Seok-soo, played by Oh Seung-jun, has met his tragic end.
In the sixth episode of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'The Defects' (directed by Oh Ki-hwan, written by Ahn So-jung, produced by Group Eight and Take One Studio), aired on the 5th, viewers were moved to tears as Kim Ah-hyun (played by Won Jin-ah) and the children mourned Seok-soo's death.
Ah-hyun and the children were accused of being suspects in the murder of a pastor couple, heightening the tension in the drama. On the run from the police, the children reached out to the only person they could trust, Detective Choi (played by Jeon Shin-hwan). The heartbreaking story of Seok-soo, who was adopted for show by politician Kwon Kang-man (played by Son Jong-hak) and later abused and abandoned, was revealed.
Kim Se-hee (played by Yum Jung-ah) had been using Seok-soo as a tool for blackmail. However, her attitude changed drastically with the passing of the Bioethics Amendment, known as the 'Child Shopping Law.' Her chilling demeanor, treating returned children like objects, was encapsulated in her line, "This is just the beginning, Child Shopping."
Meanwhile, Kwon Kang-man, troubled by Seok-soo's unexpected reappearance, moved to eliminate his adopted son. At the same time, Se-hee's daughter (played by Kim Ji-an), fearing she might be discarded if deemed useless, sought help from the children. Ah-hyun rescued Se-hee's daughter from the hospital, dramatically shifting the narrative.
Though Ah-hyun's rescue of Se-hee's daughter seemed to improve the situation, the children's location was soon exposed to Kwon Kang-man's group, escalating the tension once more. The captured children faced threats, and Jeong-hyun (played by Kim Jin-young), who was tracking Detective Choi, intensified the crisis by blowing up his vehicle.
Even as Seok-soo faced a life-threatening situation from his adoptive father, he pleaded, "I'll die as you wish, Father. Just please don't harm the children." Ultimately, Jeong-hyun appeared and pulled the trigger, plunging the drama into another crisis.
At the end of the episode, Seok-soo took his last breath among the children. Returning to the hideout with Se-hee's daughter, Ah-hyun held Seok-soo and wept, while Jeong-hyun and his associates trapped the children in the hideout and set it ablaze. The episode concluded with Ah-hyun's face reflecting a mix of despair and anger amidst the flames, leaving viewers eager for the next developments.
The next episode of ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama 'The Defects' will air on Monday, the 11th, at 10 PM and will also be available exclusively on the OTT platform TVING.
Reporter Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr