In ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama, the peaceful military service days of protagonist Park Min-seok have once again been overshadowed by dark clouds.
In episode 3 of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Rookie 4: Sabotage' (directed by Min Jin-gi and Cho Je-wook | written by Yoon Gi-young and Kim Dan | planned by KT Studio Genie | produced by Story Island), following the blank ammunition misfiring accident, the suspicious actions of Kim Hyun-wook (played by Lee Won-jung) that push Park Min-seok (played by Kim Min-ho) into an even more serious crisis were depicted intensely.
As Kim Hyun-wook's backstory—having to leave the training camp while harboring deep resentment toward Park Min-seok in the past—was unveiled, viewers' curiosity about the beginning of the unresolved ill-fated connection between the two was greatly stimulated. With the new battalion commander Byun Hyeok-jin (played by Lee Hyun-gyun) launching his advanced barracks reform project in earnest, a strong wind of change swept through the entire Sinhwa unit. Backed by such engaging developments, episode 3's viewership soared to 3.4% nationally and peaked at 3.9% per minute, impressively breaking the previous season's highest record in just three episodes.
In this broadcast, the interior of Sinhwa unit was engulfed in an icy silence caused by the aftershock of the blank ammunition misfiring incident. Park Min-seok, anxious about the expected disciplinary measures, froze at the command to report to the company commander's office, but what awaited him was an unexpected symbiotic punishment from Jo Baek-ho (played by Oh Dae-hwan). Rather than imposing excessive punishment, Jo Baek-ho gave Kim Hyun-wook a pleasant penalty to spray Park Min-seok at the PX to smoothly close the case. Unlike Park Min-seok, who finally heaved a sigh of relief, Kim Hyun-wook's expression grew cold. He perceived even the company commander's lenient measures as unfair preferential treatment unique to Park Min-seok, who had the background of being the division commander's son.
The conduct of the newly appointed Byun Hyeok-jin also greatly deviated from unit members' expectations. To Jo Baek-ho, who hesitated in punishing soldiers' mistakes, Byun Hyeok-jin strongly reminded him of the weight of responsibility a commander must bear. After leaving a message that responsibility ultimately falls on superiors, he directly donned full military gear and ran across the parade ground, proving his leadership style of consistency between words and actions and delivering a fresh shock to unit members.
However, Sinhwa unit's brief peace did not last long. At the subsequent shooting training, a critical gun malfunction occurred where Park Min-seok's rifle failed to fire. As Park Min-seok stood bewildered, behind him appeared the face of Kim Hyun-wook holding a critical component from inside the gun and sending a chilling gaze, raising tension to its peak. When Moon Bit-na-ri (played by Kim Yo-han) subsequently found the discarded component, Park Min-seok realized that the unfortunate incidents that had occurred were no mere coincidence. Unable to contain his anger, Park Min-seok confronted Kim Hyun-wook, and their critical standoff situation was barely resolved through mediation by Jeon Se-gye (played by Kim Dong-joon), but the emotional rift between the two deepened further. In confusion, Park Min-seok reminisced about Kim Hyun-wook's contrasting behavior—approaching him familiarly during training camp but pouring out resentment at the moment of discharge—and began tracing the real reason behind the revenge hidden within.
Meanwhile, as part of the '3S Movement' under Byun Hyeok-jin's advanced barracks reform, an order to designate the 2nd Company as a pilot unit for mandatory smoking cessation was issued, throwing the company into chaos. With group outings and commendation leave as dramatic rewards at stake, soldiers' competitive spirit ignited, but Jo Baek-ho found himself conflicted between his own value of bonding with soldiers and Byun Hyeok-jin's relentless push for reform. In the process, Choi Il-gu (played by Nam Tae-woo) testified to his dark history with the miraculous logic that he smoked again to quit gum, drawing laughter, and soldiers of the 3rd dormitory embarked on a desperate withdrawal from nicotine addiction aimed at a group outing with global star Jeon Se-gye.
ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Rookie 4: Sabotage', continuing with unpredictable developments through excellent performances by diverse characters and mysterious incidents, airs its 4th episode tonight at 10 PM on ENA and can also be viewed simultaneously through KT Genie TV and Tving.
