Lee Jun-hyuk expresses anger instead of resignation after winning 1.3 billion won... 'Lotto No. 1' resonates with reality at 100%

*This content was translated by AI.

'Even Lotto Winners Go to Work' touched the hearts of viewers as a K-workplace office drama.

OTT Tving Original 'Even Lotto Winners Go to Work' (directed and written by Yoon Young-bin) (hereinafter 'Lotto No. 1') visited viewers with the release of episodes 1 and 2 on the 10th. The meager daily life of Gong Eun-tae (played by Lee Jun-hyuk), an ordinary office worker caught between pressures from above and below, evoked empathy, while Gong Eun-tae's choice to go to work instead of submitting a resignation letter despite winning the 'Lotto No. 1' jackpot added realism. In addition, the immersive performances by the cast, including Lee Jun-hyuk, Seo Hyun-woo, Oh Dae-hwan, Lee Hyun-gyun, and Park Bo-kyung, further heightened immersion and led to positive reviews.

According to Tving on the 14th, 'Lotto No. 1' saw subscription contributions rise to about three times the level of the first day on the second day after its release, followed by ranking second among Tving's major content based on cumulative subscription contributions after its launch.

<Lotto No. 1> Episodes 1 and 2 began with Gong Eun-tae's grueling daily life. Gong Eun-tae, who had climbed the ranks slightly earlier than others at Na I-e (Team Lead), was currently achieving results through diligence and intensity. However, he was looked down upon by team members who were senior to him since joining the company, and on top of that, he was dragged into internal politics and forced to take on work. Compared to Yang Jun-ho (played by Seo Hyun-woo), who got along informally with his teammates, Gong Eun-tae's lonely position within the team added a sense of pity. A life where he couldn't even express anger at unreasonable things while neglecting himself. Nevertheless, he endured day after day with the thought that as long as results came in and work went smoothly, everything would be fine.

However, even that 'work' often did not go his way. In a situation where he repeatedly took on difficult tasks only to have them taken away from him again, Yang Jun-ho pointed out the team leader's inability to earn trust and poured out his anger: "Let's just do one thing. Please, let me at least be able to work." Despite that anger, Gong Eun-tae could not resolve anything, and in the cold atmosphere of Sales Team 5, he spent a day more exhausting and tiring than ever before.

A turning point came for Gong Eun-tae's life, which offered no help from either his company or family and had neither fun nor meaning. The lottery ticket he accidentally bought turned into a huge fortune of '1.3 billion won.' For a brief moment, he was excited by the sudden windfall of money, but Gong Eun-tae's daily life continued as before. The first change that '1.3 billion won' brought to Gong Eun-tae was not to endure anymore. When Yang Jun-ho again disobeyed orders and acted on his own, Gong Eun-tae resolved, "This lottery might be the last chance my life gives me to live without holding back anger," and poured out all the anger he had suppressed until then. Hong Seong began to stir at this unexpected change in Gong Eun-tae.

Gong Eun-tae's 'decision to get angry' led to an unexpected result. He finally had an open and honest conversation with Yang Jun-ho, whom he had only ever clashed with before. Yang Jun-ho expressed his disappointment that Gong Eun-tae did not consider him a 'teammate' and revealed his true feelings of wanting to pick a fight for no reason, while also hinting at his intention to resign.

However, Gong Eun-tae held onto Yang Jun-ho, suggesting they try working properly together. They discovered the possibility that although they were not compatible as individuals, they could complement each other's weaknesses professionally. "Let's work together. Would you like to pull off a scheme with me? I'm going to turn this company upside down." Gong Eun-tae's eyes sparkled at Yang Jun-ho, signaling not only a change in the relationship between the two who had been in constant conflict but also raising curiosity about the new future they would create together for Hong Seong.

In the epilogue, Gong Eun-tae is shown visiting a real estate office. Instead of buying a house with his winnings, he smiles while saying, "A 3 billion won property shouldn't be swayed by 1.3 billion won," raising expectations for Gong Eun-tae's choice to finally begin reflecting on his own value.

'Lotto No. 1' captured the process of ordinary office workers, burdened by their arduous daily lives, finding a fantasy in 'winning the lottery' and only then beginning to reflect on their lives and values after gaining money, doing so in an enjoyable manner that captivated viewers from its first release.

Based on the web novel of the same name by writer Seo In-ha, episodes 3 and 4 will be exclusively premiered on Tving at 6 p.m. on the 17th. On tvN, it will begin broadcasting for the first time at 9 p.m. on the 14th and air every Monday and Tuesday night at 9 p.m.

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*This content was translated by AI.