Song of Bandits ending explained

Netflix‘s Song of Bandits K-drama has captured fans’ attention thanks to its riveting storyline of Joseon people fighting to protect themselves amid Japanese occupation – leading to a grim ending.

Lee Yoon (Kim Nam-gil) joined the Japanese army after its forceful occupation of South Korea and its people. With Lee Gwang-il (Lee Hyung-wook) as his master, Yoon became a skilled soldier. But he soon sees the horrors of bloodshed against his own people and abandons the army and his master.

Set in the 1920s, Yoon ventures to Gando to find a man he wronged a long time ago. Gando is one of the few pieces of land not ruled by the Japanese and has no laws. While there, Yoon is reborn and finds a new purpose to protect Gando and its people.

Song of Bandits is a short nine-episode K-drama packed with a lot of storylines to unfold. At the heart of the story is Yoon and his team’s pursuit of stealing money from a railroad project while Yoon faces his past. Here’s a full breakdown of the ending of Song of Bandits. Warning: spoilers ahead.

Song of Bandits K-drama ending explained

The crux of Song of Bandits is Lee Yoon and his team infiltrating the transfer of 200,000 won meant to be used to create a new railway line connecting Gyeongwon and Hamyeong Lines – giving a clear route for Japanese soldiers to enter Gando.

By Episode 2, Yoon and Kim Seon-bok’s (Cha Shung-hwa) gun business has come to a halt due to a new law. But Seon-bok has a plan as she learned the government will use 200,000 won to build the new railroad. She and Yoon plan to steal the money to help fund Gando. Unknown to them, Nam Hee-shin (Seohyun) has contracted Eon Nyeon (Lee Ho-jung), a gunman for hire, to steal the money. In Song of Bandits, Hee-shin is the head of the Railway Bureau of the Japanese Government. But it’s a front for her work as a freedom fighter and so is her relationship with Gwang-il.

By Episode 3, Gwang-il tortures his uncle, who he learns is a freedom fighter and is told about the 200,000 won to be stolen. Both Eon Nyeon and Hee-shin make their plan as they head to Gando. While there, Yoon recognizes her and tries to follow her. Flashbacks reveal he was in love with her while he was a soldier.

Chaos ensues when Eon Nyeon keeps her promise of killing Yoon if they ever meet again. When the Japanese police arrive they are arrested and later set free. Yoon and Seon-bok learn she too is after the money. By Episode 4, they make a plan to steal the money on its travel route while two other members kill the head of the Railway Bureau.

But another group of bandits goes after the money but fails. Yoon and his team are successful but learn the money wasn’t on board and clash heads with Jang Ki-ryong (Han Kyu-won) and his Gang. They decide to part ways. It’s soon revealed that Eon Nyeong bartered a deal with the bank worker to take the money and replace it with something else. The money was in her and Hee-shin’s possession all along. Meanwhile, Yoon’s men decide not to kill Hee-shin.

Lee Yoon helps Hee-shin escape with the money in Song of Bandits

Bamboozled by Eon Nyeong, Yoon and his team go after her and the head of the Railway Bureau, but he finds himself trying to protect his love who doesn’t remember him.

After learning who has the money, Yoon and his team infiltrate the train to steal it. While successful, Yoon is left frozen in shock when he learns the head of the bureau is Hee-shin. As Gwang-il and his men stop the train, a sandstorm allows them a cover to escape. Filled with rage, Gwang-il performs a masaqer hoping to kill Eon Nyeong, who he believes is the thief. Eon Nyeong is captured by Gwang-il but is let go to track Yoon down and kill him.

Meanwhile, Yoon decides to help Hee-shin find the freedom fighter she was supposed to meet to give the money. After all, she doesn’t seem to recognize him. But Yoon soon realizes the people they are meeting are not the freedom fighters but bandits. In the scuffle, Hee-shin is shot. Taking her to a nearby village to heal, Yoon’s team is looking for him and still plans to kill her. At the same time, Eon Nyeong warned Choi Chung-soo (Yoo Jae-myung) that she’s contracted to kill Yoon.

In the village, Yoon’s team finds them and tries to kill Hee-shin until Yoon tells them the truth. But Gwang-il soon arrives with his soldiers and they hide Hee-shin. In a heated argument, Yoon reveals the recent murders of Japanese soldiers were his doing. Realizing Yoon is well protected, Gwang-il leaves. After hearing Hee-shin’s plans, Yoo and his team decide to let her take the money to help the freedom fighters.

By Episode 7, Yoon and Hee-shin go back into the main town and stay with Seon-bok. While there, Eon Nyeong is captured by Japanese police and is thrown under the rug by Gwang-il. Gwang-il and his army soon arrive but are stopped by the Japanese police leading to gunfire. Yoon’s team arrives to help them, with Eon Nyeong joining forces with Yoon. Under fire, Yoon and Hee-shin escape to get to her rendevous point. Arriving and filled with emotions, Yoon kisses her goodbye. Hee-shin soon remembers a memory from their past.

Song of Bandits’ ending reveals the fight for independence is far from over

Yoon and his team are under fire and in peril during the Song of Bandits ending which later proves that they have a long way to go for freedom.

Gwang-il and his soldiers meet up with Yoon. The two have a face-off with Yoon shooting Gwang-il’s finger off, hindering his ability to fire. While the Japanese soldiers want to kill Yoon, Gwang-il stops them. At the same time, Hee-shin learns the people she came to meet came prepared with a group of fighters. As Yoon is in trouble, they appear to kill the soldiers. Not wanting to see Gwang-il die, Yoon urges him to leave.

Back in town, Ki-ryong has infiltrated and heavily wounds all of Yoon’s team. They made a deal with the Japanese to take over Gando. Meanwhile, Eon Nyeong and Yoon remeet and decide to put their differences aside. While in prison, one of the villagers takes Ki-ryong’s bandits to Gando to only realize it was a trick. While away from town, Yoon and Neo Yeong rescued the others. Outnumbered, one of Yoon’s members makes his way to an artillery rifle and kills the remaining soldiers.

Sometime later, Gwang-il is only reprimanded but learns of new Japanese policies to punish the insurgents. Song of Bandits reveals Ki-ryong barters a new deal with the Japanese who have also gotten Chinese help to take over Gando. Meanwhile, Yoon goes to Gyeongseong to see Hee-shin. At the same time she meets Gwang-il but later sees her looking through his documents. He’s heartbroken to learn she stole the money and is a freedom fighter.

Hee-shin informs the man she gave the money to about the new policy. While in Gyeongseong, Yoonnever meets Hee-shin after seeing her letter to back away. But the same man also tells him about the new policy. Broken-hearted Yoon leaves to help defend Gando. The Song of Bandits ending includes Hee-shin and Gwang-il getting married and Yoon and his team fighting Japanese soldiers.

You can read more K-drama content in our hub here, Song of Bandits Season 2 here, A Time Called You ending explained here, and details of Moving finale here.