Netflix’s Castaway Diva captivates K-drama enthusiasts with the mystery surrounding Mok-ha’s (Park Eun-bin) savior and friend Ki-ho. Fans debate whether Ki-ho is Bo-geol (Chae Jong-Hyeop) or Woo-hak (Cha Hak-Yeon), leaving them torn in suspense.
A story of heartbreak is at the center of not only Mok-ha’s story but also Ki-ho’s. K-drama fans first met the two as young high school students who were very different from one another. But after Ki-ho helps Mok-ha film her music video for Ran-joo, he sees her in a different light.
Sooner rather than later, he realizes they have more in common as they both are being mistreated by their fathers at home. Needing to escape, Mok-ha seeks out Ki-ho who promises her to leave for Seoul where she can become a singer. But chaos ensues when Mok-ha’s father comes after her, leading to her becoming stranded on a deserted island.
Years later, Mok-ha is back in civilization with a clear goal to find Ki-ho. But Castaway Diva threw fans for a loop as Mok-ha’s newfound friends Bo-geol and Woo-hak showed signs of possibly being Ki-ho. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Ki-ho’s identity is revealed in Castaway Diva Episode 6
When Woo-hak breaks into Ki-ho’s father’s house, he finds a family portrait of a young Ki-ho and another son who looks like him. At the arrival of Bo-geol, Castaway Diva reveals Ki-ho was Bo-geol all along and changed their identities to escape their abusive father.
even after seeing all the ki-ho coded parallels w bo-geol i was still expecting a major plot twist on this lmao turns out the hardest question had the simplest answer. bo-geol was indeed ki-ho yall. 😭😂#CastawayDiva#CastawayDivaEp6 pic.twitter.com/F8Y7NWVpRn
— x i a o | 🌍☀️👽🌙 (@inxiaomnia) November 12, 2023
From the start of Castaway Diva, Woo-hak was under the suspicion that he was Ki-ho. This was based on his inherent connection to Mok-ha and having no memories of his past due to an accident. But his brother Bo-geol often tries to dissuade his brother from believing so. By Castaway Diva Episode 5, fans are aware Ki-ho is alive and could be Woo-hak or Bo-geol.
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While Bo-geol gives Mok-ha a cold shoulder, his longing gazes at her says differently. Woo-hak takes matters into his own hands when he gets flashbacks of the memories he lost and sees Bong-wan (Lee Seung-Joon), Ki-ho’s father who’s still after his son. Needing answers on whether he’s Ki-ho or not, he breaks into his home.
He soon finds a family portrait of his mother, Ki-ho, and Bong-wan. But to his surprise, he also sees another young boy who happens to be him. Confused, Bo-geol arrives and urges them to leave and tell him the truth.
Castaway Diva Episode 6 soon reveals the truth about Ki-ho. The events that take place occur long before Ki-ho ever met Mok-ha. In the apartment, Ki-ho and his brother Chae-ho are hiding from their drunk and abusive father. He comes home hellbent on finding Ki-ho and punishing him for supposedly stealing money. In these scenes fans also see Bo-geol and Woo-hak’s mother trying to protect her kids.
When Ki-ho admits he has been saving money to run away, Bong-wan gets angry and grabs a nearby chair. Chae-ho protects Ki-ho with his body and takes on the hit. It leads to Chae-ho being hospitalized and losing his memories. The events allowed Chae-ho to forget his father’s abuse and start a new life with his mother. Ki-ho endures the abuse for a few more years before running away after what happened with Mok-ha.
Based on the events, it’s clear that Woo-hak is not Ki-ho, but his brother Bo-geol. The whole time they have known Mok-ha, he has been keeping it a secret to protect his family and newfound life. He explains to his brother that they cannot tell Mok-ha or the authorities about the risk of breaking apart their family.
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