The eight-episode Korean mystery thriller The Art of Sarah dropped on Netflix on February 13, 2026, and viewers have been trying to piece together the confusing final moments since the credits rolled. The series, starring Shin Hye-sun as the title character and Lee Jun-hyuk as the detective chasing her, takes audiences on a wild ride through Seoul’s wealthy social circles, underground loan shark operations, and the mind of a woman who built an empire on lies.
The final episode leaves many questions hanging in the air. Who actually died in the sewer? Is the woman in prison Sarah Kim or someone else? The last few seconds of the show provide the answer, but it is easy to miss if you blink. Here is a breakdown of what really happened in the ending of The Art of Sarah.
The Body in the Sewer Sets Everything in Motion
The entire story begins when a woman’s body is found in a sewer beneath Seoul’s luxury shopping district. The face is damaged beyond recognition, making identification nearly impossible. Police find two clues on the body: a unique ankle tattoo that reads “melancolie splendide” and an expensive one-of-a-kind handbag .
These items point to Sarah Kim, the mysterious head of Boudoir, a luxury brand taking Seoul by storm. Detective Park Mu-gyeong takes the case, believing he is investigating the murder of a wealthy socialite. But as he digs deeper, he discovers that Sarah Kim is not who she appears to be .
The Many Identities of One Woman
The investigation reveals that the woman known as Sarah Kim has lived multiple lives. She was originally born as Mok Ga-hui, a poor salesgirl working at Samwol Department Store. After being forced into massive debt following a robbery at her store, she tried to take her own life by jumping off a bridge. She survived and decided to reinvent herself instead .
She became Kim Eun-jae and married a wealthy loan shark named Hong Seong-sin, played by Jung Jin-young. She donated a kidney to him in exchange for money and access to his world. The scar from this surgery becomes important later in identifying her. After leaving him, she finally created the persona of Sarah Kim, an American-educated businesswoman ready to take over Seoul’s luxury market .
Who Was Kim Mi-Jeong and Why Did She Die?
Kim Mi-jeong enters the story as the talented bag maker behind Boudoir’s products. Sarah Kim found her working in a sweatshop making knockoff luxury goods and hired her to create the actual bags for the brand. Mi-jeong had no official identity because she ran away from home as a child and never registered as a citizen .
Mi-jeong grew resentful watching Sarah Kim make millions from her designs while she received very little money. She decided to kill Sarah and take over her life. She copied Sarah’s style completely, got the same ankle tattoo, and wore matching outfits to the Boudoir launch party .
At the party, Mi-jeong confronted Sarah in a back room with a leather cutting tool. But Sarah overpowered her, and Mi-jeong hit her head on a table. Sarah then made a deal with department store chairwoman Choi Chae-u, played by Bae Jong-ok, to move Boudoir’s inventory to her store. She packed Mi-jeong’s unconscious body inside a luxury bag and transported it with the merchandise .
Using her knowledge from her days working at the same store as Mok Ga-hui, Sarah dumped Mi-jeong down the trash chute into the sewer. Mi-jeong was still alive and crawled toward a light source, but died from exposure before anyone could rescue her .
The Shocking Police Station Confession
Midway through the series, a woman walks into the police station claiming to be Sarah Kim. She says she is alive and well and has no idea who the dead woman is. Detective Park arrests her anyway, trying to build a case .
In the interrogation room, the woman makes a stunning confession. She claims she is actually Kim Mi-jeong, not Sarah Kim. She says she killed Sarah Kim at the party and took her identity. She explains that she wanted Sarah’s wealth and status after watching her profit from the bags she designed .
Detective Park does not believe her. He has spent months piecing together the truth. He knows this woman is Sarah Kim and that she killed Mi-jeong. He confronts her with his theory, explaining how each person at the party pushed Sarah closer to the edge until Mi-jeong’s appearance triggered the final confrontation .
The Hospital Records Bluff That Failed
Park tries to trick Sarah into admitting who she really is. He brings up the kidney she donated to Hong Seong-sin and claims the hospital still has tissue samples that can prove her identity through matching. He tells her that if she confesses to being Sarah, she will be caught, and Boudoir’s reputation will be destroyed forever .
But while he is making this case, his phone rings. His officers inform him that the hospital has no records. There are no tissue samples to test. The evidence does not exist. The woman in the interrogation room somehow made sure of that .
Sarah Kim’s Perfect Plan Comes Together
This is where Sarah’s intelligence becomes clear. She knew exactly what she was doing from the moment she walked into the police station. She understood that Sarah Kim was not a real person in any government database. She had created that identity from nothing. Kim Mi-jeong also had no official records because she never registered as a citizen .
Without DNA evidence or official documents, the police cannot prove which woman is which. The only way to prosecute anyone is to accept the confession. If the woman says she is Kim Mi-jeong and confesses to killing Sarah Kim, the case is solved .
Sarah chose to be convicted as Kim Mi-jeong. She took a ten-year prison sentence for murder. This protected Boudoir because if Sarah Kim does not legally exist, she cannot be prosecuted for fraud. The brand continues operating successfully without her .
The Final Scene Reveals the Truth
Detective Park gets promoted and receives an award for solving the high-profile case. He visits the woman in prison to update her on Boudoir’s continued success. She smiles, clearly satisfied that her creation is thriving even without her .
Before leaving, he asks her one simple question: “Who are you?” She does not answer with words. The camera shows them walking away from each other. As they are about to disappear from view, they turn and make eye contact. At that moment, her face visibly transitions into Sarah Kim’s face, confirming to the audience that the woman in prison is indeed Sarah, not Mi-jeong .
The detective likely knows the truth too. But he chose to go along with the lie because it meant putting a killer behind bars, even if under the wrong name. Sarah got what she wanted: her brand survived, and she accepted prison as the price for protecting it .
What the Title Really Means
The show’s title, The Art of Sarah, refers to her ability to create and maintain illusions. She was not born wealthy or connected. She built everything through careful manipulation, identity changes, and an understanding of how the rich think. Her final con was making the world believe she was dead while she sat in prison protecting her legacy .
Director Kim Jin-min, who also directed Extracurricular and My Name, told viewers before the release that they must watch until the very end. He compared the finale to the filling in a cream bun, saying that missing it would leave the story incomplete .
Audience Reactions to the Twists
Viewers who stayed up all night watching the series have shared their thoughts online. Many praised Shin Hye-sun’s performance, with some saying she acted like she was possessed during the intense scenes. Her ability to switch between different identities within the same episode kept audiences guessing about who she really was .
One viewer commented that the main character lived eighty different lives across eight episodes. Another noted that the show shares similarities with Inventing Anna but becomes much twistier in the second half. The chemistry between Shin Hye-sun and Lee Jun-hyuk received particular praise, with fans hoping to see them together in another project soon .
The ending left some viewers wanting more, but most agreed that a completely predictable finale would not have fit a character like Sarah Kim. Her world was built on deception, so her exit from the story fittingly blurred the lines between truth and lies .
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Where to Watch The Art of Sarah
All eight episodes of The Art of Sarah are streaming now on Netflix. Subscribers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and globally can watch the complete series with subtitles in multiple languages. The show premiered on February 13, 2026, as part of Netflix’s Lunar New Year programming lineup .
For viewers who enjoy psychological thrillers about identity, class struggles, and revenge, this series offers a tightly plotted story with enough twists to keep anyone guessing until the very last frame.
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