The Trunk reaches a compelling conclusion as the mystery surrounding the murder of Um Tae-seong (played by Kim Dong-won) unravels. The show features Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun-jin in leading roles, with an intriguing storyline centered on a mysterious trunk that ultimately reveals a dead body. The series follows Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo), a drug-addicted music producer, who is forced into a staged marriage orchestrated by the company New Marriage (NM) and his ex-wife, Lee Seo-Yeon (Jung Yun-Ha).
Jeong-won marries Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), one of NM’s top employees. Despite the rocky start to their union, their relationship deepens as they spend more time together. As their bond grows, challenges arise due to their troubled pasts. The arrival of Tae-seong, who is released from a mental health facility, threatens to sabotage their connection. However, his plans ultimately lead to his own demise, as he is murdered by an NM employee. By the season finale, the killer of Tae-seong is apprehended, and Jeong-won and In-ji proceed with a divorce.
The Trunk Ending Explained
At the heart of The Trunk lies the complicated relationship between Jeong-won and In-ji. Although their marriage starts off as an arrangement with little emotional attachment, both characters eventually develop deep feelings for one another. Jeong-won plays a significant role in helping In-ji feel alive again, while In-ji helps Jeong-won heal from his inner turmoil. However, despite their growing affection, In-ji decides to end their marriage.
Jeong-won, however, is convinced that they are meant to be together. He believes that In-ji’s support during his darkest moments was not accidental. He expresses that if they meet by chance twice, they should give their relationship another chance. The series leaves this possibility open, as the two characters bump into each other on the street, an unplanned encounter that could hint at a future reunion. Though the show does not confirm whether they will reunite, it offers a glimmer of hope for their love story.
The Trunk’s Contents and Their Significance
The mystery of the trunk is central to the plot of The Trunk. Two trunks play a key role in the series, each containing different items. One belongs to Seo-yeon, Jeong-won’s ex-wife, and is in his possession after their divorce, while the other belongs to In-ji. Tae-seong, in an attempt to expose the fake nature of Jeong-won and In-ji’s marriage, steals one of the trunks, believing it contains vital documents. However, he accidentally takes the trunk belonging to Seo-yeon.
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Seo-yeon’s trunk, when opened, contains clothes and toys she had purchased for her unborn baby. Tae-seong, unable to open the trunk, lures In-ji to a lake in an attempt to force her to open it by threatening Jeong-won’s life. In-ji, however, is unable to open it, as it is not her trunk. Despite this, Tae-seong remains unaware of his mistake. Later in the finale, when Seo-yeon is questioned about Tae-seong’s death, the detective asks her to check what is inside the trunk to confirm if anything has been taken. It is then revealed that the trunk contains the items meant for her baby.
Who Killed Um Tae-Seong?
A major plotline in The Trunk is the mystery surrounding Tae-seong’s murder. The first episode of the show introduces a mysterious trunk found in a lake, followed by the discovery of a body, which turns out to be Tae-seong. A former NM employee, Tae-seong had been stalking In-ji and causing havoc in her life. The tension between Tae-seong and In-ji culminates in an encounter at the lake, where he attacks her. In a tense moment, In-ji shoots him, but the bullets are blanks, and he survives.
Although many characters have a motive to kill Tae-seong, it is Yun Ji-o (Jo Yi-geon) who ultimately carries out the murder. Ji-o, who works as a security guard at NM, had witnessed Tae-seong brutally kill one of NM’s employees but did nothing to intervene. Overcome with guilt, Ji-o is coerced by the CEO of NM into killing Tae-seong to right his wrongs. His decision leads to a deadly confrontation that resolves the mystery.
Seo-Yeon’s Motivation for the Marriage
From the beginning of The Trunk, Seo-yeon is depicted as having an unhealthy attachment to Jeong-won. Before their divorce, Seo-yeon became pregnant, a situation Jeong-won had desired despite her reluctance to become a mother. As Seo-yeon approached childbirth, she contemplated ending her life, walking into a busy street, hoping that both she and her unborn child would perish.
Jeong-won witnessed this, and when doctors asked him who to save, he chose the baby, which angered Seo-yeon, who felt that she should always be his top priority. After recovering, she devised a plan to regain control over Jeong-won by arranging his marriage to In-ji. She believed that Jeong-won would eventually long for her and beg her to return. However, much to her surprise, Jeong-won falls in love with In-ji, thwarting her plan.
Seo-Yeon’s Fate in the Finale
Throughout the series, Seo-yeon’s manipulative efforts to control Jeong-won unravel. She secretly installs a camera in his home to monitor his relationship with In-ji, a violation that proves to be the breaking point for Jeong-won. This mirrors a similar betrayal from Jeong-won’s father to his mother, making Seo-yeon’s actions even more unforgivable in his eyes.
After realizing that she has lost Jeong-won for good, Seo-yeon attempts suicide. When she survives, she demands to stay with him, but Jeong-won firmly refuses, asserting that he wants nothing to do with her. Despite this, Seo-yeon’s complex character arc takes another turn when she decides to reconcile with Ji-o, her husband. She chooses to extend their marriage contract, believing that she deserves to be with someone who shares her warped sense of morality.
The Meaning Behind The Trunk‘s Ending
The season finale of The Trunk provides closure to the main storylines without leaving any major cliffhangers, except for the lingering question of whether Jeong-won and In-ji will ever meet again. With Tae-seong’s death, NM no longer faces the threat of exposure, as In-ji retains the trunk that contains evidence of the company’s existence. Jeong-won and In-ji divorce, yet the series hints at the possibility of them reuniting.
Seo-yeon, on the other hand, finds a suitable partner in Ji-o, while the mystery of Tae-seong’s murder is resolved. Given the fact that The Trunk ties up all its major plot points, it seems unlikely that a second season will be produced. The show wraps up the stories in a way that satisfies viewers, leaving only the faint hope that Jeong-won and In-ji’s love story might one day continue.
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