If you have watched Buried Hearts Kdrama till the end, you might already know that the final episode of Buried Hearts was not only the one with highest rating but also heartbreaking, brilliant, and oddly satisfying. The drama not only gave us a shocking twist about Dong-joo’s real identity by revealing his real name, it also made it clear that not everything is about power and love.
So what really happened in the end? Let’s talk about it.
After surviving a murder attempt that left him with amnesia, Seo Dong-joo has been living under a false name. Once he regains his memories after the near-fatal fall, he doesn’t go back with rage. Instead, he keeps his identity hidden and crafts a plan. He knows the only way to bring down the people who framed him — Yeom Jang-seon and Heo Il-do — is by using what they fear most: the truth.
In episodes 15 and 16, we watch him carefully manoeuvre through a world that already tried to bury him once.
The big reveal? Dong-joo is actually Seong Hyeon, the biological son of the late chairman of Daesan Group — the very empire now controlled by Yeom Jang-seon and Heo Il-do. He is the rightful heir to Daesan Group.
Dong-joo’s final move? Exposing them using the same slush fund that almost cost him his life.
Dong-ju is officially appointed president of Daesan Group, and during his speech, he announces a merger that surprises everyone.
Behind the scenes, Jang-seon has disappeared. Eun-nam confronts Dong-ju, convinced he’s behind it — and instead of judging him, she accepts it. Her hug says it all: she understands his pain.
Then comes the truth. Jang-seon is alive, locked inside a secret vault — chained, hidden, and forgotten. Dong-ju was the one who put him there. When Jang-seon pleads for death in his own home, Dong-ju doesn’t answer. The silence says everything.
Dong-ju confronts The Elder with evidence of corruption and takes control of Daesan’s two trillion won fortune. But instead of staying at the top, he chooses to walk away. Before leaving, he hands the vault password to Eun-nam, saying she’s the only one he trusts to lead.
In a final, quiet farewell, Dong-ju sets off on a boat carrying Il-do’s ashes, honoring his last wish. As he disappears into the horizon, we see Jang-seon finally arrested.
But the last twist hits hard. Tae-yun, left alone on a rooftop, is pushed off by Seon-u in a shocking moment that ends the season with a chilling setup for Season 2.
So, Was It a Happy Ending or a Sad One?
It’s both — and that’s what makes it so powerful.
Justice is served. The villains received what they deserve (though less satisfying). The truth wins. But there’s no perfect reunion, no fairy tale wrap-up. Dong-joo doesn’t get the girl. He doesn’t claim the throne. But he walks away.
That’s what made this ending satisfying. It wasn’t about becoming the most powerful or winning back love. It was about truth — about not letting buried hearts stay buried forever.
If you’re the kind of Kdrama fan who love endings that feel real — not overly dramatic or forceful — then you will definitely like Buried Hearts ending.
