Doctor Slump — Ending Explained

The Macau Incident & Spy Camera Mystery: Yeo Jeong-woo was framed during surgery on a wealthy Chinese casino heiress when an unnatural anticoagulant/IV drug caused fatal bleeding. Hidden pen cameras were planted in his rooftop room and office.

Min Kyung-min's Betrayal: Min Kyung-min, Jeong-woo’s trusted mentor, harbored deep resentments stemming from how Jeong-woo's arrogant mother treated him during his father's final days. Kyung-min conspired with medical suppliers and Macau gangsters, enabling the framing incident.

The Fatal Accident & Confession: When Ha-neul uncovers Kyung-min’s involvement, Kyung-min attempts to drive her away to explain; their car is hit by a truck. Kyung-min suffers fatal injuries and apologizes to Jeong-woo on his deathbed, providing closure.

Series Finale: Jeong-woo receives legal exoneration and compensation. He uses his money to open a modest, individual-focused clinic. Ha-neul refuses to tolerate hospital politics, earns a respected position on her terms, and accepts Jeong-woo’s rooftop marriage proposal.

Genre Duality (Healing Rom-Com vs. Mystery Thriller): Critics and viewers were divided over the show's structure. One perspective sees it as an exceptional character-driven healing drama where romance cures soul exhaustion. A contrasting perspective argues that the thriller/hidden camera plotline felt intrusively shoehorned, distracting from the mature slice-of-life exploration of depression.

Subversion of Success: Some viewers interpreted Ha-neul's eventual return to a university hospital as a partial retreat to conventionalism, while others interpreted her negotiated boundaries and newfound self-advocacy as a realistic victory within existing systems.