‘Wonderful World’ Ending Explained & Finale Recap: Is it A Happy Ending For Soo-Hyun?

Disney’s thriller K-drama Wonderful World aired its finale on April 13, 2024. The melancholic thriller has ended on a much more upbeat note than when it began. The show follows Soo-Hyun, a professor and author whose life is going wonderfully, until one day, her young son gets hit by a car and tossed to die near a park. Soo-Hyun instantly takes revenge when the alleged perpetrator doesn’t show any remorse for her baby’s death and doesn’t even apologize when she requests it. Then, a series of events begins that change Soo-Hyun’s life permanently. Inadvertently, Soo-Hyun’s life becomes intertwined with that of the son of the man she killed. At first, he deceives her, but soon she learns who he is; however, together, they discover that they have one common enemy. Seon-Yul realizes that Soo-Hyun isn’t really a bad person, and she did what she thought was right to avenge her son, so he forgives her and joins forces with her to defeat the true evil, i.e., presidential candidate Kim Joon. Let’s quickly dive into the final episode to learn what happened to Kim Joon.

Spoiler Alert


How does Soo-Hyun tell the world the truth? 

Wonderful World episode 14 begins with Kim Joon’s campaign in full swing. On the other hand, Soo-Hyun decides to take matters into her own hands since it seems nobody is on her side. She decides to announce the launch of her new book, which will reveal the truth about the person who really killed her son. When a journalist asks her who it is, she doesn’t hesitate to name Kim Joon; however, the public can assume this is simply defamation for the moment. Immediately, there’s a shower of support for Soo-Hyun, though. She’s always been a kindhearted person, so anyone who’s received any kind of help from her is willing to support her in whatever way possible. In the meantime, Kim Joon uses his power to get rid of all the internet support she’s getting by deleting the posts and throwing shade at her anonymously. In public, he even calls her a citizen of the country he needs to protect, just like everyone else. 

After spending some time with her mother, Soo-Hyun stages a standing protest in the freezing cold against Kim Joon. People take pictures of her and her posters, but nobody joins her. Her ex-mother-in-law even shows her support and tells her to stay warm, though she knows that’s almost impossible after everything she’s been through. Soon, as news spread about the protest, anyone who received help from Soo-Hyun earlier decides to help her now. In the meantime, Seon-Yul tries to get Joon to confess by threatening to throw him off a building, saying he’s giving him one last chance to confess. Joon admits he will kill 100 people if needed to gain power. However, Seon-Yul’s plan is, of course, butchered when Kim Joon’s bodyguards come to the rescue and find the recording device on him. They beat him up and leave him there while Joon continues his campaign. 

At night, Kim Joon’s supporters try to egg Soo-Hyun and her posters; however, she has already gained public support by then, and these people fight back. Seon-Yul even comes in time and blocks her from getting hit. Soon, there’s a horde of people standing in protest with her. Finally, it’s time for Soo-Ho to reveal his true plan. Soo-Ho has videographic evidence of Kim Joon’s antics, but they could always be dismissed as deepfakes. However, when there is a recording of the man asking why he should be brought down just for stepping on an ant, the ant referring to Soo-Hyun’s son Gunwoo, people start to believe he’s the bad guy. Soo-Hyun finally learns that Soo-Ho had to hide his true intentions so Joon would trust him. The police get Kim Joon on the campaign trail in Busan after the public leaves him and he learns that even his assistant has gone against him. 


Do Soo-Hyun and Seon-Yul get justice? 

The court hearings are in favor of Soo-Hyun and Seon-Yul because Kim Joon shows no remorse for his action, and there’s too much evidence against him for him to be set free. Many testify against the man, Seon-Yul included, and ultimately, he’s sentenced to life imprisonment. Soo-Hyun tells Seon-Yul to stop living with death all around him. They both need to finally move on from everything sad that’s happened around them. 

At the end of Wonderful World, the show skips to six years later, when everybody in Soo-Hyun’s family is doing well. In a voiceover, she says her mother isn’t sick; she’s just living in a time in the past when things were better, as Soo-Ho meets her on a snowy day and she calls him her beautiful son-in-law. Yu-Ri has started her own fashion business, and Soo-Hyun has released the book “Wonderful World” and is hosting a book sign event.  On the other hand, Seon-Yul’s finally become a doctor, living up to his parents’ expectations and making everyone proud. Soo-Hyun claims she’s become a mother again because she helps out at an orphanage where all the kids call her mom. Finally, Seon-Yul visits Soo-Hyun’s singing event, shows her his face, and sends her a message saying he’s doing fine now. They’re finally both content after years of torment. 

I suppose the Wonderful World ending is a very happy one because, unlike what may have happened in real life, truth prevailed, and Soo-Hyun and Seon-Yul got justice. I don’t think it’s that easy to go head-to-head with a presidential candidate , but the show makes light of the situation and allows us to believe that people are still good. Overall, the k-drama was very predictable, and it had a very typical plot line with an evil politician messing with a common person, only to be defeated by them. Additionally, the show ends on a romantic note like “Frozen” because Soo-Hyun truly forgives Yu-Ri, and they’re back to being sisters like old times. Additionally, though there are implications of romantic feelings between Soo-Hyun and Seol-Hyun, I guess that would be way too strange (and maybe it’s simply because the two actors are so attractive) since one of them killed the other’s parent and all. So, Wonderful World does have a happy and satisfying ending. 


Ruchika Bhat
Ruchika Bhat
Ruchika, or "Ru," is a fashion designer and stylist by day and a serial binge-watcher by night. She dabbles in writing when she has the chance and loves to entertain herself with reading, K-pop dancing, and the occasional hangout with friends.


 

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