Dear Hongrang- Episodes 7-8

Just when you think Dear Hongrang can’t twist itself into a tighter knot, Episode 7 swings in with poisoned beans, dramatic confessions, and a bombshell sachet discovery that might finally crack Fake Hong-rang’s carefully spun web of lies.

We open with a flashback: a young Jae-yi gently comforts a terrified young Mu-jin, sold off by his gambling father like a piece of livestock. And now? Yeon-ui offers Mu-jin two options: starve slowly or die via poisoned beans. Hospitality is dead in this household.

Yeol-guk tries to rescue him through royal connections, but the Grand Prince won’t move without a hefty favor. With no help on the horizon, Jae-yi decides it’s up to her.

While eavesdropping, Jae-yi hears Yeon-ui bragging about wiping the slate clean to preserve the Min Guild’s name. Gyu-ha is the missing piece—and Jae-yi knows where he is. Before she can give him up, Hong-rang intervenes, warning her to stay out of it. But her guilt over Mu-jin’s situation is too strong.

She misleads Yeon-ui with a fake Gyu-ha tip and, in a very K-drama move, has the cook slip the guards some laxatives. The coast cleared, she frees Mu-jin—but there's a mole, and Kkot-nim finds out. Convinced Jae-yi’s using her son, she gives the order: kill her. Hong-rang steps in, again, and insists he’ll “handle it.”

Hong-rang blocks Jae-yi and Mu-jin’s escape—but surprise: Mu-jin refuses to leave. The guild is all he has. They rush him back into his cell before Yeon-ui returns.

The next day, Hong-rang “punishes” Mu-jin by sending him to supervise miners in freezing Gapsan. Jae-yi lashes out, accusing him of cruelty and jealousy. Hong-rang snaps back, asking if she’s in love with Mu-jin. She says Mu-jin has always been there for her—implying Hong-rang hasn’t.

Later, the cook spills the truth: Yeon-ui wanted Mu-jin dead, and Hong-rang saved him. Flashback time: Mu-jin agreed to go back into the cell to protect Jae-yi from Yeon-ui’s wrath. If he died, Jae-yi would demand justice—and Yeon-ui would destroy her.

Cue sad montage of Hong-rang and Mu-jin quietly avoiding Jae-yi. Emotional damage? Immaculate.

Enter: Lord Song’s “dead” son Su-nam. Turns out he’s alive—and babbling about Snow Men and being buried alive. Hong-rang and In-hoe eavesdrop, stunned. They, too, remember being buried alive by the mysterious Evil Painter. When a bell rings, all three have intense flashbacks. Coincidence? Nope.

Meanwhile, Du-ryeong (our moody artist) hears trouble is brewing and orders his kidnapped kids to be relocated. Red flag count: rising.

Mu-jin finds a wanted poster of a slave boy from Paju—seen in the area when Fake Hong-rang was a child. He tracks down the former owner, Master Yu, who spills the tea: Fake Hong-rang and In-hoe were bought by a woman. Yup—Kkot-nim. Yu even has the sales record.

Mu-jin races home to tell Jae-yi, but she's already confronting Hong-rang. She knows he’s chasing the Snow Man and is hurt he didn’t trust her. Her emotions boil over—she confesses her feelings. Hong-rang? Kisses her. “This isn’t a dream,” he says. Bold.

Jae-yi flees in confusion. Mu-jin finds her before she can spiral too far and—ouch—she confesses her attraction to Hong-rang. Heartbreak, table for one. Mu-jin switches tactics: “Let’s leave. Get away from this.” When she agrees, he silently burns the transaction record—the only proof of Hong-rang’s true identity. Tragic, petty, and peak Mu-jin.

As Jae-yi packs up her things in her secret cave, she finds the real sachet—complete with her baby teeth that she saved for the real Hong-rang. It’s a quiet, devastating moment: he gave her a fake.

That night, she tells Hong-rang she’s leaving with Mu-jin. He’s devastated. But she’s made her choice. And now, so have we—we know he’s not who he says he is.

🐎 Dear Hongrang Episode 8 Recap: Burnt Truths, Tattoo Reveals & A Lovers' Escape

If you thought Dear Hongrang was slowing down, Episode 8 says, “Hold my poisoned beans.” This chapter is a wild ride of buried trauma, shady alliances, surprise betrayals—and ends with a dramatic gallop into the unknown. Let’s break it down.

Jae-yi, armed with the truth about the sachet and a heart full of doubt, marches toward Hong-rang—ready to confront him. But instead of an attack, we get hesitation. She remembers his lonely birthday, his pain, and wonders: Who is he really?

So instead, she pivots. She begs Yeol-guk to let her leave with Mu-jin and start over. Surprisingly, he agrees. But Hong-rang? Not thrilled.

An angry Hong-rang confronts Mu-jin, who coolly threatens to reveal his slave name: Rodent Scrap. (Ouch.) But Mu-jin promises to stay quiet—as long as Jae-yi goes with him. His aide is baffled, but Mu-jin makes it clear: Jae-yi is his anchor, his reason to keep going. And weirdly, he also feels indebted to Hong-rang for saving his life.

Meanwhile, Jae-yi confides in her sleuth friend. She admits she was relieved they’re not actually siblings—but that relief comes with guilt. The real Hong-rang is still missing, and she can’t forgive herself. Leaving is the only way.

In the background, the Min Guild’s political landscape is shifting fast. Yeol-guk has lost all power, and Yeon-ui crowns Hong-rang as the new guildmaster.

Then—surprise! The Grand Prince drops in, admiring Hong-rang’s “perfect” appearance. (Creepy.) Yeol-guk warns him to back off and reminds him that an investigation is underway about the missing kids and the mysterious Snow Man. The prince, ever eccentric, decides to paint to restore yin and yang balance. Because why not?

Hong-rang receives the test results from Song Su-nam’s case: traces of alum, arsenic, and limestone—chemicals used to pale skin. He and In-hoe follow the trail to a cave used by the Painter to bathe and tattoo his human “canvases.” Flashbacks confirm: they were among them.

Meanwhile, Mu-jin gives Jae-yi a pair of Java sparrows—symbolizing lifelong partners. It’s sweet… until Hong-rang sees them and dies a little inside.

In a twist, Bang-suk actually spills some truth. He tells Yeol-guk that Hong-rang is fake, working with assassins, and plans to frame Yeol-guk for the Snow Man and Su-nam mess. Bang-suk even takes him to the abandoned kiln where Su-nam was burned.

Turns out—Bang-suk is dangerously close to the truth. So Yeol-guk does what any totally innocent person would do: he has the Snow Man kill Bang-suk. Then he rushes to the Painter’s hideout, where Du-ryeong (not-so-subtly) paints with his left hand. Yeol-guk warns him to be careful, but Du-ryeong flexes his “indispensable” status.

Hong-rang tracks down one of the Painter’s men, tortures him for info, and raids the hideout. The assassins clash. Hong-rang fights the infamous Snow Man—a massive, pale, tattooed figure who is very much alive.

During the battle, Hong-rang’s back is exposed—revealing his own tattoos. Yeol-guk’s aide sees it. Uh-oh.

The Snow Man escapes. Du-ryeong lies dead (killed by Yeol-guk), and a flashback reveals a key detail: Hong-rang once stabbed the real Evil Painter. Du-ryeong had no scar. He wasn’t the master—just another pawn.

Back home, the cook urges Hong-rang to speak to Jae-yi. And he does. He finally tells her the full truth—his enslaved past, the torture, everything. And Jae-yi? She confesses she’s in love with him. 💥

He begs her not to leave with Mu-jin.

Meanwhile, Yeol-guk’s aide reports that Hong-rang must be an impostor. The real Hong-rang would never be tattooed. But it’s too late—both Hong-rang and Jae-yi have vanished.

Mu-jin finds the cage open and the sparrows gone. A note. His face? Pure heartbreak.

In the final moments, Jae-yi and Hong-rang escape together on horseback—fleeing politics, lies, and everyone who tried to control their fate.

DramaZen's Opinion

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Dear Hongrang has officially entered its “run away together with questionable morals and unresolved trauma” phase—and I am loving it.

Episode 7 had everything:

• Hong-rang being accused of fake-ness, but still somehow looking heartbreakingly sincere.

• Mu-jin nearly exposing him... only to BURN the receipts because he’s too sad and in love. Iconic and tragic.

• The Snow Man turning out to be a very tattooed, very real man and not a ghost. Disappointed but not surprised.

Then Episode 8 said, “Why not give them a kiss, a confessional monologue, AND a horseback escape like it’s the final scene of a Jane Austen novel but make it angsty?”

Also:

• Mu-jin gifted lovebirds.

• Jae-yi said "I love you" but still tried to pack her bags.

• And Yeol-guk? Oh, he’s now confirmed Evil Painter-adjacent. Love that for him.

In conclusion: Hong-rang is a beautifully damaged maybe-fake-brother with a sword and trauma tattoos, Jae-yi is torn between two men and a very real moral crisis, and Mu-jin deserves a hug and maybe a nap.

This show is a mess—and I want ten more episodes of it.