The Worst of Evil Ending Explained: The action-thriller series, starring Wi Ha-joon, Ji Chang-wook and Im Se-mi, ended today on an emotional note with Gi-cheul dying in Eui-jeong’s arms thanks to Jun-mo’s bullet. The entirety of Gangnam Union is also caught thanks to the police and Jun-mo’s quick thinking, including Jung-bae, Hee-sung and Kyung-jin. With the plan now foiled in Korea, the Chinese and the Japanese government also catch the peddlers on their lands, ending a dangerous ring of corruption and violence.
However, this entire problem results in a heartbreaking ending for Jun-mo, Gi-cheul and Eui-jeong, whose lives are changed forever through this ordeal. It’s a gritty ordeal bathed in blood wherein changing relations bring several people together, in spite of whichever side of the line they stand.
This Disney+ series (최악의 악) is directed by Han Dong-wook and written by Jang Min-suk and has 12 episodes, each with a runtime of around 60 minutes. Ji Chang-wook was last seen in the 2022 drama If You Wish Upon Me as Yoon Gyeo-rye; Wi Ha-joon was last seen in 2022’s Little Women as Choi Do-il (alongside Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, Park Ji-hu) and Im Se-mi starred in 2022’s The Empire as SBC Reporter Yoon Eun-Mi.
The Worst of Evil Ending Explained
The last three episodes showcase the downfall of Gangnam Union, with Jung-bae taking over the Union from Gi-cheul, reminding everyone that the latter isn’t as invested in helping everyone as he himself is. As he takes over the gang from him, it turns out that he was always in cahoots with Hee-sung, who has been backstabbing him since the beginning. Meanwhile, Jong-ryeon traps Do-hyung and lures him in, resulting in him being ambushed and eventually killed in his hands. Desperately trying to keep his cover, Jun-mo eventually fights with Jong-ryeon to help his friend but Do-hyung dies in the end thanks to the gunshot wound.
Heartbroken, Jun-mo tries to get revenge as fast as possible, in between helping Hae-ryun to leave the country and travel to Hong Kong so that she doesn’t get entangled in the mess. Reaching the exchange point wherein Jung-bae and his men will exchange the money and the meth, Jun-mo finally holds a gun to Gi-cheul’s head and asks him to stay in the car. His growing camaraderie with the gangster has softened his heart to him and, as it eventually turns out, he left the handcuff keys on the seat so that he would be able to escape.
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At the exchange point, Jun-mo faces off against the three men who are almost on the verge of accosting him but the police get there just in time and help the detective to nab him. With all his men in jail and his dream now dead, Gi-cheul finds himself utterly alone and hopeless. Instead of trying to run away, however, he goes to find the people who stabbed him in the back the most. As Jun-mo and Eui-jeong visit Do-hyung, they find themselves face to face with Gi-cheul in their home. The latter is heartbroken at those closest to him destroying his trust.
He asks Eui-jeong and Jun-mo why they let him go and whether they were ever genuine in their feelings for him, especially Eui-jeong. Unfortunately, as she states, it doesn’t matter what wehtehr they were genuine or not. It’s far too late for anything else. An emotional Gi-cheul mentions that they are sinners just like him – they used his trust against him and deceived him for their own gain. Eui-jeong agrees and tells him that they will definitely pay for what they have done, whether it be in this life or after death.
Distraught and not thinking clearly, Gi-cheul decides to go through one last hurrah and puts the gun on him. As Eui-jeong begs him not to do anything rash, Jun-mo shoots Gi-cheul in the chest and kills him. He calls someone to let them know that Gi-cheul has been caught but his voice drowns in emotion as he is shown to be still wearing the watch that Gi-cheul gave him.
The three of them eventually get felicitated and promoted but it’s clear that the investigation has forever ruined their lives. Afterwards, Jun-mo goes to Gi-cheul’s grave and leaves behind his wedding ring and a lit cigarette to commemorate his friend.
Why did Jun-mo shoot Gi-cheul?
In a form of showing heartbreaking mercy to his friend, Jun-mo shoots Gi-cheul so that he doesn’t have to shoot himself. It’s an emotional decision and after seeing everything that they have, Jun-mo probably relaised that it’s best that it ends with Gi-cheul’s death in his hands. He did give him a chance to escape and renew his life, but he chose to come back so it’s probably for the best. Also, Jun-mo is constantly seen showing mercy to Gi-cheul since they have grown closer to each other over the months and this was probably his last form of mercy that he was capable of showing.
It might also be an attempt for him to end this ordeal and separate their lives once and for all since the running away did not help. Unfortunately, their bonds were made a bit too strong and Jun-mo and Eui-jeong couldn’t survive the events that they went through thanks to Gangnam Union.
What happened to Jun-mo and Eui-jeong?
Jun-mo and Eui-jeong separate after the events of the series. As Eui-jeong feared, they had seen a side of each other that they couldn’t keep ignoring and after all the trauma that they both went through, it was impossible of their relationship to survive. Plus, both had changed as people and were not the same people at the start of the series.
Why did Jun-mo leave his wedding ring at Gi-cheul’s grave?
In an ending that signifies that Jun-mo still considers Gi-cheul to be his closest friend, he left the wedding ring to tell him that his marriage is over and the cigarette so that they can smoke together even after he is dead. It’s a tender moment that recognises his fondness for the gangster who is gone forever.
Why did Jun-mo let Hae-ryeon go?
When Hae-ryeon got to know the truth from Min-goo about Jun-mo’s identity, she called him to know whether or not he genuinely cared about him. Hae-ryeon asks him whether she should stay in Korea or leave the country and, thanks to his fondness for her, he reiterates (as in a previous episode) that she should leave and go to Hong Kong. In this scene Jun-mo also relaised that Hae-ryeon knew his true identity and thus told her to save herself in a subtle way.
The Worst of Evil is available to stream on Disney+.
Also Read: All of Our Reviews of The Worst of Evil