Jirian’s latest episodes (11 and 12) follow Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon’s character unearthing more clues as they inch closer to reveal the true perpetrators of the series of mysterious deaths that happened in the past, and the dangers that still loom around the mountain.
Ju Ji-hoon in his role of Kang Hyun-jo who has a special ability to see people in need of help, foretells the coming of a flood that will prove to be a crisis for the park ranger team. Meanwhile, Seo Yi-gang played by Gianna Jun is in danger as the situation escalates. Through a flashback scene tracing back to the 1991 tragedy of Jirisan, Haedong branch park ranger team lead Jo Dae-jin’s (Sung Dong-il) early life was shown, as well as how he used his experience to aid the rangers’ rescue.
Fast forward to 2020, Cho Han-cheul’s role as Park Il-hae meets with his former park ranger colleagues in a seemingly serious scene. While Seo Yi-gang visits Kang Hyun-jo at the hospital who is still in a coma, believing that he knows the killer’s identity and is longs for him to gain consciousness to finally solve the mystery.
Looking back at the events in the winter of 2019, Yi-gang and Hyun-jo were assaulted in cold blood on Jirisan. On that day, Yi-gang went after Hyun-jo who was on the murderer’s trail, but she fell off the cliff trying a retrieve her hiking pole in what turned out to be a trap set by the perpetrator. Yi-gang suffered serious injury but was rescued by Hyun-jo who brought her to a cave. However, as Hyun-jo left the cave seeking medical help, he was assaulted. Yi-gang saw the perpetrator in the Haedong branch park ranger uniform and black gloves but could not make out his features.
Prior to the incident, Ju Ji-hoon discovered that the murder victims were all connected in some way to the 1995 flooding incident, which also claimed the lives of Gianna Jun’s parents. Even then, the identity and motives of the real murderer remain to be seen.
While Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon have grown close, their feelings for each other were not made known. In the 2020 timeline, Jun said, “If I see Hyun-jo again, will I be able to say what was not said back then?” Whether Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon will see each other again is no doubt one of the things that the fans are looking forward to.
Jirisan, iQiyi Original Korean drama series stars Gianna Jun and Ju Ji-hoon, and created by director Lee Eung-bok (Descendants of The Sun, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) and writer Kim Eun-hee (Signal, Kingdom). It follows the team of national park rangers who are responsible for search and rescue on Jirisan. Star ranger Seo Yi-gang (Gianna Jun) and rookie Kang Hyun-jo (Ju Ji-hoon) are set to unravel the secrets of the peak. The iQiyi Original K-series exclusively simulcasts with Korea at 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays on iQiyi International app or www.iQ.com worldwide.