The Husband 2025 Full Review

Namkoong Min as Kang Tae Ju

Kang Tae Ju met his wife, Se Yun, when they were in med school. Her father is the founder of Uri Hamkke Hospital. After the pair graduate and get married, Tae Ju begins working at the hospital and becomes a talented neurosurgeon. But Tae Ju and Se Yun's marriage begins to crumble after Tae Ju discovers that Se Yun's father is involved in illegal and immoral activities. And when those activities lead to the death of their young daughter, Tae Ju can no longer ignore it. Caught between love for his wife and anger at his father-in-law, Tae Ju decides to divorce Se Yun, rather than let her find out about what her father has been doing.

But the day after asking her for a divorce, Se Yun is suddenly kidnapped. And their strained marital relationship makes Tae Ju the most obvious suspect. Since the police feel like they already know who is behind the kidnapping, they make no efforts to look for a suspect beyong Tae Ju. Left with no other choice, Tae Ju goes on the run to try and save his wife. But along the way, he will uncover a dangerous web of secrets that could threaten the whole future of their hospital.

Kang Tae Ju is careful and distant. Even as a student, he spent his time studying alone. But when Se Yun bursts into his life, he finally finds someone he can open up to. So when their marriage begins to fall apart, Tae Ju is especially devastated, even though he tries very hard not to show it. Namkoong Min is a great actor and he often plays these more reserved, difficult to read characters. I feel like he was the perfect fit for this role.

Kim Dae Myung as No Man Hui

No Man Hui is the owner of a computer academy. He is hired by hospital director, Choi Chi Woong, to get rid of Tae Ju. Man Hui accepts the job because Chi Woong agrees to get his wife, Gyeong Ae, the surgery she needs if he does. But Man Hui changes the plan and kidnaps Se Yun instead. 

Lee Sang Hee as Kim Gyeong Ae

Kim Gyeong Ae is Man Hui's wife. She suffers from a spinal injury that will eventually kill her if she doesn't receive treatment. She acts as Man Hui's accomplice, even posing as another victim while she gets Se Yun to confide in her. 

Jang Gwang as Ko Dong Chan

Ko Dong Chan is Se Yun's father. He is the founder of Uri Hamkke Hospital. he has been allowing illegal fetal stem cell procedures with cells stolen from aborted fetuses and treating wealthy patrons in exchange for hefty donations. But when Tae Ju finds out what he is doing, he threatens to expose him if he doesn't stop.

Dark Suspense

This drama starts strong and keeps a chilling suspense throughout the first half. The story has plenty of unexpected twists and turns and the reserved nature of the characters makes everyone feel like a potential suspect. The raw emotions and dark cinematography also lend to the intensity of the series, drawing you in and immersing you in the plot.

Complex Characters

I love the way these characters are presented, particularly the male leads. Both Tae Ju and Man Hui are men devoted to saving their wives at all costs. And yet that desperation puts the two of them at odds. This undercurrent of love and self-sacrifice is really at the heart of what makes this drama great. And while Tae Ju and Se Yun may seem like the healthy ones, there is a sincerity to Man Hui and Gyeong Ae's chaotic relationship that is admirable. Both of these characters get so much depth and development and the actors were both fantastic.        

Se Yun

While I felt like Se Yun's character could have used more development along the way, I really liked how strong and assertive she was. Even while locked in a room with nothing, she finds ways to fight, and even successfully escapes. She is no wilting violet waiting for Tae Ju to find her. She steps up and does everything in her power to find a way out. Later we see this same resolve when she finds out all the things her dad did to the hospital and to their daughter. She could have hidden behind the need to protect her family reputation or the hospital and done nothing. But instead, she demanded her father make it right. I really appreciated that strength of character.

Some Things Never Change

There were points when the repetitiveness of this drama was frustrating. Not just from a plot point of view, but more especially from the characters. For me, the most frustrating part of the ending was that after all they had been through, the lead couple had still not fixed their lack of communication. They hadn't learned how to be honest with each other about how they felt or what they really wanted. And that just felt like a disappointment.

Dumb Police and plot holes

So the plot holes in this drama were pretty substantial. First of all, just a blanket complaint for the ridiculous way the cops covered this case from beginning to end. They were worthless at finding the true villain, and then even when Tae Ju delivers Man Hui to them, they were still letting the man roam free, with no police protection for Tae Ju or Se Yun. The other major hole for me was in regard to Man Hui and Gyeong Ae. In the beginning, we are led to believe they killed more women. We even had the whole story about the police officer's murdered wife, which just disappears somewhere along the line. Then we have the strange dinner conversation about "meat" in the freezer and see the random ID cards from what seem like other victims.  Although I love the deep character development in the second half of this drama, I felt like somewhere along the way the series lost all connection to the original mystery story. 

True Villain Connection

Not having Man Hui be the mastermind behind the whole kidnapping plan was a good idea and it really worked from a plot perspective. Also, I always suspected Chi Woong was up to something. But I didn't feel like he ever got enough screen time to sell him as the key villain. Yes he had feelings for Se Yun, although there is nothing to indicate she felt the same or even noticed at all. And sure he was jealous of Tae Ju for a success that must have seemed to come easy to him. But that feels like a pretty weak motive for hiring a hit on someone. 

So opinions on this ending are largely mixed. I certainly wouldn't say there is an especially happy ending or that they tied up all the loose ends. But we did see some closure. Tae Ju strikes a bargain with Man Hui that he will do Gyeong Ae's surgery if Man Hui turns himself in and gives up the proof he has against the true villain, Chi Woong. Tae Ju performs the surgery and saves Gyoeng Ae. Chi Woong is arrested at the hospital after stabbing Se Yun and injuring Tae Ju's hand in the process. Meanwhile, Man Hui keeps his word and confesses, swearing Gyeong Ae didn't have anything to do with the kidnapping. And once the police find out about the illegal stem cell procedures at the hospital, Se Yun's dad is also forced to turn himself in. So, most of the bad guys, with the exception of Gyeong Ae, get the punishment they deserve. Tae Ju goes to see Se Yun in the hospital after Chi Woong stabs her in the neck. The couple talk and decide to move forward with their divorce after all, for both of their benefits.

After a time jump, we find that Tae Ju has lost the ability to operate, thanks to the hand injury he got while fighting Chi Woong to save Se Yun. But he has opened his own practice and is hoping to be back in form after some rehab. The final scene shows him on the anniversary of his daughter's death, visiting her memorial. And he isn't surprised when Se Yun quietly joins him. As they walk away together, each lost in their own memories, we know that if nothing else, they have made peace with each other.