Art teacher Ahn Yun-su has her life shattered when she is wrongfully convicted of murdering her husband. The only person who can offer her a path back to her daughter is a mysterious fellow inmate with a hidden, tragic past. The final episodes of Netflix’s The Price of Confession, released on December 5, 2025, bring the intertwined stories of revenge and cover-ups to a violent and emotional conclusion.
Who Actually Killed Lee Ki-dae?
Throughout the series, the identity of the person Yun-su saw fleeing her husband’s art studio remains a central mystery. While a confession from inmate Mo Eun temporarily clears her name, the truth is more complicated. The real killer is Choi Su-yeon, the wife of the well-respected lawyer Jin Yeong-in.
The motive stemmed not from a grand conspiracy but from wounded pride. Su-yeon and Yeong-in had donated an art piece to an exhibition, which Yun-su’s husband, Lee Ki-dae, publicly suggested was plagiarized. Enraged by this insult and Ki-dae’s refusal to apologize, Su-yeon confronted him. The argument turned deadly when she struck him with a wine bottle and then stabbed him. Her husband, who was present, used his legal knowledge to clean the crime scene and hide as Yun-su arrived to find her dying husband.
The Tragic Truth Behind Mo Eun’s Revenge
Mo Eun, portrayed by Kim Go-eun, is initially seen as a cold-hearted killer who poisoned a married couple. Her deal with Yun-su—to confess to Ki-dae’s murder in exchange for Yun-su killing the couple’s son, Ko Se-hun—seems like the work of a sociopath. However, her actions are fueled by immense personal tragedy. Her real name is Kang So-hae, a doctor who was working in Thailand when her family fell apart.
Her younger sister, So-mang, was raped by Se-hun, who filmed the assault and distributed the video after she reported him. Overwhelmed by shame and the failure of the justice system—Se-hun received only a light sentence—both So-mang and her father died by suicide. Trapped abroad during COVID-19 border closures, So-hae could not return to help them. A dying friend then gave So-hae her identity, allowing her to return to Korea as “Mo Eun” to execute a meticulous plan for revenge.
How Se-hun Died and Who Framed Yun-su
Yun-su, desperate to be with her daughter, agrees to Mo Eun’s deadly bargain but finds she cannot go through with killing Se-hun. She fakes his death with staged photos, hoping to trick Mo Eun. This plan fails because Lawyer Yeong-in had already murdered Se-hun.
Yeong-in, who was representing Mo Eun, used his insider knowledge of the deal between the two women to his advantage. By killing Se-hun and hiding the body in a freezer, he created a perfect scenario to frame Yun-su for a second murder, hoping to permanently bury his wife’s crime. This act entangled Yun-su further and showed the lengths Yeong-in would go to protect his family’s reputation.
The Final Confrontation and Mo Eun’s Sacrifice
The climax unfolds in Ki-dae’s art studio. Yun-su discovers that a fingerprint on her husband’s final artwork could prove Su-yeon was there the night of the murder. She and Mo Eun go to secure this evidence, only to find Yeong-in there, attempting to destroy it.
A violent struggle ensues. To save Yun-su from becoming a killer and to stop Yeong-in, Mo Eun makes the ultimate sacrifice.
She forces Yeong-in to stab her and then uses the moment to fatally stab him in return.
Both die at the scene, with Mo Eun dying in Yun-su’s arms just as the police arrive. Her death mirrors the opening scene, where Yun-su held her dying husband, creating a poignant parallel between the two women bound by tragedy.
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The Ending’s Legal Outcomes and Final Scene
In the aftermath, the video evidence and Mo Eun’s sacrifice lead the court to clear Yun-su of her husband’s murder. However, for her involvement in the conspiracy surrounding Se-hun’s death, she receives a light, suspended sentence.
The series concludes with a bittersweet scene. Yun-su, now free, travels to Thailand with her young daughter. They visit the place where Mo Eun, as Kang So-hae, was happiest before her life was destroyed. There, Yun-su leaves behind the pink watch that belonged to Mo Eun’s friend, creating a memorial for the woman who gave her life for Yun-su’s second chance.
The final moments reveal a surprising connection from the past: a flashback shows that Mo Eun and her sister were present at Yun-su and Ki-dae’s wedding years earlier, hinting at a fateful link between their lives.
Does Choi Su-yeon Face Justice?
The ending leaves a major question unanswered. While the truth about Ki-dae’s murder is exposed, Choi Su-yeon’s legal fate remains uncertain. Prosecutor Baek Dong-hun questions her, but she claims her husband delivered the fatal blow. With Yeong-in dead and willing to take the blame, and with Dong-hun’s own early mishandling of the case, Su-yeon may evade full legal accountability. This ambiguous conclusion reinforces the drama’s central theme: that revealing the truth does not always guarantee perfect justice.
