'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On April 12, 2025, the final episode of Buried Hearts was released internationally on Disney+. The finale left viewers divided, with a noticeable shift in tone during the last two episodes.
What started as a tightly written revenge drama closed on a subdued note. Many fans have expressed disappointment at the sudden change, calling it a stark contrast to the series’ earlier pace.
"I knew the final episode wouldn’t deliver anything exciting! The scriptwriter and production team are so lazy and incompetent. Such a waste of great drama and talented actors. Ugh, I’m beyond frustrated!," an X user commented.
Trending
Many questioned Park Hyung-Sik's Seo Dong-ju's final choices and called out the plot shift, saying it lacked closure and direction.
"They got phs in his hottest look and said no good plot needed 🤧🙃," a fan remarked.
"Will always be bitter about the fact how #buriedhearts started so damn well and ended just like that- what’s with the gun and him being on a boat living a humble life & not being finally happy after going through sm. y’all the writer is definitely a sadist, a netizen wrote.
"This has to be the worst ending I’ve seen in a Kdrama😭! Why involve himself in a fight that wasn’t his when he could’ve just walked away? This LE is packed with nonsense, not that I had high expectations, but it still managed to go below par!," a viewer shared.
More fan reactions read:
"Kdrama will start strong,lost the plot in the middle and give us yeye ending. What is the meaning of that rubbish they did in buried hearts ???????" a user mentioned.
"To anyone who watches K dramas, I just watched the final episode of Buried Hearts - a drama that was so consuming and clever for the most part. But to say the ending was disappointing would be an understatement. WTF was that?? 😭," a person noted.
"The writer of buried heart Just ruined the whole series wtf is this ending ??😭😭," another fan added.
Buried Hearts episode 16: Finale explained
The Buried Hearts finale picks up one year after Yeom Jang-seon vanishes. Seo Dong-ju is now CEO of Daesan Energy, while Yeo Eun-nam sits on the board of directors. Cha Geok-hui runs a new sub-company called Daesan Volt, and Heo Tae-yun is placed under her guidance.
Ji Seon-u is sent away to prepare for future leadership. The Chairman, Cha Gang-cheon, is no longer active, and Dong-ju handles all operations. Jang-seon is secretly hidden in a vault, where Dong-ju feeds him only hamburgers, stripping him of dignity and identity.
Dong-ju’s revenge hinges on Jang-seon's voluntarily signing over his fortune, which he eventually does before turning himself in for Heo Il-do’s murder.
Meanwhile, Jang-seon's wife, Seong Bo-yeon, reveals that she always saw Dong-ju like a son and plans to turn their home into an orphanage.
Seon-u, still bitter, later murders Tae-yun in a shocking act, pushing him off a wall. Taeyun’s death devastates his family, though Dong-ju remains unaware as he steps away from Daesan, leaving Eun-nam behind.
He scatters Il-do’s ashes at sea and sails off, emotionally empty despite having completed his revenge.
The series ends with Dong-ju alone, gun in hand, but seemingly choosing life, influenced by Jang-seon's wife’s words about his late mother. With Tae-yun’s murder unresolved, Seon-u’s rise underway, and Dong-ju drifting in isolation, the stage is set for a second season.
Buried Hearts concluded with its highest recorded ratings. According to Nielsen Korea, the finale scored a 15.0% nationwide average, becoming the most-watched miniseries of the week.
It also led among viewers aged 20 to 49, earning a 4.0% rating in that key demographic. Meanwhile, all the Buried Hearts episodes are available to stream on Disney+.
