The psychological thriller As You Stood By reached its conclusion on November 7, 2025, with its two main characters choosing truth and accountability over freedom built on secrets. The series finale sees best friends Hui-Su and Eun-Su confessing to the murder of Hui-Su’s abusive husband, a decision that ultimately leads to their liberation after years of trauma.
The eight-episode Korean drama, starring Lee Yoo-mi as Hui-Su and Jeon So-nee as Eun-Su, explores themes of abuse, guilt, and survival. The finale resolves the central crime while focusing on the emotional journey of its protagonists toward healing and a fresh start far from their painful past.
The Final Confession
After being rescued from a suicide attempt orchestrated by her sister-in-law, Hui-Su makes the pivotal decision to turn herself in to the police. Her confession comes from a place of wanting to protect her friend Eun-Su and end the cycle of fear and hiding.
Hui-Su confesses to killing her abusive husband, Jin-pyo, detailing the domestic violence she endured. Following her lead, Eun-Su also surrenders, admitting her role as an accomplice in the murder. During the joint trial, both women use their court statements to explain the circumstances that led to their extreme actions.
At the sentencing, Hui-su took full responsibility for the premeditated murder. Eun-su also believed she deserved punishment for having turned a blind eye to domestic abuse in the past.
Life After Prison
The court found both women guilty, but their compelling testimonies about the abuse they suffered resulted in lighter sentences. After serving their prison terms, they were released and able to start anew.
A time skip in the finale reveals Eun-Su is released first, and she, along with their ally So-baek, is present when Hui-Su completes her sentence. The three then leave Korea behind to build a new life together in Vietnam. They are shown working peacefully at a local market, with Hui-su returning to painting and Eun-su finding joy in surfing. Their life in Vietnam represents a hard-won freedom and a chance to live without fear for the first time.
Symbolic Acts of Closure
The ending features several symbolic moments that represent the characters’ emotional healing. In a powerful scene, Eun-su packages her blue judo belt and returns it to her coach. This act symbolizes her letting go of the anger and trauma that initially drove her to practice martial arts.
Eun-su sending the belt back to her coach is symbolic of her letting go of her traumatic past. By this time, she has nothing more to fight, and returning the belt means letting go of the fear that led her to the dojo.
Similarly, Hui-su is finally shown with a genuine smile, reflecting her healing after years of pain and abuse. Both women also undergo physical transformations, with Eun-su dyeing her hair blonde, signaling their new beginnings.
The Downfall of Corruption
The finale also brings justice for the supporting antagonists. Jin-young, Jin-pyo’s sister and a corrupt police officer, faces arrest for her crimes. She is charged with attempting to coerce Hui-su into suicide and as a co-conspirator in the murder of Jang Kang, the lookalike who helped with the initial crime.
Jin-young loses everything because of her actions, telling Hui-su to kill herself without realizing what a monster she had become. Her desperation for a promotion led to her covering up her brother’s abuse and ultimately resulted in her downfall.
Their mother, Jeong-suk, is also arrested for killing Jang Kang after he taunted her about her family.
A Story of Liberation
Director Lee Jeong-rim explained that the Korean title for the series carries multiple meanings that reflect its complex themes.
“It could literally mean that you killed someone, or the person killed could be oneself. It could also be the story of someone who is an accessory or a bystander,” Lee Jeong-rim said at the Seoul press conference.
This ambiguity perfectly captures the journey of Hui-su and Eun-su, who move from being victims to perpetrators, and finally to liberated women who have paid for their crime and earned their peace.
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