Dear Hongrang ending explained: What happened to the real Hongrang?

Dear Hongrang, based on the Korean novel Tangeum, which premiered on Netflix on May 16, 2025, with all 11 episodes released simultaneously. The official synopsis of the show, as per Rotten Tomatoes, reads,

“When a long-missing heir returns with lost memories, love and suspicion entwine; is he truly Hongrang, or a stranger disturbing hearts and family ties?”

The whole story revolves around the disappearance of Hongrang, who is the heir to the Min family guild and the son of Min Yeon-ui and Sim Yeol-guk. After Hongrang goes missing, his family does everything they can to find him but remain unsuccessful.

Years later, a young boy comes to the Min household and claims to be Hongrang. After a series of tests and examinations, he proves himself to be the real Hongrang, which naturally makes the family happy.

However, Jae-yi, the half-sister of the original Hongrang, refuses to believe that her brother has truly returned. She suspects that this young man is yet another impostor, like several others who had falsely claimed to be Hongrang over the years.

Let us now explore in detail what happened in Dear Hongrang and whether the real Hongrang came back or if Jae-yi’s suspicions were true.

The following article contains spoilers.

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The new Hongrang is not the real one in Dear Hongran

While the new guy claiming to be Hongrang passed several tests, he is not the real one, as is revealed in Dear Hongrang. Jae-yi’s suspicions were true, and he had arrived with an agenda of his own.

It turns out that as a child, he was tortured by the Painter, one of the key villains of the show, who kidnapped children and abused them, and as an adult, he wanted to seek revenge on him.

The Painter is revealed to be Crown Prince Han-pyeong, who is determined to perform a ritual that would make him a god. As part of this ritual, he tortures young children by painting on their bodies.

As the fake Hongrang comes to know about the Painter’s identity and his plans, he decides to end it for all. With the help of his friends, and after severely injuring himself, the fake Hongrang successfully kills the Prince and ensures that there will be no more torture of young children.

Although Jae-yi doubted his identity, she and the fake Hongrang gradually developed feelings for each other as the events unfolded. However, given the abuse that the fake Hongrang had suffered as a child, his blood was poisoned, and he had little chance of surviving.

Moreover, the severe wounds he sustained while fighting the Painter further shortened his already limited lifespan. As Jae-yi realizes that they will not be together for long because the fake Hongrang will not survive by any chance, they spend their last moments together, with Jae-yi talking to him till he dies.

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The real Hongrang died because of his mother Yeon-ui in Dear Hongrang

One of the most heartbreaking revelations in Dear Hongrang is that Yeon-ui, who had waited all these years for her son’s return, was actually the cause of his death.

When the fake Hongrang convinced everyone that he was her son, Yeon-ui was initially overjoyed. However, when it was brought to light that he was fake, her heart was shattered all over again, and with the knowledge that it was she who killed her son, her life became a living pit of grief.

It is revealed that Yeon-ui had resorted to black magic in an attempt to kill her stepdaughter Jae-yi, but the spell backfired and accidentally took the life of her own son. The truth of Hongrang’s death breaks Yeon-ui, and she almost loses her mind.

Jae-yi, on the other hand, not only survives and remains mentally strong, but also dedicates herself to helping children rescued from the Prince’s captivity, especially those with no one to care for them. She wants to ensure that they don’t suffer the same abuse the fake Hongrang endured. After knowing what had happened to her step-brother, she found closure and thus decided that helping children in need would be the best thing that could mend her broken heart.

Dear Hongrang can be streamed on Netflix.

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