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On June 4, 2025, the Disney+ series Nine Puzzles concluded with a haunting finale, but its complex structure of clues, colors, and timelines continues to prompt fresh interpretations. The psychological thriller stars Kim Da-mi as profiler Yoon I-na. She was once the only witness and suspect in her uncle’s unsolved murder.
A decade later, she joins detective Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) to investigate a string of new murders, each accompanied by a puzzle piece. As the crimes unfold, so do links to a 2004 redevelopment plan in Hangang-gu and a disturbing history tied to The One City.
The clues scattered throughout the series suggest that the murders are part of a carefully planned revenge. Each puzzle piece leads I-na closer to a hidden truth involving forced evictions, cover-ups, and the use of violence to clear space for profitable urban projects.
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Several theories emerge in Nine Puzzles, some of which includes that the 2004 Jungbu murders may have delayed redevelopment, been used to manipulate property value, or even been staged to drive residents away.
Ownership of Unit 5802, a property within The One City, becomes a key focus. It's a transfer between multiple figures. Each connected to the cover-up marks a trail of reward for silence or wrongdoing.
The killer doesn’t just target individuals, but what they represent: systemic failure. The puzzle pieces and visuals, like recurring yellow packaging and red lighting, signal memory, guilt, and unfinished justice. With I-na returning to a new murder scene in the finale, the series ends by suggesting not everything has been solved.
Breaking down the timeline, property trail, and deeper meanings in Nine Puzzles
The foundation of the mystery in Nine Puzzles lies in 2004, when a wave of murders at Jungbu High School coincided with plans to demolish Shindonga Market for redevelopment. Three theories take shape in Nine Puzzles:
- The murders caused delays, prompting a rushed cover-up to resume construction.
- Crime in the area was used to lower land prices and accelerate evictions.
- The killings were orchestrated by those behind redevelopment to drive out resistant residents.
Unit 5802 in The One City is critical. It was first owned by an unidentified figure believed to have hired Do Yoon-su. Do, in turn, brought in Kang Chimok and Lee Mi-young to handle the forced evictions. As payment, Do received property and business deals, and Kang became the unit’s second owner, followed by Lee. All transfers occurred around 2011–2012.
In late 2012, journalist Lee Gang-hyun wrote an article celebrating the redevelopment’s revival. Soon after, the murders resumed. This time is targeted at those who had benefited from the past crime. Among them were prosecutors, developers, and police officers who silenced victims in exchange for power or property.
Color symbolism played a strong role throughout Nine Puzzles. Yellow consistently marked unresolved threads. It appeared in puzzle envelopes, I-na’s tin box, her uncle’s belongings, and even the crime board lighting.
Red, meanwhile, often followed I-na during critical scenes, suggesting stress, danger, or deeper guilt.
A rare use of green, like in the painting above, Seung-joo’s desk, hinted at something outside the known suspects, leading some to believe different colors marked different “phases” or motives.
Choi San emerged as a suspected second killer based on circumstantial evidence. His timing, his knowledge of crime scenes, possession of confidential photos, and possible backstory linked him to Dr. Hwang’s tale of a troubled child. He had access, motive, and presence at key turning points, but the show left his full truth unresolved.
The final question in Nine Puzzles posed by the puzzle: Why kill one person to build a home for another?, forces reflection on societal trade-offs, buried stories, and how easily personal pain is erased in pursuit of progress.
Nine Puzzles may have completed its pieces, but the picture it creates invites further scrutiny.
