Hard Hit — Ending Explained

The bomber is Jin-woo (Ji Chang-wook). Seong-gyu once worked at the bank's head office and, on orders from above, destroyed evidence that could have harmed the bank. Jin-woo's wife was among the investors hurt by the product, and she died afterwards (reports differ in detail, with one calling it a suicide and another noting that she was pregnant). Jin-woo planned the scheme as revenge and to bring about justice.

During the chase, Seong-gyu evades the police, catches up to the culprit, but cannot stop the timer. To save his daughter he drives the car into the sea. The bomb explodes shortly after, but the police rescue them. The film ends with Seong-gyu testifying against his bank and trying to right his wrongs, so the bombing leads to accountability instead of just destruction.

Some viewers read the film as a straightforward revenge thriller. Others read it as a critique of corporate responsibility, in which Seong-gyu stands for every mid-level employee who "just followed orders". A third view finds the sentimental final act typically Korean melodrama, which one Korean review calls "shinpa" (신파). Others find the ending contrived, because the protagonist is an ordinary man.