When the Phone Rings episode 11 recap- Suspense surrounds as Hong Hee-joo receives a call from 604 after Baek Sa-eon’s disappearance

MBC's newest drama, When the Phone Rings, premiered on November 22, 2024, blending romance and suspense. Starring Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-joon, and Jang Gyu-ri, the series follows a couple in their third year of a politically driven marriage whose lives are upended by a mysterious phone call.

Directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu, with a script by Kim Ji-woon, known for Melancholia and Doctor John, the drama is adapted from a popular Kakao Page novel. It is co-produced by Bon Factory and Baram Pictures.

In episode 11 of When the Phone Rings, it is disclosed that Hee-jo and the real Sa-eon are both alive. As Kyu-jin's reality is exposed, Sa-eon has to face the murderer again.

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When the Phone Rings episode 11 recap: What was Kyu-jin's plan?

In episode 11 of When the Phone Rings, Sa-eon recalls the first day of his marriage. He imagines a different version of it where he approaches Hee-joo, willing to know more about her rather than pushing her away. The scene goes back to when Hee-joo drove the car into the river.

Sa-eon rushes to the scene, followed by the police. Yeon-hui and Chairman Hong, Ui-yong and In-a also come to the scene. However, finding Kyu-jin missing, Sa-eon asks the police to check the surveillance cameras of the memorial service.

Sa-eon searches Kyu-jin's car, and Kyu-jin appears looking calm. She tells him that she had already done her share of mourning twenty years ago, and now it was his turn. Yu-ri and Sang-woo show up to volunteer for the search.

While Ui-yong is doing a press conference, Hyuk-jin plays the recording of Do-jae telling his side of the story. He immediately tries to stop him. However, to his surprise, the police barge in and arrest Kyu-jin as a suspect in this episode of When the Phone Rings. This was Sa-eon's plan since they could not get a search warrant on her.

Seeing Yeon-hui cry, In-a asks Chairman Hong to do something. Right then, Yeon-hui comes with the news of Kyu-jin's arrest.

During interrogation, the officer plays a video after telling Kyu-jin that she was not arrested for Hee-joo's murder. The video shows her suffocating someone with a pillow. Sa-eon comes in and tells her that the evidence was found in the ring of Chairman Baek Jang-ho, who had given the ring to Sa-eon. However, while he was hospitalized, Sa-eon returned it to him.

Kyu-jin had visited Jang-ho, hoping for an apology. She wanted him to apologize for killing her own son and replacing him with his son. According to Jang-ho, he had saved her from the pain that she would have endured if her real son was alive. Kyu-jin apologizes and puts the pillow on his face, killing him.

Sa-eon asks her where she has been keeping Hee-joo. Kyu-jin asks her why she thinks she would keep Hee-joo alive if she had taken her. It is shown that the car had not fallen off the guardrail when Hee-jo drove into it. Kyu-jin had sent Mr. Min to get the real Sa-eon out of there.

Sa-eon tells Kyu-jin that he believes she would keep Hee-joo alive and hostage to torment him as much as she was.

The police get access to a video that shows Hee-Joo in a room. Kyu-jin walks in and asks her why she has not touched the food kept for her. Hee-jo tells her that she knows what she is planning. After Sa-eon has given up looking for her, Kyu-jin would let him know that Hee-joo was alive all this while.

Kyu-jin being questioned by Sa-eon (Image via Instagram/@mbcdrama_now)

The police interrupt Sa-on and tell him they have found Hee-joo's location in this episode of When the Phone Rings. They immediately leave to find her. Kyu-jin had asked Mr. Min to save her son and kill Hee-joo if something happened to her. However, Mr. Min decides to free Hee-joo and asks her to run. While he is deciding what to do with the real Sa-eon, Ui-yong shows up with a rifle.

He tells Mr. Min that he has figured they had a plan and asks him to open the door for the real Sa-eon. Hee-joo runs but hears a gunshot and faints. While trying to shoot the real Sa-eon, Ui-yong misses, and the two get into an altercation. Unable to overpower his own emotions as well as the real Sa-eon, Ui-yong gets shot by his son.

The murderer now looks for Hee-jo, who wakes up after hearing his voice calling out to her. Seeing a car, she runs towards it and finds Sa-eon inside. The police catch up soon and ask them to leave. Hee-joo tells them that the real Sa-eon is around and is armed as well. While leaving, the real Sa-eon shows up in front of their car, and Sa-eon goes out to try and talk to him in episode 11 of When the Phone Rings.

The real Sa-eon whispers something in his ears, making him tear up as the police gather around and point their guns at the real Sa-eon. Hee-joo hears a gunshot.

The last scene of When the Phone Rings ends with Hee-joo imagining having a happy Christmas with Sa-eon. Since he is no longer with her, she wonders what he heard that day to make him look at her with such sad eyes. Just then, she receives a call from an unknown number and asks if it is him.

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The last episode of When the Phone Rings will be released on January 4.