Will there be Dear Hongrang season 2 based on the original novel Tangeum's ending? Netflix keeps the possibility open

Indian Express

23-05-2025

Lee Jae Wook and Jo Bo Ah's new historical mystery K-drama Dear Hongrang ended its 11-episode run on May 17 after debuting the same day on Netflix. If you've already watched it, you're probably aware of the bittersweet ending and may have even found yourself scrolling through a fan thread, trying to piece it all together. Now, fans are wondering if Dear Hongrang will follow in the footsteps of Lee Jae Wook's previous historical fantasy Alchemy of Souls and return with a Part 2 to continue the story. While there's no official word from the streamer yet, it's worth noting that the series is based on the 2021 novel Tangeum: Swallowing Gold, which also inspired a webtoon under the same name. So, whether the show expands or stops here depends a lot on how the novel wrapped things up.
Also read: Dear Hongrang star Jo Bo Ah reveals nickname she gave to Lee Jae Wook, shares why she keeps distance from male co-stars
Yes, the story is inspired by Tangeum by the renowned Korean author Jang Da Hye. Just as shown in the Netflix adaptation, the story is set in the late Joseon Dynasty, where a young boy, the only son of a powerful merchant guild, disappears on the very night he promises to pick red camellias for his little stepsister. Ten years later, he returns with the same habits and same scars but claims he remembers nothing about his past life. An ancient blood-mixing technique somehow proves he is the long-lost son of the family, but his sister, Jae Yi, isn't convinced. Jae Yi grows up searching for her brother her whole life while living in a suffocating home, filled with opium smoke and betrayal. Then there's Mu Jin, the adopted son of the Min family. He grew up with Jae Yi. Once, he may have seen her as a sister. Now, his feelings have twisted into love.
Also read: Dear Hongrang ending explained: 7 burning questions answered in Lee Jae Wook and Jo Bo Ah story finale
Why Tangeum?
Tangeum translates to 'swallowing gold.' It's a poetic Korean phrase used to describe suicide, especially among 'noblewomen or courtesans driven by despair.' The story focuses less on uncovering Hong Rang's identity and more on the characters themselves, each broken in a different way, and how one incident fractures every bond — three people, caught in a web of memory, pain, desire, and guilt.
The possibility of Dear Hongrang getting a renewal is quite low, or even a complete no, given the current series has wrapped up all the arcs written in the novel, and Hongrang's character met the same fate as Lee Jae Wook's: taking his last breath in the arms of Jae Yi. The series covered everything, including the brutal history of the soul reaper, how he was poisoned in childhood, which slowly led his body and organs to give up.. The villain meets a tragic end after Hongrang chops off the same arms that claimed the lives of so many innocent kids. According to author Jang Da Hye, she painstakingly rewrote her characters' emotional arcs multiple times before publishing. The book is drenched in symbolism and emotion.
However, when adapted on screen, writer Kim Jin Ah (The Devil Judge) and director Kim Hong Sun (The Guest, The Witch's Diner) leaned harder into the political intrigue and suspense, though the story and character arcs largely stayed true to the source. What's surprising is that Netflix still hasn't marked the series as Limited, leaving the door slightly open. But if the story expands, it'll likely go beyond the book, into completely original fiction.
If you can read Korean, or even if you're semi-fluent and willing to work through it with tools, Tangeum is 100% worth it. There's no official English translation yet, but the demand has skyrocketed. There's also a webtoon version on Ridibooks.