Yoo Yeon-seok ♥ Chae Soo-bin: Shocking Twist Reveals the Accomplice in When the Phone Rings

Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin faced yet another crisis in the latest episode.

In the 9th episode of MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama When the Phone Rings, aired on the 27th, a shocking twist revealed the identity of the accomplice assisting the kidnapper (played by Park Jae-yoon) in targeting Baek Sa-eon (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin). The episode recorded nationwide ratings of 6.4% and a peak of 6.8%, according to Nielsen Korea, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats with its gripping romance thriller plot.

In this episode, Hee-joo discovered that Sa-eon was not the biological son of Baek Eui-yong (Yoo Sung-joo) but reaffirmed her unwavering love for him. After confirming Sa-eon’s paternity test, Hee-joo confronted her stepsister, declaring, “This is my choice. From now on, Hong Hee-joo has chosen Baek Sa-eon.” Her conviction moved In-ah, who hadn’t heard Hee-joo’s voice since childhood.

Worried after losing contact with Sa-eon, Hee-joo demanded Eui-yong and Shim Gyu-jin (Choo Sang-mi) locate him. Later, following a lead from Min Chief (Hong Seo-joon), Hee-joo discovered a key connection: both Eui-yong and the kidnapper shared a distinct heterochromia, leading her to the shocking realization that the kidnapper was the real Baek Sa-eon.

Hee-joo then received news from Ji Sang-woo (Heo Nam-joon) about Sa-eon’s accident and rushed to the emergency room. Sang-woo, who had been investigating an orphanage child disappearance case, witnessed Sa-eon and Jung Sang-hoon (Kim Joon-bae), who couldn’t escape a fire at a fishing shop. Sang-woo’s heroic efforts to save both men provided relief to viewers.

After hearing Sang-woo’s account, Hee-joo stayed by Sa-eon’s side throughout his recovery, vowing to protect him from the loneliness he had endured. Once Sa-eon regained consciousness, Hee-joo took the threatening phone to the police, only to be stopped by Sa-eon. Blaming herself for cooperating with the kidnapper, she was moved to tears when Sa-eon asked, “Does it not matter that I’m not the Baek Sa-eon you knew?” She replied, “I’m just glad I’ve finally come to know you, even if it’s late. I’m sorry for realizing it so late,” touching viewers’ hearts with their devoted love.

Meanwhile, Sa-eon expressed heartfelt gratitude to Sang-woo for saving him and Sang-hoon. He asked Sang-woo to help treat Sang-hoon, the key witness in the orphanage case, and revealed that the kidnapper and the culprit behind the orphanage disappearances were the same person.

Sa-eon and Hee-joo made their first public appearance together at a presidential event, performing flawlessly as a spokesperson and sign language interpreter despite Sa-eon’s incomplete recovery. Afterward, Sa-eon entrusted Hee-joo’s safety to his closest aide, Park Do-jae (Choi Woo-jin), and headed to the graves of the victims killed by the real Baek Sa-eon.

At the end of the episode, Sa-eon learned from Jang Hyuk-jin (Go Sang-ho) that the missing family member in the orphanage case was Do-jae, leaving him stunned. Sensing danger, Sa-eon called Do-jae, who was with Hee-joo, but his calls went unanswered. At that moment, Do-jae watched the sleeping Hee-joo with a chilling gaze, deliberately ignoring Sa-eon’s calls. The episode concluded with Sa-eon’s fear of losing Hee-joo, heightening anticipation for the next episode’s dramatic climax.

Viewers reacted passionately after the broadcast, commenting:

MBC’s When the Phone Rings is based on a web novel of the same name. For more details on the storyline and character relationships, visit the official website.