Warning! This article contains spoilers for When the Phone Rings' episode 6.
According to oneWhen the Phone Ringstheory, theNetflixK-dramaseems to have already hinted at who pushed Hoo-jee off the cliff and the real reason behind it. After a series of misunderstandings and conflicts, Hee-joo and Sa-eon finally start warming to one another mid-way throughWhen the Phone Rings' season 1. While their relationship still has a long way to go, things move in a positive direction for them in theNetflix Korean drama’s episode 6 as they visit a cliff with the entire Presidential spokesperson team.
As always, Sa-eon becomes the center of attention as soon as he enters the public eye and instantly gets surrounded by numerous eager onlookers. Unfortunately, while Sa-eon remains distracted by all the attention, Hee-joo gets sidelined and a mysterious figure takes the opportunity to push her off the cliff. Although Hee-joo survives the fall and her rescue leads to one of the most emotional and memorable moments from thecompelling 2024 Korean drama, it makes one question who tried to harm her and what it means for her future with Sa-eon.
A Theory Suggests Park Do-jae Pushed Hee-joo In When The Phone Rings Episode 6’s Ending
All Subtle Hints Point In Park Do-jae’s Direction
When the Phone Ringswill likely take its time to explicitly reveal Hee-joo’s attacker’s identity and their potential motives. However, several clues from episode 6’s ending almostconfirm Park Do-jae pushed her. For instance, when Hee-joo awakens at the bottom of the cliff, she only seems to recall that a person with a black jacket shoved her off the edge of the cliff. A second look at the Presidential spokersperson team and the many bystanders on the cliff reveals that only Park Do-jae is wearing a black jacket. The hand that pushes Hee-joo also has a mole at the same spot as Park Do-jae’s.
…he already seemed to know all about them and was aware Hoo-jee was Sa-eon’s biggest weakness.
On the cliff, Park Do-jae also seems to be keeping a close eye on Hee-joo, which hints at his motives. When Sa-eon gets surrounded by the crowd and Hee-joo moves behind, Do-jae also follows her, suggesting he was waiting for the right opportunity to push her off. In a pervious scene fromWhen the Phone Rings, Sa-eon hugged Hoo-jee, which left all onlookers surprised because no one knew they were a married couple. Do-jae, however, appeared unbothered by their hug because he already seemed to know all about them and was aware Hoo-jee was Sa-eon’s biggest weakness.
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With so many details suggesting that Do-jae pushed Hoo-jee, it is hard not to believe he was the perpetrator. If this theory holds true, Do-jae will easily rise up in the ranks to become one of themost chilling and menacing villains in thriller K-dramas. However, as morally skewed as Do-jae may seem, several hinted details about his motives and past suggest his actions are driven by many deeper, complex reasons.
Sang-u & Yu-ri’s Orphanage Investigation Hints At The Truth About Do-jae’s Motives
Sang-u & Do-jae Seemingly Go Way Back
While Hoo-jee and Sa-eon’s affection for one another grows from strength to strength, Sang-u and Yu-ri team up for a show and look into Sang-u’s past. While investigating Sang-u’s early years in an orphanage, they discover a picture that includes a pair of twins. Sang-u recalls that one of the twin brothers suddenly disappeared. He also remembers encountering a violent child during his stay in the orphanage who had brutally mutilated a cat. A flashback in episode 5 also reveals that Sa-eon’s mother locked the same child inside his bedroom after noticing he was mangling the fish in their aquarium.
The twins' storyline is not a part of the original web novel, Geon Eomul Nyeo’sThe Number You Have Dialed, the show is based on.
Earlier episodes ofWhen the Phone Ringshave also hinted thatSa-eon is not who he claims to be and has adopted someone else’s name. All these details make it hard not to theorize that the real Sa-eon, whose name Yoo Yeon-seok’s character adopted, was probably Do-jae’s brother’s killer at the orphanage, explaining why the twin disappeared. Since Do-jae believes Yoo Yeon-seok’s character is the real Sa-eon, he is deadset on seeking vengeance and hurting him by harming Hoo-jee.
What Do-jae’s Revenge Plan Means For Sa-eon & Hee-joo’s Relationship
Do-jae’s Vengeful Acts Spell Trouble For The Couple
The fact that Do-jae pushed Hoo-jee off a cliff just to hurt Sa-eon proves there is no limit to how far he is willing to go to quench his thirst for revenge. Since Hoo-jee and Sa-eon know little about Do-jae’s true motives, the danger they face is even greater. Hoo-jee and Sa-eon’s relationship is finally making incredible progress,but Do-jae’s mindless acts of violence threaten to tear it apart. InWhen the Phone Rings' upcoming episodes, Sa-eon will have to race against time to discover that Do-jae pushed Hoo-jee and understand his motives before it is too late.
Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu
Total number of episodes
12
Despite connecting some dots, Sang-u and Yu-ri might never learn the truth about Do-jae’s grim past and how it shaped him. Similarly, Sa-eon and Hoo-jee may also remain in the dark about who is trying to harm them. Hopefully,When the Phone Rings' future episodes will delve deeper into these plot developments and reveal more about these intriguing mysteries.
