Filing for Love episode 1 begins with a brief narration about an office affair between a man and woman who are complete strangers and the power dynamics that are often involved in such affairs.
Then we get introduced to Noh Ki-jun, an assistant manager at Haemu Group’s headquarters audit Team 1. Ki-jun is extremely detail-oriented and unafraid to confront authority, as he does with Director Kang for doing business with North Korean overseas competitors.
The audit division of Haemu Group comprises three teams. Teams One And Two deal with serious corporate violations such as embezzlement, misconduct, collusion and data leaks. Team Three, however, faces minor internal issues, like employee complaints and workplace behavior, in other words, monitoring staff conduct and maintaining corporate discipline. It soon becomes apparent that Team Three is looked down upon by the rest of the audit department.
Ji-hye unexpectedly pulls Ki-jun upstairs at the office and tries to kiss him. They had a romantic relationship in the past, however, Ki-jun rejects her because she is about to get married and wants a final intimate moment which he refuses to give her.
Later, Ki-jun talks with his co-worker Ahn Min-su about his possible promotion for revealing Director Kang’s misdeed. Their discussion is interrupted when Doo-gi arrives with an urgent message: Joo In-a is coming back to the company. The announcement immediately creates tension among employees, who look both afraid and resentful.
Rumors are flying about her return and everyone anxiously wonders which department she will lead. Meanwhile, HR chief Boo Se-young is reluctant to formally divulge the details of her assignment.
Audit and planning teams visibly shaken when In-a reaches the 14th floor. To her own surprise, the planning department is celebrating, as they have installed her as the new head of the Audit Division.
In-a, all employees personally interview immediately. She interrogates them heavily and many staff members leave her office either crying or visibly shaken.
When Ki-jun arrives he appears confident at first. But the mood changes quickly when In-a assigns him Team Three to handle personal misconduct cases. Ki-jun is shocked and asks what’s going on, saying he’s in the middle of a very important high-level investigation.
In-a ignores his concerns and icily reminds him that no employee is indispensable. She says the company can do without him and he is not as important as he thinks he is. She ultimately justifies the reassignment by stating that he is the best person for the job.
Ki-jun has a hard time settling in, and is introduced to his new colleagues, including team leader Mu Gwang-il, bookkeeper Pyun Hae-young, Manager Cha Sung-tae, senior associate Baek Hyun-kyu and assistant manager Yoon Da-ye.
Pandemonium is his first day in Team Three. He is besieged by petty complaints and odd reports. Sometimes he is even asked to deal with cases concerning used tissues as alleged cheating evidence.
Meanwhile, a woman named Young-hee starts to suspect her husband, Son Myung-soo, of cheating on her. He is frequently late and ignores her calls, claiming he is at team dinners. Her suspicions grow when she faces him at a restaurant and finds a strand of hair on his clothes at home.
At the same time, Ki-jun becomes more and more disappointed with life, and after watching a singing contest where a top contestant is suddenly eliminated, he reflects on the fleeting nature of success. He begins to see the workplace hierarchy not as a road to achievement but as a constant struggle for survival.
The next day, Young-hee goes to Ki-jun’s office to formally report her husband for infidelity, with the strand of hair as evidence. Ki-jun doesn’t want to go any further, saying there’s not enough evidence, but Gwang-il says they have to do the case right.
Ki-jun learns that all complaints must be processed in a rigidly procedural fashion, including documentation and interviews. But when he overhears other employees talking about the restaurant incident, he closes the case too early.
Ki-jun is further frustrated when the team is given the nonsensical task of looking for poppies in the company garden. Meanwhile Young-hee continues to press him for information, and in an irritated moment he snaps at her that she is being irrational.
Ki-jun eventually submits a report that says there is no affair. But In-a gets suspicious when she sees strange behavior between Myung-soo and Mi-young around the elevator.
That evening In-a runs into the company’s food branding team as they are heading out for dinner. She sees that Myung-soo and Mi-young aren’t there, and tells them to go back to the office and she’ll set it up for them.
It is later revealed that Myung-soo is having an affair with Mi-young and the whole team finds out the truth.
At the end of the episode, In-a tells Ki-jun to redo his report. In the last scene, Young-hee, angry at Ki-jun for ignoring her worries and not finding out the truth, tries to run them over with her car.
Episode Summary
Shin Hae-sun plays her character strongly and dominantly in this premiere, and the character is established as someone powerful and intimidating. Go Kyung-pyo also offers a funny but grounded performance as Ki-jun, which makes him a character to root for.
The first episode sets a compelling tone, mixing workplace drama with dark humor and moral ambiguity. The power dynamics change, particularly the authoritative role of In-a, which adds depth and tension to the storyline.
There is also growing curiosity about other potential storylines, including possible additional affairs hinted at in the background. Overall, the series is assured in its handling of mature themes, and it’s a refreshing and bold start that leaves the viewers wanting to see what happens next.