It's one of the current hits on Netflix. The Korean series When the phone rings keeps Internet users in suspense with its intrigue and this big question: but who is the kidnapper? Here is the answer, according to the novel from which the series is adapted.
If some successes are predictable on Netflix, this is not the case for all. For example, who could have predicted that this little Korean series broadcast every week on the platform would be so popular? If it did not rank in the top 10 of the most viewed series in France, When the phone rings conquered the world, becoming the second most watched non-English series since the release of its first episode in November 2024. Number 1 in six countries, it is present in the rankings of 42 other nations in the world, from Portugal to Japan, including Peru and Vietnam. Unexpected popularity for this fiction which stars Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin in the roles of Paik Sa-eon and Hong Hee-jo. The first is a spokesperson for the South Korean president and the second is a sign language interpreter who suffers from muteness. They have actually been married for three years, an arranged union during which they never really learned to communicate. Throughout the episodes, internet users discovered that Sa-eon had real feelings for Hee-joo. This story involves a strange kidnapper who endangers the couple's lives. As fans delivered their best theories about When the phone ringsthe novel also gives us valuable clues about the sequel.
When the phone rings (Netflix): the identity of the kidnapper in the novel from which the series is adapted
The series When the phone rings is adapted from the novel The Number You Have Dialed, by Geon Eomul-nyeo, published online on Kakao Page. If certain characters and intrigues were added in the series in order to develop the story, the kidnapper does exist in the original novel. And this is in fact the real Paik Sa-eon. For several episodes now, fans have suspected that something is brewing around the main character. The Paik Sa-eon we see in the series is actually not the real son of the Paik couple. The latter took the place of the real Paik Sa-eon, who therefore wants revenge on his family. The Paik Sa-eon we know is in fact an orphan who replaced the legitimate son because the latter had violent impulses. In episode 5, Sang-woo, Hee-joo's friend, explains that a young boy offered to “play” at killing a cat. This is actually the real Paik Sa-eon.
This character is an accomplice of the kidnapper in the novel that inspired When the phone rings
In order to carry out his mission, the kidnapper does not actually work alone. He is helped by his biological mother, Shim Kyu-jin, but also by another character. This is Park Do-jae, Paik Sa-eon's assistant and confidant. In the novel, Do-jae's sister was killed by Paik Sa-eon. Wanting to destroy the latter, he agrees to work with the kidnapper, without knowing that he is not attacking the real Sa-eon and that his accomplice is in fact his sister's murderer. It remains to be seen whether the series will follow these revelations to the letter…
