it's an emergency. It could be tension pneumothorax.

What if we can't get to a hospital?

If you have any sterile unused needles, choose the thickest one.

There were needles here.

Then what?

Put your ear to both sides of the chest and listen to the lung sounds.

One side will be less clear.

[gasps]

What next?

At a hospital, they would pierce the upper thoracic cavity,

but it's dangerous because of the vagus nerve and artery.

Lay the patient on one side and after exposing the side,

insert a needle just below the seventh rib.

Until it feels like you've pierced the thoracic cavity.

Then you'll hear a small sound of air escaping.

Keep the needle in place and let the air out for a few minutes.

But are you sure you're okay? Why are you--

Yes, I'm fine. I'll call you back later.

[sighs] What's going on?

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

I'll give it a try.

[Hong groaning]

Is it done?

[Kang Doha] I think it's done.

[Samsoon] I think we need to disinfect her hand.

-Hong, are you okay? -[groaning]

[Hong] What happened?

There was an IED explosion.

All of the round foreign objects on the X-ray were glass marbles.

Your breathing was irregular, so…

[Hogae] Hey, watch the side!

[blackmailer] Ms. Yun?

I believe we have something to discuss.

-Move out of the way. -What?

Move, go over there.

Come sit down, Ms. Aeri.

-Oh, okay. -Your legs must hurt.

Ms. Aeri, I'll head back first. Join us after you're finished.

-Okay. -See you later.

Focus on working.

I am working.

Tighten it a bit more. There you go.

[♪ tense music playing]

[blackmailer] There seems to be another visitor.

Let's handle this quietly, all right?

Ms. Yun, it's me. Open the door, please.

We found something unusual inside the body,

so Ms. Yun and I will take care of the autopsy.

The both of you?

Yes, it was Ms. Yun's decision.

The autopsy may take a bit longer as well.

[pathologist 1] But still…

I need you to look up

recent head trauma cases

with ruptured soft tissue in the leg on the Dicom server.

[Hong] I want to make comparisons with this case.

[pathologist 1] Right now?

Okay. How far back should I look?

The past five years.

Five years?

[scoffs]

I won't be able to go home today, then, Ms. Yun.

Please look into it for me.

Yes, ma'am. I understand.

Call recording

[Hogae] What next?

[Seol] At a hospital, they would pierce the upper thoracic cavity,

but it's dangerous, because of the vagus nerve and artery.

Lay the patient on one side and after exposing the side…

It sounds intentional.

-…just below the seventh rib. -[rhythmic tapping]

[Seol] Until it feels like you've pierced the thoracic cavity.

[rhythmic tapping]

I think my breathing is back to normal.

Now tell us what you want.

[blackmailer] I see that the rumors about you being impatient are true.

Hey, what are you trying to do?

And how can we trust you?

[blackmailer] Is there anything you can do if you don't trust me?

Detonate it, you bastard.

The police never compromise with a blackmailer.

Detonate it.

[Hogae] You can't, can you?

If we all die, your whole plan implodes, right?

Ah, I guess we're in a symbiotic relationship from now on.

[blackmailer] How should I pacify the Jindo Dog?

I guess you've hardly ever been blackmailed before.

Goodness, you know my nickname. Seems like you've done your research.

[blackmailer snickers]

[blackmailer] What would satisfy the Jindo Dog?

Oh, right.

You've been selected, Ms. Samsoon.

What do you mean?

What is it?

[blackmailer] Your firstborn, Sunju, or your secondborn, Suna.

Choose one.

[blackmailer snickers]

Don't lay a hand on my children!

Bangseo Elementary School. Fourth grade, Class Two. Second grade, Class Three.

They grew up so well even without a father.

Because of an untamed Jindo dog,

they may join their father in death at a young age.

You bastards!

You crazy bastards!

[Samsoon] Who do you think you are?

I'll kill you all!

[blackmailer] Silence! Be quiet!

The both of you are so noisy!

Shut your mouth and stay put!

-Ms. Woo. -I need to leave.

-Please calm down. -I have to go to my kids. Let go of me!

[blackmailer] Should I press number one?

This place will explode the moment you leave through that door.

A mother without kids is pitiful, but…

Whatever. They may be better off without a mother.

Tell us what you want. Don't bring the kids into this!

[retches]

Ms. Woo.

[Samsoon] Not my children.

[Samsoon sobs]

I scolded my kids as I sent them to school on empty stomachs today.

I've never cooked a proper meal for my kids.

Please don't touch my kids.

Please, I'm begging you.

Please let me out. Just me.

[Samsoon] I won't say a word to anyone.

Please just let me out!

I have to go to my kids!

Sunju! Suna!

Just let me out!

I…

-I… -Ms. Woo.

-I… -Ms. Woo!

[gasping]

She's having a panic attack! I think she's hyperventilating, too.

A paper bag!

[♪ tense music playing]

-[wailing] -[paper bag rustling]

[Hong] Deep breaths.

Breathe with me.

Slowly.

[breathing deeply]

Are you okay?

I have to get out.

[blackmailer] Do you understand now?

You don't compromise with me.

You just obey me.

Obey.

Repeat after me.

Obey.

All right. Which one do you want to eat?

This one or this one?

Can you try it first?

Satisfied?

But who are you?

[♪ ominous music playing]

This is what the unidentified victim, currently undergoing autopsy, was wearing.

If you can find the brand name and model,

we may be able to trace the purchase.

If you look here, there's no brand tag here.

Wait, what? Why is there no tag?

They removed the tag from the pants well.

-What's going on? -Do you have his shoes?

If you scrape off the dirt and dust, we may find his recent whereabouts.

Oh, yes. The shoes are here.

It's been smoothened out with a knife.

Wouldn't there be trace evidence in the pockets of the pants?

[examiner 1] What the heck?

They've removed the pockets, too.

We're not dealing with a regular criminal.

-Please keep checking. -Okay.

Let's continue what we were doing first.

Yes, sir.

Detective Kongmyeong Pil

[phone buzzing]

Restricted number

Detective Kongmyeong Pil

If we don't pick up, he'll get suspicious and come here.

[blackmailer] Do as you please.

[Hogae] It's me.

[Pil] What took you so long to answer?

We can't get anything from the shoes or clothes.

The culprit is very cunning.

This is the first time since Yoo Youngchul that I've seen shoe soles filed down.

Did you find anything during the autopsy? I'm about to head over.

[Hogae] It's fine, you don't have to.

[Pil] Why?

The autopsy is going to take a while. Wait at the office.

All right, then. Take your time.

Bye.

What's going on?

[Hogae] Now get to the point.

[blackmailer] You're going to a trial today, right, Ms. Yun?

I believe your results should be out now.

Are you talking about the incident at a Chinese restaurant?

[blackmailer] Call Prosecutor Park.

Tell him you're personally delivering the appraisal to the court.

You're doing all of this, because of that incident?

Should I ask Sunju and Suna to?

Don't make it harder for the children's mother and call him on speaker.

[Hongjun] Hello, this is Park Hongjun.

-This is Yoon Hong from the NFS. -Hello, Ms. Yun.

Are the appraisal results not out yet?

The trial is about to begin.

The results may be a bit delayed.

May I bring the results to the court myself?

[Hongjun] Okay, I'll put in a witness request then.

I'll see you at the court.

[phone buzzing]

Hello, Ms. Yun.

[Hong] You know the appraisal results that need to be released today?

The Chinese restaurant incident.

[examiner 1] Yes, we're working on it right now.

When can we expect the results?

It may take about 20 minutes or so.

[Hong] Let me know when they're out. I'll come by to get them.

[examiner 1] Oh, okay.

[blackmailer] Go to the court once the results are out.

And you just need to testify as you're told.

You want me to commit perjury?

[blackmailer] You'll know once the results are out.

We're watching you all, so don't try anything.

Just quietly obey.

What Chinese restaurant incident?

It's a case where a man was found dead in a room at a Chinese restaurant.

A man he was with was arrested at the scene.

There was no external trauma or evidence of murder, but…

[Hong] Presumably red microfiber.

[Hong] Microfibers were found in both the oral and nasal cavities.

It's possible that the fibers entered the body while he was breathing.

Or something covered his face to prevent him from breathing.

Exactly. And there happened to be a cushion of the same color at the scene.

Please evaluate whether the microfibers are a match or not.

Yes, ma'am.

[Hong] If the fibers match the cushion from the Chinese restaurant,

it will become direct evidence of asphyxia by airway obstruction,

and there will be a conviction.

If they're not a match, there won't be a conviction.

The results will be out soon.

Just who is the defendant that these people are going this far?

That's what's strange to me.

According to the case records, the victim and perpetrator

are just ordinary people.

Ordinary people don't make homemade bombs like this.

But…

should we really be talking like this?

The CCTV in the autopsy room does not pick up audio

since investigative information discussed during an autopsy

could be leaked.

They probably think it's fine as long as we can't contact anyone with our phones.

What if we can contact someone on the outside?

It's Sunju's.

Number One and Two, don't move!

Hey, your cell phone!

Deep breaths. Breathe with me.

Are you okay?

I have to get out.

Nice one, Ms. Woo.

Good thing I bought it for her.

Thanks, Sunju.

He told me to leave, so I guess I should.

[Pil singing] ♪ If you turn around ♪

♪ Will our eyes meet? ♪

♪ My heart goes bounce, bounce… ♪

[Samsoon] Bangseo Elementary.

Fourth grade, Woo Sunju, and second grade, Woo Suna.

Please check if they're safe.

-♪ Bounce… ♪ -[Samsoon] If you see this,

quietly respond back.

Don't call me.

Code Zero.

[Pil singing]

[Samsoon] Why isn't he checking the texts?

[Kang Doha] What are you doing?

[phone buzzing]

[blackmailer] Jindo Dog, I told you all to stay put and not try anything.

What are you doing with the corpse?

Staying still for too long arouses suspicion, no?

[blackmailer] You won't find anything. We made sure of it.

It's going straight to the crematorium as an unclaimed body.

[Hogae] Unclaimed?

Do you really think we won't identify him?

[snickers]

I don't think your pride as a detective will get you anywhere this time.

Then make a bet with me.

[blackmailer in English] Okay, call.

[in Korean] But if you can't identify him within 15 minutes,

I'll detonate the bomb.

-You want me to bet my life, is that it? -Detective Jin.

[blackmailer] Oh, no.

I can't detonate it with Ms. Yun there.

Take out your handcuffs.

Mr. Kang Doha, take the handcuffs.

Hey.

I'm sorry.

Cuff yourself to the C-arm.

-Satisfied? -[blackmailer] Jindo Dog.

What are you doing? Take out the key.

If you can't identify the body within 15 minutes,

Mr. Jin Hogae

will eat the key.

Enjoy it like a dog.

[blackmailer giggling]

The 15-minute timer…

starts now.

"Fatal injury, struck in the back of the head."

"Blunt weapon used."

"No ligature marks on the arms and ankles."

Mutilation of the corpse happened after death, right?

There's no sign that the body was functioning when the laceration was made.

[Hong] It was mutilation after death.

All right. Let's start victim profiling.

Gender, male.

He's been a smoker for at least 20 years.

[Hong] There was a lot of tar on his teeth.

-Heavy smoker. -Based on the degree of calcification

and occlusal wear of teeth, he's 50 years old or older.

A man who's 50 years old or older.

There were no missing person reports that match his description.

He may have lived alone.

Possibly living alone.

The radius and ulna of both arms

and ribs three and seven had indications of healed fractures.

Radius and ulna? Defensive marks, maybe.

Small fractures can also be found in drunk people.

They often fall and get hurt.

Habitual alcoholic

or someone who fights a lot.

We don't have any more clues. How do we narrow it down?

We have the best clue to help identify him.

A victim that the culprit went to great lengths to hide.

What are you saying?

What do you mean? We continue what we were doing.

The autopsy.

-Pil! Where's Detective Jin? -My goodness, you scared me.

I came alone because the autopsy is taking a while. Why?

Really? Listen to this.

I think something's wrong.

-You guys talked today? -Yes.

[Seol] Chest trauma and irregular breathing.

So they're having trouble breathing, right?

-[rhythmic tapping] -[Hogae] Yes, I believe so.

[Seol] When nothing is wrong with the lungs…

What are you guys talking about?

That's not important. He's tapping the phone with his finger.

Listen again.

[Seol] Chest trauma and irregular breathing.

So they're having trouble breathing, right?

[mimicking rhythmic tapping]

[rhythmic tapping]

You're right.

It's a SOS in Morse code.

Isn't he sending us a message? He's done this before too.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

I'll try calling him.

I already tried. He's not answering.

What's this?

[Samsoon] Bangseo Elementary.

Fourth grade, Woo Sunju, and second grade, Woo Suna.

Please check if they're safe.

If you see this, quietly respond back.

Code Zero.

They're in trouble. Darn it.

Hey, wait for me.

Mr. Baek, there's trouble.

What's going on? Why are you so worked up?

Woo Suna and Woo Sunja are Ms. Woo's daughters.

And I'm not sure who, but I think someone's hurt.

"Code Zero."

"Don't call me"?

-This is blackmail. -Exactly.

[Pil] What's happening? Who got hurt?

Go to Bangseo Elementary and check on Ms. Woo's children.

-[Mr. Baek] Okay. -[Samsoon] There's too much to explain.

-What about my kids? -[Pil] We've sent someone.

[Samsoon] There must be a hacker who infiltrated

the NFS's CCTV transmission line.

They're watching us inside the autopsy room.

Ask Seungkyu to track them down.

We have to go to the forensics team.

-Let's get going. -Okay.

I got it. Okay.

What's in the knees? Is this a booby trap?

What is that?

[Kang Doha] It's fixed in a unique way.

[Hong] Turn it towards me.

This isn't a bomb.

It's an artificial kneecap.

An artificial joint.

An artificial joint is traceable, right?

Every prosthesis has a serial number engraved on it for tracking.

-If we trace it back-- -We'll know exactly who, when,

and which hospital the surgery was performed in.

[Kang Doha] Hold on.

-That means we have to take it out. -And?

The wires attached to the detonator

are passing right above the artificial joint.

One wrong move and this whole place blows up.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

-Then what do we do? -Do you want to vanish into thin air?

Jeez, why do you have to talk like that?

[Kang Doha in English] Evaporate.

[in Korean] The closer you are to an explosive,

the more likely your body will shatter into pieces and disappear.

-[Hong] I'll do it. -[Hogae] No.

What can you do with that hand?

I suggested it, so I'll do it. Sit down and rest.

All right, let's see.

-What do I have to do? -[exhales heavily]

Make an incision straight down,

starting from right beside the artificial joint.

Doha, you keep taking X-rays.

Then we can see how deep the scalpel goes.

Like this.

[Hong] Grab it like this.

You can control the pressure better while making the incision.

You can't cut too deep.

Do it very slowly.

Why is my hand shaking so much?

Hey, try to leave about two millimeters of space.

No, make it three.

Detective, be careful.

-Aren't you going in too deep? -[Samsoon] It's too deep.

You're going in too deep. Keep your hand still.

Be careful!

I'm sorry, but can you be quiet, so he can concentrate?

[exhales heavily]

Don't touch any of the wires.

[Kang Doha] Hogae, you're cutting too deep.

No, Hogae. Hey. Don't breathe!

Can you stop it?

I'm going to touch it at this rate.

Why are you… And what, don't breathe? Should I just die then?

Die. Just die.

Every time you breathe, your body vibrates

along with your heartbeat. Can't you hold your breath?

I get it. Everyone be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate.

Too many cooks, seriously.

[♪ tense music playing]

Okay, don't touch the wires.

[Hogae] Don't touch the wires.

[Hogae grunts]

Ms. Yun, can I take it out now?

[Hong] Artificial joints aren't easy to remove.

It's fixed tightly so that you never have to worry about it again.

It only gets harder from here on out.

Do you see the tray beside you?

-You'll need it to remove the joint. -[sighs]

Let's pull out all the stops.

[whirring]

[Samsoon] Did you track down the hacker?

[police] Almost. One moment, please.

The transit system and bypass are no joke.

We're using TCP backtracking to track them down.

[Samsoon] Try using IP packet trackback.

IP Packet Traceback: Tracking the actual destination of changed IP address packets

Shouldn't we report this now

and call in Special Forces to do a rescue operation?

No, if we do, they'll know we made contact.

We have no choice but to trust and wait for Detective Jin's decisions.

Seol, don't tell anyone at the fire station.

Okay.

All right, insert the saw next to the wires.

[Kang Doha] Don't touch the wires.

[whirring]

[bones cracking]

Wait.

[panting]

[♪ tense music playing]

[blasts]

Go to work on time, work hard,

and come back home in one piece. Just keep those things.

[drill whirring]

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

The serial number is on the inside. Do you see it?

There's a lot of flesh, so I need to remove some.

You'll see it after you remove it and rinse it with water.

This way.

Do you see the serial number?

-No, I don't. -[Kang Doha] What?

I think I cut it off.

[exhales heavily]

[beeping]

[blackmailer] I'm disappointed, Jindo Dog.

Hold up your end of the deal

and take care of the handcuff key.

How can I eat it without any water?

[retches]

Detective.

[blackmailer] All right, let's get to work.

Hello, this is Yun Hong.

The trace evidence results are out.

I'm on my way now.

[blackmailer] Get the appraisal and head to the court.

Two police officers, your NFS colleagues,

Sunju, and Suna.

You understand that their lives are in your hands, right?

[phone buzzing]

Unknown number

[blackmailer] Get moving.

[sighs]

Autopsy room Restricted area

Hey, send everyone out but me.

[Kang Doha] You only need one hostage.

I can't leave, anyway.

[blackmailer] No, the more hostages the better.

I'll be permanently locking the autopsy room door,

so no one else can leave.

Autopsy in progress

-Ms. Woo. -Yes?

I found the serial number.

I thought you cut it off.

Why would I report the investigation findings to the culprit?

573420.

KG98.

You little…

573420 KG98.

Unknown number

[blackmailer] Get moving.

[♪ tense music playing]

-[examiner 1] You're here. -Yes.

-[examiner 1] Hand me the document. -[examiner 2] Yes, sir.

-Here you go. -What are you doing?

Here you go.

Appraisal results Enclosed

Your face…

Have a nice day.

[blackmailer] Don't open the appraisal documents

until you sit at the witness stand.

There will be a cell phone and earphones when you get in the car.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

I found it!

We found it. It's a surgical record for the artificial joint.

The patient underwent surgery at Onjo Orthopedic Clinic in 2017.

-Hurry up and go. -Yes, sir.

-Min. -Yes, sir.

They found the record.

Okay.

I found the line that infiltrated the NFS's CCTV transmission line.

They found the hacker who infiltrated the NFS.

-We'll cut their connection. -Hold on.

Can you record the CCTV footage that they're seeing right now?

What if we sent a recording to play on their screens?

Are you saying we loop the recording

to trick them into thinking we're still in here?

And in the meantime, we evacuate everyone from the building.

What if we get caught?

If we just disconnect them and evacuate--

We can't buy time then.

Hong is on her way to the court. We can't guarantee her safety either.

That's right.

Okay, we'll try it.

Call the fire station, so we can open the door once the loop is successful.

All right.

[Samsoon] Loop the CCTV footage.

We need to open the door if we succeed, so call the fire station.

Dispatch quietly. And connect me to Chief Dokgo.

Okay, got it.

We're going to start recording for the CCTV footage loop,

so tell everyone not to move too much and stay still.

Yes, sir.

We're recording.

[♪ thrilling rock music playing]

Hello, this is Dokgo Soon.

[Mr. Baek] Hello, Chief Dokgo.

Listen to me carefully.

The NFS's CCTV is currently being monitored,

so please approach the CCTV blind spots

as quietly as possible.

Understood. Please provide us with directions.

Yes, of course.

Welcome back, chief.

[beeps]

[♪ ominous music playing]

Hello, we're police officers.

I'd like to see a list of patients

in their mid to late fifties who recently had an artificial joint transplant.

Oh, one moment, please.

His name is Ha Joongsik, 58 years old.

Yes. Wait a second.

He's a police officer.

His name is Ha Joongsik, 58 years old.

He's a police officer.

They not only sent a bomb to the NFS, but also killed a police officer.

They're no joke.

Even if Ms. Yun gives the testimony they want,

they'll kill her and blow this place up.

Court

[♪ ominous music playing]

The recording is done.

Tell them not to move until I give the signal.

Yes, sir.

They said don't move.

The moment they intercept the signal,

the blackmailers might notice it on their screens.

That's the most dangerous moment.

Three,

two,

one.

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[♪ thrilling music playing]

We're ready.

[siren wailing]

[♪ upbeat music playing, Jeon Woong, Lee Daehwi "Fire"]

Special thanks to Min Sungwuk and Jung Jingak

for their special appearance

The First Responders Season 2

The results came out around 11:50 a.m. today.

[Hogae] If Ms. Yun gives false testimony, they'll try to silence her.

[Mr. Baek] Silence her? Are you saying they're going to kill her, too?

This isn't a trial!

[Hogae] It's a mess.

-Codeword, "fried dumpling"! Let's go! -[gangster] Engage!

[overlapping grunting]

Hold on a second.

The NFS is next to the police station, which is next to the fire station.

We're invincible.

[Hogae] If the NFS is involved, it's a big case. Invincible, my foot.

A real-time rescue request?

-Darn it. -Understood.

This is Yang Chiyoung.

Translated by Rebekah Hyonha Kim