[EPN Enpinow reporter Go Nari] In the March 31 episode of MBC's The First Man, Chae Hwa-young dramatically revealed to Kang Jun-ho that she is his biological mother.
Earlier in the episode, Kang Baek-ho quickly picked up on suspicious behavior between Chae Hwa-young and Lee Kang-hyuk. He alerted Oh Jang-mi and asked Kang Jun-ho to bring Ma Se-rin to the office.
Chae Hwa-young suddenly confronted Oh Jang-mi. Sensing the threat, Oh Jang-mi assumed Ma Se-rin’s identity to conceal herself, deflecting with the line, "Mom, who is Oh Jang-mi?"
Jin Hong-ju and Yeom San-wol pressured Chae, threatening to expose that Oh Jang-mi and Ma Se-rin are twins. Chae turned the tables by producing a photo of Yeom San-wol with another man; humiliated, the pair knelt and begged for forgiveness.
Meanwhile, Kang Jun-ho, suspicious of the relationship between Kang Baek-ho and Ma Se-rin, hired a private investigator to probe Chae Hwa-young’s background. When Chae discovered the investigation, she decided she could no longer stay silent. Tearfully, she confessed to Kang Jun-ho, "I didn't abandon you. I chose this to protect you."
Kang Jun-ho maintained his composure and shot back, "You gave me up to secure your own safety," making clear he had no intention of resuming life as her son.
Chae then dropped another bombshell: she intended to pass Dream Group to Kang Jun-ho. "Se-rin is not my biological daughter," she said, "but she is undoubtedly Chairman Ma's child." Rather than elaborate, Chae urged Kang Jun-ho to protect Dream Group by marrying Ma Se-rin.
The scene took another turn when Oh Jang-mi accidentally overheard the conversation, setting up even more volatile developments. With Oh now in possession of another piece of leverage over Chae Hwa-young, the series appears poised for a new, unpredictable phase.
Photo: Screenshot from MBC's The First Man broadcast
