In the penultimate episode of the K-drama Dear X, Baek A-jin becomes more desperate than ever to preserve the immaculate image she has built on deception and manipulation. However, her carefully constructed world unravels in the final episode, revealing the long trail of broken people she has left in her wake. The ending of Dear X, which is explained in detail below, circles back to the show’s central, unsettling question: “Is a monster born or made?”
An adaptation of Ban Ji-woon’s popular Naver webtoon of the same name, Dear X is a Korean drama that tells the story of a sociopath shaped by trauma and unchecked desire. Directed by Lee Eung-bok of Goblin fame and Park So-hyun, the series follows Baek A-jin, a woman willing to sacrifice everything to climb to the top of the entertainment industry, and Yoon Jun-seo, the man who chooses to burn alongside her instead of walking away.
The K-drama Dear X features an ensemble cast led by Kim You-jung as Baek A-jin, Kim Young-dae as Yoon Jun-seo, Lee Yul-eum as Im Re-na, and Kim Do-hoon as Kim Jae-o. The supporting cast includes Kim Yi-kyeong as Shim Sung-hee and Hong Jong-hyun as Moon Do-hyuk.
Dear X ending explained: What happens after Baek A-jin marries Moon Do-hyuk?
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Baek A-jin marries Moon Do-hyuk, a wealthy businessman capable of securing her place at the top of the Korean film industry. Their wedding seems like A-jin’s ultimate victory, until she discovers that her husband is a dangerous psychopath who may be even more ruthless than she is.
A-jin also learns that Do-hyuk’s ex-wife began forgetting things and experiencing violent outbursts before mysteriously vanishing. When A-jin herself starts suffering from the same symptoms, she realises she might be Do-hyuk’s next target. Terrified, she turns to Kim Jae-o, her devoted school friend and a willing pawn in her games.
For context, Jae-o, along with Jun-seo, regularly helped A-jin commit her darkest deeds, be it sabotaging her school rival’s future, aiding her in killing her abusive father or helping her manipulate top actors to advance her career.
This time, A-jin uses Jae-o to ruin her husband. Knowing Do-hyuk is dangerous, she realises that the only way to secure her own survival is to gain leverage over him. She instructs Jae-o to meet one of Do-hyuk’s loyal workers and pretend he possesses evidence of Do-hyuk’s crimes.
As expected, Do-hyuk is alerted, and he immediately orders his men to eliminate Jae-o.
But this is exactly what A-jin wanted, as Jae-o’s murder is secretly recorded. Knowing the camera is rolling, Jae-o ensures the men targeting him clearly state that they are acting on Do-hyuk’s orders. It is his ultimate sacrifice, one he believes will finally protect A-jin.
The next day, A-jin confronts Do-hyuk with the footage. She warns him that if he ever dares to treat her like a toy, she will hand the video over to the authorities.
With this, A-jin regains control. But her victory comes at a horrifying cost, one she refuses to acknowledge — the blood of the only person who loved her unconditionally.
What happens in the final moments of the K-drama Dear X?
Towards the end of the psychological thriller, Jun-seo learns that A-jin sacrificed Jae-o for her own greed when she could have just divorced Do-hyuk. Furious, he confronts her. But she gaslights him into believing that Jae-o willingly died to help her secure her life and protect her from Do-hyuk.
While this initially works, Jun-seo soon wakes up to A-jin’s true nature. Knowing there is no redemption for her, he decides to stop her once and for all. He contacts a producer and documentary host (Kim Nam-hee) who had already been investigating A-jin’s story for an exposé. Jun-seo then appears in the documentary and unmasks her crimes over the years. He also confesses that he has been complicit in all her schemes from the very beginning.
Left with no fame, A-jin meets Jun-seo one last time. He advises her to get in his car. As they drive along a quiet road, he confesses his love to her and then tells her it’s time to end their story together. In the next moment, he drives the car straight through a guardrail and over a cliff. A news report later announces that Jun-seo died on impact, while A-jin’s body was never found. People assume she perished with him.
But the truth is far darker. Before the credits roll, a flashback reveals that, after the car crash, both Jun-seo and A-jin were severely injured but alive. A-jin pulled herself from the wreckage and left Jun-seo behind to die.
In the final shot, A-jin is seen standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down at the twisted remains of the car. Dear X ends with her slow, menacing laugh, a chilling reminder of the monster she has become.
(Hero and featured image credit: Kim Young-dae/Instagram)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.