Dear X — Ending Explained

Major plot twists and finale unpacked:

• Framing of Choi Jeong-ho (Ep 3–4): When Ah-jin's abusive father Baek Seon-gyu returns to extort her, she sets up a trap using her employer, cafe owner Choi Jeong-ho. Jeong-ho is framed and imprisoned for Seon-gyu's murder, allowing Ah-jin to escape her past and sign with entertainment CEO Seo Mi-ri.
• Exploitation of Heo In-gang (Ep 6–8): Ah-jin orchestrates a high-profile romance with top star Heo In-gang to advance her career. When tragedy strikes In-gang's family, Ah-jin coldly discards him, contributing to his downfall.
• Moon Do-hyuk's Trap (Ep 10–11): Powerful figure Moon Do-hyuk marries Ah-jin but uses her secrets to keep her trapped. Jae-oh discovers Do-hyuk bought a psychiatric hospital where he forcibly detains opposition, including his ex-wife and school rival Shim Sung-hee.
• Jae-oh’s Murder (Ep 11): Do-hyuk’s men murder Jae-oh by throwing him off a high-rise rooftop. However, Jae-oh preemptively recorded the incident, sending hidden video footage to Jun-seo and Ah-jin to expose Do-hyuk.
• The Climactic Crash and Resolution (Ep 12): Realizing Ah-jin will never stop her destructive path, Jun-seo takes matters into his own hands. During a tense confrontation, a fatal car crash occurs, killing Jun-seo. Ah-jin survives the crash physically, but her past crimes are fully exposed to the public. Stripped of her fame, status, and companions, she is left isolated, trapped in the nightmare of her own making.

Key interpretative perspectives on Dear X include:

• Ah-jin as an Unsalvageable Monster vs. Ultimate Victim: One major line of critique views Ah-jin as a tragic product of extreme childhood abuse, arguing her sociopathy was her only psychological weapon to survive. Conversely, another reading posits that her choices went beyond survival into malice, making her an inherently destructive figure who exploited genuine love.
• Jun-seo's Final Act—Sacrifice or Toxic Codependency?: Critics debate whether Jun-seo’s decision in the finale represents a noble attempt to stop Ah-jin's devastation or the ultimate expression of a codependent relationship, where he destroys himself alongside her.
• The Open/Altered Ending: Viewers debated the TV adaptation's altered ending compared to the webtoon. Some interpreted Ah-jin's survival after losing her status as a fate worse than death—trapping her in isolation—while others saw it as an overly lenient outcome for her actions.