Park Eun-bin's newest K-Drama series, Castaway Diva, has just started to air. If you're keeping up with the show, you might be wondering what happened to Jung Ki-Ho in the show. And like you, we've got some theories of our own.
While episode one gave us a glimpse into Seo Mok-ha's childhood (played by Lee Re), it also introduced us to a dear friend of Mok-ha's Jung Ki-Ho (played by Moon Woo-jin).
The second episode, on the other hand, made us wonder where Ki-Ho is.
Who is Jung Ki-Ho in the K-Drama Series?
Jung Ki-Ho (played by Moon Woo-Jin) is Mok-Ha's loyal friend. When we first come across Ki-Ho's character, we see a hustler who's always trying to get money from his classmates.
But we later realize that he is actually saving enough money to escape his abusive father, who happens to be a respected policeman on Chunsam Island (played by Lee Seung-Joon).
In one of his money-making schemes, he records a music video for Mok-Ha to submit to a singing competition in Seoul.
When he tries to give her the USB, he discovers that Mok-Ha suffers the same fate as he does. Despite her situation, Ki-Ho submits Mok-Ha's music video.
Eventually, Mok-ha wins the contest and gets invited to perform in Seoul.
However, she declines the offer the first time, sensing just how much trouble she would be putting herself into. But it was thanks to Ki-Ho who eventually convinced her to run away with him the next time her father hurt her.
The two make it to the ferry in hopes of starting over in Seoul. But before the ferry leaves, Ki-Ho sees Mok-Ha's father and leaves in the hopes of delaying his entry.
Even though Mok-Ha's father beat him up, he still manages to get onboard.
Who Plays Ki-Ho in Castaway Diva?
If you've been watching Kdramas for a long time, you may recognize Moon Woo-Jin. This is the same child actor who previously played Park Seo-Joon's younger self in What's Wrong With Secretary Kim.
He also starred in It's Okay To Not Be Okay as a young boy. His other Kdramas include My ID is Gangnam Beauty, King: The Eternal Monarch, and many more.
What Happened to Ki-Ho in Castaway Diva?
So what happened to Ki-Ho in the 15 years that Mok-Ha went missing?
As we learn in episode two, Mok-Ha is told that her dear friend lost his mind after leaving the hospital. He wouldn't believe that Mok-Ha was gone, so he decided to leave the island.
Just before that, he reported his father to the police. His father got fired on the same day. With Ki-Ho gone, his father decided to leave and look for him too.
Towards the end of episode 2, we learn that Kang Woo-Hak (played by Cha Hak-Yeon) empathized with Mok-ha. He also believes that he could be Mok-Ha's friend, Ki-Ho.
This is because he had a previous head injury that led him to forget his childhood. And with Mok-Ha's words: "It resembles Ki-Ho," Woo-Hak couldn't help but wonder the same thing.
Not to mention, the Ki-Ho's favorite quote was shared with him by his birth mother. This is the same quote that Woo-hak's mother told them.
Meanwhile, his brother, Kang Bo-Geol (played by Chae Jong-Hyeop) keeps reminding him that he is not Ki-Ho.
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In the fourth episode of Castaway Diva, Ki-Ho's father, Jeong Bong-Wan (played by Lee Seung-Joon) reaches out to Mok-ha.
He sends a bouquet of flowers to Woo-Hak, hoping it will reach Mok-ha. In the bouquet, he attaches a note to meet Mok-Ha while pretending it came from Ki-Ho.
When Woo-Hak learns this, he is saddened. He really believed he was Ki-Ho, which is why he accepted the reality. While Mok-Ha goes to the train station, Bo-Geol learns what happened.
Without a second word, he rushes out of the cafeteria and hurries to Mok-Ha. It is implied that he knows who Ki-Ho is.
Meanwhile, back at the station, Woo-Hak recognizes the person who delivered the bouquet to him. He then starts recollecting his childhood when he hid from that man. Could he be the real Ki-Ho?
If Woo-Hak is not Ki-Ho, then where is he, and what exactly happened to him?
Will the Real Ki-Ho Please Stand Up?
We finally know who the real Ki-Ho is, thanks to episode 6.
True to our suspicions, Bo-geol is Ki-Ho. Together with his brother and mother, they have assumed a new identity to hide from their father.
It is also revealed that Bo-Geol and Woo-Hak cannot tell Mok-Ha the truth because it would ruin their family.
When their mother sought help, she found it difficult to get assistance without the police alerting her husband.
So when Kang Sang-Doo (played by Lee Joong-Ok) felt sorry for her, he helped her change their names since he was working as a public official.
At that time, there was a family who went missing. After years of not finding them, Sang-Doo used their names for Song Ha-Jung (played by Seo Jung-Yeon) and the kids. This is why they have to keep hiding their identity.
But eventually, Ki-Ho and Bo-Geol's father learned their new identities and sought them out. Before he could make a move, however, Sang-Doo already surrendered to the authorities so they could be questioned.
They were questioned for having something to do with the disappearance of the original family. Thankfully, the prosecutor realized their reason for lying and hiding and pardoned them.
RELATED: Castaway Diva: Can Park Eun-bin Really Sing?
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