Jisung and Park Byung-eun clash in 'Apartment' as viewership hits 6.1%

The confrontation between Jisung and Park Byung-eun has finally escalated into an irreversible catastrophe. As Park drove Jung Jin-young to his death, Jisung learned the full truth, ending the episode with a visceral, tearful roar that foreshadowed the final showdown.

JTBC's weekend drama 'Apartment,' with only two episodes remaining until its finale, has entered a late-stage surge, recording its highest viewership rating to date.

Episode 10, aired on the 9th, recorded a national average of 6.1%, a metropolitan average of 5.7%, and a metropolitan peak of 6.7% according to Nielsen Korea. The national viewership rating rose by 1.4 percentage points from the previous episode, breaking its own record and ranking first across all channels during the same time slot, including terrestrial broadcasters.

Starting at 4.6% at launch, the viewership rating climbed into the 5% range within just two episodes and hit the 6% range by episode 4. After some fluctuations, it soared to 6.1% ahead of the finale, heightening anticipation for the final two episodes.

■ “Tear down all 9,800 households?”... Jisung, wielding a hammer, aims directly at Park Byung-eun

In episode 10, the clash between Park Hae-gang (Jisung) and Lee Chung-won (Park Byung-eun) effectively escalated into an all-out war.

As Park Hae-gang was urgently arrested, cracks began to appear within the 'Intermittent Family.' When asked for the ledgers hidden by the family, Kang Ha-ri (Ha Yoon-kyung) pointed out that the ledgers alone lacked the decisive evidence needed to directly link them to Lee Chung-won. Instead, she argued that the family must remain united until the end, warning that the moment Lee Chung-won gets his hands on the ledgers, he will discard those who are disadvantageous to him one by one.

Jang Suk-jin (Moon So-ri) also raised doubts regarding Park Hae-gang's alleged embezzlement of 17.8 billion won. It was a reasonable suspicion: if he were the one who actually embezzled the money, why was he still staying in the apartment and working for the residents?

On the other hand, Lee Chung-won attempted to sway public opinion by promising the residents the reconstruction of the kindergarten and full support for a premium English kindergarten. He tried to patch up the situation, which was turning against him, with the 'carrot' of massive development profits and convenient facilities.

However, the situation flipped instantly when Park Hae-gang appeared at the press conference holding a hammer.

Park Hae-gang struck the conference room wall with the hammer, causing construction waste to spill out from inside the wall. The scene was broadcast live to the entire complex, leaving the residents in shock.

He lashed out at Lee Chung-won, shouting, “Are you going to tear down all 9,800 households and rebuild them?” He then confronted him head-on, delivering biting remarks to the fleeing Lee Chung-won, implying it was now his turn to be trapped in the very frame he had constructed.

In an instant, the image of the 'normal apartment businessman' that Lee Chung-won had built was exposed to the residents, revealing the structural corruption hidden beneath.

■ Park Byung-eun finally kills Jung Jin-young... Jisung's 'blood-tear roar'

However, Lee Chung-won's evil deeds deepened.

When the One Club members turned their backs and even media control failed to go his way, Lee Chung-won sought out Park Yong-man. Although he poured out the wounds he suffered during his childhood, Park Yong-man struck back at Lee Chung-won, calling him "a pitiful kid who trembles in fear while spreading poison all over the world."

Lee Chung-won finally could not suppress his rage.

He cut the emergency call cord of Park Yong-man with a knife. Unaware of this, Park Hae-gang visited the hospital room only to face his brother's death.

Park Hae-gang wailed, “Please save my brother!”

But an even more cruel scene unfolded at the funeral. Appearing before a devastated Park Hae-gang, who sat blankly in the position of the chief mourner, Lee Chung-won calmly revealed that he was the one who had driven Park Yong-man to his death.

“Your brother was like a splinter in Park Hae-gang's life. So, I cut him out myself.”

Lee Chung-won's words were more than a confession of a crime; they were a blatant provocation toward Park Hae-gang.

At that moment, Park Hae-gang realized everything. Having confirmed that Lee Chung-won was behind his brother's death, he clenched his fists, suppressing both rage and sorrow.

And finally, he exploded.

As episode 10 ended with the scene of Park Hae-gang howling as if shedding tears of blood, the confrontation between the two reached a stage where it could no longer be resolved through negotiation or compromise.

■ The question 'Apartment' posed was ultimately about 'Home'

While 'Apartment' begins with the conflict surrounding 17.8 billion won in long-term maintenance funds, the story gradually strips away its simple crime-drama exterior.

The apartment in the work is not just a living space. It is a community where thousands of households live together, and simultaneously a massive system where capital, power, and desire are concentrated.

Lee Chung-won uses that very system to dominate people. He promises to make the apartment a more convenient and expensive space, but beneath that lies a desire to maximize his own interests, even at the cost of destroying the community's safety and trust.

Conversely, the scene where Park Hae-gang breaks the wall with a hammer is highly symbolic. What he breaks is not just a concrete wall, but the structure of falsehoods that Lee Chung-won has long constructed.

The setting where construction waste spills out from inside the wall is also significant. It visually exposes the fact that the apartment, which appeared solid and perfect on the surface, was actually built upon hidden defects and corruption.

■ With 2 episodes left, can Jisung take down Park Byung-eun?

'Apartment' drew high expectations even before its broadcast due to its gathering of powerhouse actors. Led by Jisung, actors such as Park Byung-eun, Moon So-ri, and Ha Yoon-kyung have heightened the tension by imbuing their characters with dense emotional lines.

In particular, Jisung and Park Byung-eun have maintained a tense confrontation, moving beyond a simple good-versus-evil dynamic to reveal their differing desires and traumas.

However, an irreversible event—death—now stands between them.

Park Byung-eun has targeted Jisung's family, and Jisung has no reason to back down. Ultimately, the focus of the final two episodes will be on how Park Hae-gang dismantles Lee Chung-won's massive system and whether he can survive the process without destroying himself in the process.

With 'Apartment' hitting a peak viewership rating of 6.1%, it has entered its most intense phase ahead of the finale. While it has not yet reached double digits, the drama is clearly reaching its fever pitch. As the fight to protect a home turns into a tale of individual revenge, viewers are focused on the final two episodes to see how the ultimate showdown between Jisung and Park Byung-eun will conclude.