History Series / Snowdrop2021

** [[spoiler: Averted by Cheong-ya. Despite her betrayal to the North by stealing their money and having her cover blown to the South, she was ordered to be taken back to the North (possibly due to her status as "National Hero", unlike her comrades who were ordered to be killed.]]

** [[spoiler: Averted by Cheong-ya. Despite her betrayal to the North by stealing their money and having her cover blown to the South, she was ordered to be taken back to the North for unknown reasons, unlike her comrades who were ordered to be killed.]]

The story is set in 1987 when South Korea's authoritarian regime is still in power, but centered around a Freshman at Hosoo Women University, Eun Yeong-ro (Kim Jisoo of {{Music/Blackpink}}) who met Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in), a University of Berlin's master student who came back to Korea to work on his master's thesis, on a blind date with their friends. After the said blind date, Yeong-ro met Soo-ho again but he was covered in blood and the police is high on his tail. Thinking that he is a student who protested the authoritarian regime, Yeong-ro (with the help of her roommates), hid Soo-ho and nurse him back to health in their dorm. Unbeknown to her, Soo-ho is actually [[HiddenDepths not what she thinks he is]].

On the other hand, Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) [[TheAce elite agent]], Lee Gang-mu (Jang Seung-jo), who is dubbed as the 'Black Tiger' came back to South Korea from Germany to capture "Taedong River 1", an elite North Korean Spy who he has been chasing from Germany. He seeks to arrest Taedong River 1 to avenge his fallen comrade that was caused by him. He suspected that Taedong River 1 and his comrades has arrived in South Korea due to some intel that he received that the North spies is about to kidnap an opposition party's professor.

Meanwhile, the ruling party, Aemin Party, is on the mission to maintain its power. Led by their Secretary-General, Nam Tae-il (Park Sung-Woong), and Director of ANSP, Eun Chang-su (Heo Joon-ho), they will use any method to do so, even if they have to work with their bitter ArchEnemy, North Korea.

* Red Baron: Lee Gang-mu is known as "Black Tiger".

** HostageVideo: [[spoiler: ANSP requested the North spies to record the hostages in suffering to show how cruel the spies are. However, since the students and other residents have been told the truth about the PropagandaMachine by Soo-ho & Gang-mu, they instead show themselves eating fried chicken in joy. Which made Nam Tae-il [[CrossPoppingVeins furious]]]]

* CorruptBureaucrat: The Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP). They framed innocent people who unknowingly have a connection to the North as a North agent. Then, they subject those people to cruel torture until either they admitted to the false accusation, too crippled to answer any question, or was DrivenToSuicide. [[spoiler: Ms. Pi, the dorm's housemother, learned this the hard way when she was young.]] While the real North agents are roaming freely right under their nose. [[spoiler: This is what instigated Lee Gang-mu's HeelFaceTurn.]]

* HostageSituation: This happens for the majority of the series by Soo-ho and his comrades to the residents of Hosoo Women University's dorm.

** In Episode 10, reporter Gal Gang-shik poses as a bellboy of a hotel. He entered a room that seemed to have a WildTeenParty. In the room, there is a man, who seems to be high on drugs, playing piano accompanied by two girls (one of which is a famous singer). It is revealed then that the man is the son of the President of South Korea. The man was enraged when Gang-shik took some pictures of him and called guards. Jang Han-na then came and demanded Gang-shik to give her his camera, which he refuses. Then a chase happened between the two. When Gang-shik was about to get out, turns out the body of the beaten guards block his way. Han-na who manages to catch up, delivers a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Gang-shik and tells him to stay out of the affairs of the President's family. She then breaks Gang-shik's camera but took away the film.

** In Episode 10, reporter Gal Gang-shik poses as a bellboy of a hotel. He entered a room that seems to had a WildTeenParty. In the room, there is a man, who seems to be high on drugs, playing piano accompanied by two girls (one of which is a famous singer). It is revealed then that the man is the son of the President of South Korea. The man was enraged when Gang-shik took some pictures of him and called guards. Jang Han-na then came and demanded Gang-shik to give her his camera, which he refuses. Then a chase happened between the two. When Gang-shik was about to get out, turns out the body of the beaten guards block his way. Han-na who manages to catch up, deliver a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Gang-shik and tell him to stay out of the affairs of President's family. She then breaks Gang-shik's camera, but took away the film.

* TheStinger: Every episode has one.

* HopeSpot: In Episode 9, [[spoiler: the injured Eung-cheol is knocked out cold, Gyeok-chan is locked in the basement, Cheong-ya is locked on the rooftop, and Soo-ho is successfully incapacitated by Gang-mu. Every hostage quickly rushed out to the entrance and was about to get out when Gang-mu defused the bomb on the entrance... until Cheong-ya shows up with the detonator and reveal herself as a North's spy to everyone.]]

** In Episode 7, [[spoiler: Soo-ho reveals to Eung-cheol that the doctor who treated him is another comrade, Kang Cheong-ya a.k.a Moran Hill 1. Eung-cheol was happy and in disbelief.]]

** In Episode 9, Gyeok-chan is clearing the explosive trap on the stairs from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor of the dorm for Bun-ok, which left her impressed.

** In Episode 1, Soo-ho is singing with his friends on the rooftop. [[spoiler: While his comrade, Gyeok-chan, is installing something in the telephone cable.]]
** In Episode 2, [[spoiler: In their hideout, the North spies Geum-cheol, Gyeok-chan, and Soo-ho are having a chat. Geum-cheol asked them what they want to do when they come back to North Korea, as he wants to drive to downtown Pyongyang with his mother. Gyeok-chan didn't answer, but Soo-ho did, as he said he wants quickly go home to hold his sister Su-hui's child. Geum-cheol asked again about their mission "[[IfWeGetThroughThis It'll go alright, right?]]" Soo-ho didn't answer but showed an uneasy expression.]]

** In Episode 6, [[spoiler: ANSP agents were carrying a diorama of Hosoo Women University and Mt. Ogong. While Tae-il and Chang-su are still arguing about their different approach of taking care of the hostage crisis. Tae-il wants a quick resolution before the spies blew themselves up, while Chang-su prefers a careful approach so all of the hostages can be saved. Tae-il then says [[TheDitherer an indecisive]] and [[NiceGuy soft boy]] like Chang-su can never serve the country. While Chang-su replies that Tae-il [[NeverMyFault who always blame others]] and [[KlingonPromotion killed his superior]] on the pretext of serving the country is [[NotSoDifferent no better than him]]. They ended up badmouthing each other for the rest of the episode.]]

** In Episode 2, [[spoiler: In their hideout, the North spies Geum-cheol, Gyeok-chan, and Soo-ho are having a chat. Geum-cheol asked them what they want to do when they come back to North Korea, as he wants to drive to downtown Pyongyang with his mother. Gyeok-chan didn't answer, but Soo-ho did, as he said he wants quickly go home to hold his sister Su-hui's child. Geum-cheol asked again about their mission "[[IfWeGetThroughThis It'll go alright, right?]]" Soo-ho didn't answer but showed an uneasy expression.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Soo-ho and his comrades died as their country desired. However, Kang Cheong-ya is still free and carrying the money that was meant to be given to the North by the South. Aemin Party's candidate still wins the election, despite the hostage crisis surrounding their figures. Said figures (Nam Tae-il, Eun Chang-su, & Ahn Gyeong-hui), however, are arrested due to the hostage crisis. Since all of the hostages are freed, they can give the true story regarding the hostage crisis. Finally, Yeong-ro was spared by the ANSP, just like Soo-ho wished. Albeit, Yeong-ro is still deeply saddened by the death of her love.]]

** [[spoiler: Averted by Cheong-ya. Despite her betrayal to the North by stealing their money and having her cover blown to the South. She was ordered to be taken back to the North for unknown reasons, unlike her comrades who were ordered to be killed.]]

** In Episode 4, Yeong-ro is looking at the pictures of the Dorm's Open House one last time. Until her eyes stopped at the picture of her and Soo-ho. She was about to take the picture until she was interrupted by Jeong-min who told her that everyone is ready to take a picture with her one last time before she left the dorm.
** In Episode 5, Ms. Pi quietly walks through the corridor where she gets walked past by Gyeok-chan and forcefully-taken Yeong-ro. She then went to her room, opening a secret cabinet, and taking a small key with her. She then went to what appears to be a door to a SecretRoom. Then, the episode ends.
** In Episode 6, ANSP agents were carrying a diorama of Hosoo Women University and Mt. Ogong. While Tae-il and Chang-su are still arguing about their different approach of taking care of the hostage crisis. Tae-il wants a quick resolution before the spies blew themselves up, while Chang-su prefers a careful approach so all of the hostages can be saved. Tae-il then says [[TheDitherer an indecisive]] and [[NiceGuy soft boy]] like Chang-su can never serve the country. While Chang-su replies that Tae-il [[NeverMyFault who always blame others]] and [[KlingonPromotion killed his superior]] on the pretext of serving the country is [[NotSoDifferent no better than him]]. They ended up badmouthing each other for the rest of the episode.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Even though Gye Bun-ok is already TheFriendNobodyLikes by the other students, at least Yeong-ro is still her friend. That is well... [[spoiler: until she accepted Kang Cheong-ya's offer to be her eyes and ears to the student. She was given a pistol and used it to threat other students, threaten to shoot Yeong-ro (her only friends), and almost shot Ms. Pi (her employer), had the gun not emptied earlier.]] Her reputation plummeted much worse after that.

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Gye Bun-ok, the dormitory telephone operator. She is seen lowly by the other students due to being not a university student like them. In turn, she often acted cold towards them. Except for Yeong-ro, who genuinely sees her as a friend.