The Scandal Ending Explained: Netflix’s Joseon-era period drama The Scandal (Escândalo e Intrigas) adapted from the classic novel Dangerous Liaisons and the 2003 film Untold Scandal concludes with a heartbreaking reckoning of manipulation, love, and isolation.

Does Cho Won Die?

  • Cho Won’s Fate: Unconfirmed. After leaping from the Mapo ferry into the river following his banishment from court, his body is never found. Mysterious letters continuing to arrive at his home hint that he survived to start a new life.

  • Lady Cho’s Fate: Alive, but completely alone. She keeps her noble social standing, yet ends up trapped in an empty mansion, condemned to a life of emotional isolation.

Why Cho Won Betrays Hui-yeon To Save Her?

The final conflict begins when Lady Cho (Son Ye-jin) writes a false report claiming the chaste widow Ahn Hui-yeon (Nana) jumped off a cliff to obtain a Memorial Gate of Chastity. To force Hui-yeon to live instead of taking her own life for this fabricated honor, Cho Won (Ji Chang-wook) deliberately breaks her heart.

He confesses that his courtship was merely "a pointless wager to earn the right to sleep with Lady Cho." Driven by anger rather than despair, Hui-yeon chooses to live.

How The King Exposes The Lie?

When Cho Won presents the false report at court, the King exposes the bluff. The court held daily weather logs for the region showing only light drizzle, contradicting the report's dramatic storm. Recognising their former friendship, the King spares Cho Won’s life but banishes him from court forever.

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Freed from nobility, Cho Won emancipates his servants and travels to the Mapo river crossing. Asking himself "Return to whom?", he throws himself into the river.

Where Every Character Ends Up In The Scandal?

Character Final Status
Ahn Hui-yeon Lives under a new identity in a Christian community, making paper in peace.
Cho Won Presumed drowned, though unrecovered; mysterious letters hint he is alive.
Lady Cho Retains her aristocratic status, but lives in complete loneliness and grief.

The Scandal Korean drama is currently streaming on Netflix.

FAQs

Q1: Is The Scandal on Netflix based on a true story?

A: No, The Scandal is a fictional adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 French novel Dangerous Liaisons, set in the Joseon dynasty.

Q2: Will there be a Season 2 of The Scandal?

A: Netflix has not announced a second season, as the 8-episode series concludes the complete arc of the source material.