[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] In "100 Days of Lies," despite Kim Yoo-jung’s role as a spy, the National Salvation Corps found itself on the brink of failure in its assassination mission, heightening the tension.

In the fourth episode of tvN’s 20th-anniversary special Saturday-Sunday drama “100 Days of Lies,” which aired on the 18th, Yoo So-ran (played by Kim Hyun-joo) and the National Salvation Group attempted a second assassination of Sato Shinichi (played by Jin Seon-kyu). However, the operation went awry once again due to mistrust toward Lee Ga-kyung (played by Kim Yoo-jung). Meanwhile, Lee Ga-kyung found herself on the verge of having her true identity exposed to Sato Hideo (played by Park Jin-young).

According to Nielsen Korea, the episode’s viewership rating rose to an average of 9.0% based on nationwide household ratings. The peak rating reached 9.8%, setting a new series high and ranking first among all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters. It also ranked first in the 20–49 age group—tvN’s target demographic—across all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters.

In that episode, the truth behind Lee Ga-kyung’s kidnapping was revealed. It turned out to be a ruse orchestrated by Yoo Philip (played by Lee Mu-saeng) and members of the National Salvation Corps to test Lee Ga-kyung’s qualifications as an informant. Even under extreme pressure, Lee Ga-kyung did not reveal the existence of the National Salvation Corps.

Furthermore, when pressured to confess who was behind her, she declared, “My backer is Joseon,” and shouted, “Long live Korean independence!” However, another twist was hidden within this scene. In fact, Lee Ga-kyung had already realized that this was an initiation test to assess her capabilities.

Realizing that the National Salvation Corps no longer trusted her, Lee Ga-kyung announced she would quit as a spy. In response, Yoo Philip aimed his gun at her, but Yoo So-ran intervened and pleaded with Lee Ga-kyung for help.

Meanwhile, at the Guukukdan hideout, a meeting regarding Shinichi Sato’s second assassination operation was in full swing. Based on a newspaper article, the members had deduced that Shinichi Sato would attend the awards ceremony at the Joseon Painting Exhibition at 7:00 p.m. on Monday—two days later. This information was all the more reliable because Lee Ga-kyung’s copy of his schedule—obtained during her first mission as an informant—also listed the words “congratulatory speech” for the same day and time. Upon confirming this, the members viewed it as another opportunity and awaited the day of the decisive battle.

However, Lee Ga-kyung relayed new information to Yoo So-ran: instead of attending the awards ceremony at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, a briefing by the Chief of Political Affairs to the editorial staff was scheduled to take place within the Government-General of Korea. Nevertheless, Yoo So-ran and the members of the Patriotic Corps proceeded with the assassination operation, placing greater weight on the assumption that he would attend the awards ceremony.

While Jang Jeong-yeop (played by Lee Do-gun), Han Cheol-ryong (played by Kim In-kwon), and Yoo So-ran were carrying out the operation, Lee Ga-kyung called Yoo Philip’s office to reiterate that the evening’s event was a “report,” not a “congratulatory speech.”

Just as Yoo Philip sensed that all plans had gone awry, the scene of the operation descended into chaos. Yoo So-ran, who was engaged in a gunfight on the second floor of the building, had her position exposed to Fukuda (played by Kim Joong-hee), plunging the National Salvation Corps into crisis. The closing scene, which juxtaposed their desperate struggle with the sinister smile of Sato Shinichi as he descended the steps of the Governor-General’s Office, heightened the tension.

“100 Days of Lies” airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 p.m.