Chief Detective 1958 follows Unit One of the Jongnam police force, a team dedicated to fighting crime despite rampant bribery and corruption. Even with numerous obstacles from higher officials driven by gangsters and bribes, the team never loses hope. Here’s how they found unconventional solutions to three unresolved cases:
The Illegal Warehouse of the American Army
still cut Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)In one of their first major cases, Unit Two was supposed to arrest gangsters and American soldiers who had been storing illegal goods in an unauthorized warehouse. However, when detectives Park Yeong Han (Lee Je Hoon) and Kim Sang Soon (Lee Dong Hwi) attempted to intervene, they were attacked and abandoned in a distant location. The gangsters were under the protection of corrupt officers from Unit Two, making direct action impossible.
Determined to bring justice, Yeong Han devised a clever plan. He publicly announced that all goods in the warehouse were free for the taking. This led to a massive rush of citizens flocking to the warehouse, leaving the gangsters and soldiers helpless as their stash was quickly depleted by the public.
The Robbery of Drunken Men
still cut Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)Another challenging case involved a series of robberies targeting intoxicated men at night. The robbers would steal money and valuables, often leaving their victims beaten. Detectives Kim Sang Soon and Jo Kyeong Hwan (Choi Woo Sung) were assigned to investigate. They used disguises and surveillance to gather evidence and eventually captured the robbers, who turned out to be teenagers, some even minors.
These youths had been coerced by the Gosan Pioneer Corps, a national project led by influential officials. This made direct police action difficult. Nonetheless, Yeong Han and his team issued a stern warning to the officials, ensuring that the teenagers would no longer be exploited.
The Murder of Sung Chil
still cut Chief Detective 1958 (instagram.com/mbcdrama_now)The team had strong evidence that Mamushi (Kang In Kwon), the leader of the Beludak gang, was responsible for the murder of Sung Chil. However, Mamushi was protected by another powerful gangster, Lee Jung Jae, making it impossible to arrest him through conventional means.
Yeong Han sought the help of an American soldier of Asian descent, whom he had previously assisted. The soldier, posing as a civilian, provoked Mamushi into attacking him. This led to Mamushi’s arrest by American military police for assaulting a soldier, thus bypassing the corrupt local authorities. Instead of ending up in a Korean prison, Mamushi was incarcerated by the American military, thanks to Yeong Han’s unconventional strategy.
In each case, the Unit One team found ways to protect the citizens of Jongnam without breaking the law or their ethical duties as police officers. Their resourcefulness and commitment to justice are the heart of Chief Detective 1958.