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On June 4, 2025, the K-drama Nine Puzzles concluded its run with a gripping final episode on Disney+. The mystery-thriller follows criminal profiler Yoon I-na (Kim Da-mi) and detective Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) as they investigate a series of murders linked by cryptic puzzle pieces left at the scene of the crime.
A decade before the main events, I-na discovers her uncle’s corpse, making her the prime suspect in his unsolved murder, especially because she cannot recollect how she had reached the place. She later joins the police force, haunted by memories and unanswered questions.
Each new crime in the present day seems to echo that past, and I-na, now a skilled profiler, begins tracing the clues left behind by what appears to be a serial killer. As the murders continue, the puzzle pieces reveal a connection between all victims, people who have, in some way, benefited from a housing project named The One City. This project has a dark history of violence and displacement tied to a demolished market.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers of Nine Puzzles, including the final reveal.
In the final stretch, I-na and Han-saem uncover that the real mastermind behind the puzzle killings is none other than Dr. Lee Seung-joo (Park Gyu-young), I-na’s psychiatrist and confidante. Her motive can be traced back to childhood trauma when her mother died during a forced eviction, and each of her victims contributed to covering up the truth.
Nothing has been confirmed regarding a season 2 for Nine Puzzles, but the door remains open. I-na’s return at the scene of a new puzzle-based crime hints at a potential continuation. The final scene leaves just enough mystery to suggest that another deadly game may be starting, and this time, I-na may not just be solving the puzzle but at the center of it.
Nine Puzzles recap of episodes 10 and 11
Episodes 10 and 11 of Nine Puzzles reveal the full extent of the cover-up behind the market demolition that triggered Seung-joo’s revenge spree. I-na and Han-saem trace the links between the victims, all of whom were involved in silencing or profiting from the destruction of Shindonga Market. This was the place Seung-joo’s mother refused to abandon, hoping her missing daughter would one day return.
The flashbacks show how the mother is killed during a violent forced eviction backed by developers, police, and politicians. Reporter Lee Gang-hyun twists the story to paint her as the aggressor, and I-na’s uncle, Dong-hoon, buries the case for personal gain, receiving luxury apartments in return.
Dr. Seung-joo, then called Lee Seol, had been taken in by an orphanage and never reunited with her mother. She finally learns the truth, helped by Captain Yang. The latter unknowingly sparks her vengeance, and she begins hunting down those responsible, sending puzzle pieces as twisted reminders.
Captain Yang, overwhelmed with guilt, tries to protect Dr. Seung-joo and is eventually shot while attempting to stop her final murder. Before dying, he whispers the key location, Seo-jin Diner, Shindonga Market, tying everything together.
In the finale of Nine Puzzles, Dr. Seung-joo tricks I-na into accompanying her to The One City, revealing that she does not plan to spare the final victim. She is consumed by vengeance and heartbreak. Having learned the truth about her mother’s fate and those responsible, she created a trail of murders not just to punish but to force recognition of what had been erased from history.
Episode 11 of Nine Puzzles ends with Seung-joo's suicide, choosing to be burned alive at the amusement park where she had once waited for her mother to return. I-na, shaken by the truth about her uncle’s role in covering up the incident, tries to resign from her job but is asked to take an extended leave. In the final moments, a new murder occurs, and I-na returns, puzzle piece in hand, suggesting a new mystery may be beginning.
A new murder and another puzzle piece return towards the end of Nine Puzzles. I-na returns, seemingly ready to face a new mystery. Whether as an investigator, a consultant, or something else entirely, her story is far from over.
