Unpacking the Twisty Ending of Netflix K-Drama The Trunk

Spoiler Warning: The Trunk
Netflix’s latest Korean drama, The Trunk (트렁크), begins with a bang—literally. A gunshot rings out as the titular trunk sinks to the depths of a lake. The series then rewinds five months, introducing us to Noh In-ji (played by Seo Hyun-jin of Dr. Romantic fame), an employee of New Wedding (NM), an elite agency that arranges professional marriages for the ultra-wealthy. In-ji, a "field wife" with the company, is preparing for her fifth contract marriage.  

This time, her spouse is Han Jeong-won (portrayed by Hallyu superstar Gong Yoo, known for Goblin and Train to Busan, a wealthy music producer. Unlike her previous contracts, Jeong-won did not request this arrangement. It was orchestrated by his manipulative ex-wife, Lee Seo-yeon (Jung Yun-ha of *Exhuma*), who also has her own NM husband, Yun Ji-oh (Lee Woo). Seo-yeon persuades Jeong-won that fulfilling the one-year contract will pave the way for their reunion.  

What begins as a business arrangement between In-ji and Jeong-won evolves into something genuine, complicating Seo-yeon’s schemes and colliding with the dark intentions of Eom Tae-seong (Kim Dong-won), a former NM employee who has stalked In-ji for years. These entanglements culminate in a gripping finale.  

Why Does Seo-yeon Want Jeong-won to Marry In-ji?  
Seo-yeon’s manipulative tendencies intensify after the traumatic loss of her unborn child. In a flashback, we see Seo-yeon deliberately step into traffic during her pregnancy. As she was rushed to the hospital, Jeong-won, desperate to become a father and escape the scars of his abusive childhood, begged the doctors to prioritize saving the baby. Seo-yeon overheard his plea, and this pivotal moment irreparably fractured their relationship.  

Arranging NM marriages for both herself and Jeong-won allowed Seo-yeon to exert control over him without staying together. She seemed torn—unable to let Jeong-won go but unwilling to reconcile—fueling her desire to make him suffer as she had. However, her actions inflicted pain on herself as well, revealing the depths of her unresolved trauma.  

What’s Inside the Trunk?  
The story opens with a trunk sinking into the lake, later revealed to be one of two identical trunks—one belonging to In-ji and the other to Seo-yeon. In-ji’s trunk contains her NM marriage contract and manual, but it’s Seo-yeon’s trunk that drives the climax.  

Tae-seong, intending to expose NM, steals a trunk from Jeong-won’s house, believing it to be In-ji’s. However, it’s Seo-yeon’s, and during the final confrontation at the lake, the truth emerges. After Tae-seong’s death, Seo-yeon’s trunk is retrieved by the police, and its contents are revealed: baby clothes. This discovery symbolizes Seo-yeon’s unresolved grief over her lost child. While she remains far from healed, this moment seems to be a small step toward confronting her pain.  

Who Killed Eom Tae-seong?  
Midway through the series, the body in the lake is identified as Eom Tae-seong, a former NM self-defense instructor obsessed with In-ji. Years earlier, Tae-seong murdered an NM security officer in front of her and was institutionalized to protect the company’s secrecy. Upon his release, he resumed stalking In-ji.  

In-ji eventually attempts to kill Tae-seong, shooting at him during their lake confrontation but missing. The fatal blow is delivered by Ji-oh, Seo-yeon’s contract husband, who kills Tae-seong with a fencing sword. Ji-oh’s motives are rooted in witnessing Tae-seong’s earlier crime and his own frustrations with NM and Seo-yeon.  

Do In-ji and Jeong-won End Up Together?  
While The Trunk ends without In-ji and Jeong-won officially reuniting, their future together is strongly implied. Both characters focus on healing individually—In-ji enjoys simple, independent pleasures, and Jeong-won cares for his new cats.  

In a chance encounter on the streets of Seoul, the two meet again. Jeong-won recalls their earlier agreement: if they meet organically twice more, they’ll stay together. Smiling through tears, they acknowledge the possibility of fate, with one chance meeting left to fulfill their promise.  

Do Seo-yeon and Ji-oh End Up Together?  
Seo-yeon and Ji-oh’s relationship is a complicated subplot. Despite Seo-yeon’s emotional unavailability, Ji-oh falls in love with her. After Ji-oh’s arrest for killing Tae-seong, Seo-yeon pledges to help him, revealing they plan to renew their contract. This suggests a tentative continuation of their relationship.  

Will There Be a Second Season?  
The Trunk is based on a standalone novel by Kim Ryeo-ryeong, and currently, there are no plans for a second season. However, given Netflix’s history of extending popular series, the possibility remains. Fans seeking similar contract-marriage dramas might enjoy Perfect Marriage Revenge, My Demon, or The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract. Additionally, When the Phone Rings on Netflix offers another take on contract-based relationships.  

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