After Hongjang’s death, Chu Dal-ha becomes Hee-soo’s co-conspirator in her pursuit of revenge against Yi In. In Captivating the King, Na Hyun-woo plays Dal-ha.
Chu Dal-ha, a former officer of the Central Army, is a competent spy who is trusted by Hee-soo’s father. Due to their close relationship, Dal-ha has taught Hee-soo several things.
After the war with the Qing, while Hee-soo plays baduk to collect ransom for the hostages, it is Dal-ha who pays it on her behalf and secures their release.
Hongjang is one such hostage who is rescued by Hee-soo and Dal-ha. This turns Yoo Hyun-bo, Hongjang’s brother, into Dal-ha’s enemy.
The betrayal
The King, Yi In’s brother, wants to inform the Ming that Joseon is being forced to comply with the Qing’s demands, so he asks Hang-soon to send a spy to the Ming.
Dal-ha is a skilled fighter and a capable spy, which is why Hee-soo’s father, Kang Hang-soon, chooses him to convey the King’s message to the Ming.
However, someone betrays Dal-ha, leading to Dal-ha’s capture by the Qing. Dal-ha is tortured, but he does not reveal the name of the person who sent him.
The official torturing him pressures Dal-ha to confess to being a spy. If Dal-ha admits to being the King’s spy, the Qing would replace the King with Yi In.
As Yi In benefits the most from the spy incident, Dal-ha comes to believe that it was Yi In who informed the Qing, betraying both him and Hang-soon.
The fact that Yi In killed Kim Jong-bae, the official who accused him of treason, and silenced the incident further strengthens his belief.
Dal-ha survives and returns home eventually, only to find out that Hongjang was punished for a crime she did not commit and died.
Dal-ha and Hongjang were in love, but they never get to confess their love to each other due to Hongjang’s untimely death.
Dal-ha is left heartbroken and full of resentment. He then decides to kill Yi In, the man he blames for Hongjang’s death.
Exacting revenge
Three years after losing Hongjang, Dal-ha is still grieving her death. He regrets not running away with Hongjang and marrying her when he had the chance.
Dal-ha and Hee-soo work together to take Yi In down. Dal-ha spies on the King’s affairs and keeps Hee-soo updated.
He is prepared to assassinate Yi In, even if it means losing his own life in the process. However, Hee-soo refuses to let him execute his plan.
She devises a plan of her own, and Dal-ha helps her execute it. If her plan fails, Dal-ha will take matters into his own hands.
Hee-soo manages to become the Gidaeryeong, which allows her to influence court politics. However, Dal-ha starts tailing her when he suspects that Hee-soo is losing focus.
Dal-ha, who was made aware of Hee-soo’s feelings for Yi In by Hongjang three years ago, does not fail to recognize that Hee-soo is still in love with Yi In.
He confronts Hee-soo and reminds her of all the reasons they have to kill Yi In. Hee-soo has no choice but to keep plotting the King’s death.
Unlike Hee-soo, Dal-ha does not care about the future of the throne; all he wants is to kill Yi In, his sworn enemy.
When Hee-soo manages to get Grand Prince Munseong appointed as the Crown Prince, Dal-ha believes that the time has come to kill Yi In.
For Hongjang’s sake, Dal-ha wants to kill Yi In with his own hands. He attacks Yi In, but Hee-soo comes in his way to protect Yi In.
Dal-ha is then arrested for attempting to assassinate the King, and his arrest gives Yi In the opportunity to investigate the spy incident from three years ago.
It is revealed that Park Jong-hwan, not Yi In, was the Qing’s spy. He was the one who informed the Qing about the message that Dal-ha was carrying.
As Dal-ha’s report on the spy incident helps Yi In expose his uncle’s crimes, he reduces his sentence. Dal-ha will be granted freedom after three years of hard labor.
Also Read: Principal Director Park Jong-hwan: Captivating the King character explained