Song Ji Hyo has joined tvN’s hit weekend drama “100 Days of Deception” as a hidden cast member, playing the long-missing adoptive mother of Park Jin Young’s character, SPOTV News reported in an exclusive on October 19.
The revelation ended days of viewer speculation. During the drama’s fourth episode, which aired on October 18, a mysterious woman appeared only from behind in a blurred flashback scene, saying, “Welcome back.” Her name did not appear in the episode’s credits, leading eagle-eyed viewers to compare her voice and features and conclude it was Song Ji Hyo. “That sounds like Song Ji Hyo’s voice,” wrote viewers after the broadcast, correctly guessing the secret casting.
According to SPOTV News, Song plays the unnamed mother of Sato Hideyo, the elite interpreter portrayed by Park Jin Young. She is the Korean wife of Shinichi Sato (Jin Sun Kyu), who vanished one day after giving birth to their daughter. Hideyo was adopted by Shinichi and poured his affection into her, and has been secretly searching for her in Korea without his father’s knowledge. The character’s disappearance is also tied to the drama’s central plot: a bank slip found in the belongings of heroine Lee Ga Kyung is linked to the mother’s whereabouts, making her story a key mystery going forward.
When asked about the casting, the production team kept the mystery alive with a brief response: “Please check through the broadcast.” The decision to keep Song’s involvement under wraps appears to have worked, with fans buzzing about the surprise and welcoming her addition to the series.
“100 Days of Deception” is a 100-day espionage romance set in Gyeongseong during the Japanese colonial era. It follows Lee Ga Kyung (Kim Yoo Jung), the city’s best pickpocket who is recruited to become a spy, as she crosses paths with Hideyo, an elite interpreter for the Japanese Government-General, in the heart of enemy territory.
The drama is on a steep ratings climb. Per Nielsen Korea, it opened at 5.3 percent nationwide, jumped to 7.6 percent for episode 2, and hit 9.0 percent for episode 4, riding word of mouth toward the 10 percent mark. The drama airs every Saturday and Sunday on tvN and is available internationally on Netflix and TVING.
Song Ji Hyo’s full reveal is expected in the coming episodes, where her character’s identity and past should emerge as a pivotal part of the story.
