We are not sad to see Doctor Cha go because she has attained the kind of happy ending a lot of women can only dream of for themselves. It was a given that she would be fine but watching her not having to force herself to smile—in fact, watching everyone around her enjoy the joy of their independence—is exhilarating. Jeong Suk’s journey started as a housewife, whom her family completely failed to appreciate or even acknowledge. When she desperately needed a liver transplant, and her husband was her only viable option, he had not stepped forward because of his mother, his girlfriend, and his own inhibitions. That had proved to Jeong Suk that the value of her existence was centered around her family, and she had become a secondary character in her own life. That is why she returned to complete her residency and fulfill her long-forgotten ambitions.
Spoilers Alert
Who Does Jeong Suk Get The Transplant From?
Life had brought Jeong Suk back full circle, and once again, she was in need of a transplant, except that this time, her husband was more than willing to donate his liver for her, having recognized her importance in his life. Even Roy Kim had stepped forward out of his feelings for her. But Jeong Suk did not want to take this favor from either of them. According to Jeong Suk, her transplant had been rejected by her body since her previous surgery. She doesn’t know if the transplant will work this time around, and she doesn’t want to cause trouble for someone on the basis of such a risk. Jeong Suk’s concerns are valid, but that is the only medical option available to her at the moment. Since the time to make a choice is coming closer, and Jeong Suk is nowhere near making up her mind, she leaves for a day to meet her children and mother and writes a letter for them, telling them to be happy. She also goes back to In Ho’s house and cooks for her family.
Ae Sim breaks down in tears when she sees this, and In Ho takes Jeong Suk out for an important conversation. He asks her to keep the building, as she has earned it. He also gives her the divorce so that Jeong Suk will not hesitate anymore to take his liver. He wouldn’t chase her anymore or try to keep her tied to him, so she should not have to worry about being indebted to him. Seeing this, Jeong Suk finally agrees, and In Ho becomes her donor for the transplant. Ae Sim had remarked to Jeong Suk that she should have just taken it easy in life after her first surgery, but her transformative journey had released all kinds of crazy emotions in their lives. As for In Ho, Ae Sim says that she can’t believe that her son could do something like this for a woman he was divorcing when he hadn’t done that for her while she was married to him. Needless to say, the surgery goes well, and Jeong Suk is in better health soon enough.
After some time passes, Jeong Suk and In Ho finalize their divorce and go out for a meal. Jeong Suk remarks that the last time they had eaten together was years ago. This is just to show that their relationship had probably ended ages before they took the final step of divorce. But Jeong Suk is not bitter about it; in fact, she claims that for what it was worth, she had some good times. As for In Ho, he acknowledges how it was because of him that Jeong Suk got held back in life. He had only been focused on himself and his career and had forgotten to appreciate how Jeong Suk was contributing to his success by working hard behind the scenes. In Ho has been promoted to director of the hospital, and he is the youngest in its history to reach that stage. He is happy about it, but it saddens him that he doesn’t have his family to share his joy. He had only ever thought about himself his whole life, and finally, he was only left with himself.
Meanwhile, Jeong Suk is taking care of herself and is going to join the hospital that has agreed to take her back. Roy Kim tells her that he donated his bone marrow to his biological father, but he did it as part of his duty as a doctor. He has come to wholeheartedly accept his adoptive parents as his actual ones. With this dilemma out of the way, Roy Kim confesses his feelings for Jeong Suk, but, as expected, she turns him down. She wants to live for herself without getting into any more romantic attachments. Finally, Seung Hi seems to be over In Ho, though her daughter wanted him to pursue her mother for a change. We don’t believe that happened, though. Seung Hi is running her late father’s hospital, and she seems happy in her life doing that.
‘Doctor Cha’ Ending Explained: Where Is Jeong Suk Three Years Later?
Three years later, Jeong Suk is doing everything she ever wanted to. She has gotten her license for a motorcycle, and we think she might buy a Harley Davidson soon. Jeong Suk is also the owner of a successful cafe cum clinic, and her approach to her patients has made her the star of the neighborhood. She is living very happily with her mother, who does not approve of her hobby of riding motorcycles. The mother-daughter duo also say that they don’t hate In Ho and Ae Sim anymore. That is strange since we would have enjoyed hating them for the rest of our lives had we been in Jeong Suk’s place. But Jeong Suk is not us; she is Anupamaa from South Korea, without the Anuj Kapadia. But Jeong Suk doesn’t consider it a loss, and Roy Kim has also moved on with someone else. As for In Ho, we think he might finally be working towards a relationship with Eun Soo.
In the meantime, he is packed to the neck with work, and Seung Hi and Jeong Suk don’t make his life any easier. We don’t think he is with either of them, but there seems to be a friendship. Jeong Suk asks for his help to work with some of the older patients in a rural area, and In Ho cannot refuse. Maybe this is his way of paying for his mistakes. We know that he has never been a likable character, but even we are feeling bad for him. As for the other unlikeable character, So Ra, she has a pregnancy scare, but that makes her realize that she sees a future with Jung Min. This couple ending up together is the biggest drawback of Doctor Cha.
At the end of Doctor Cha, Jeong Suk is happy and is doing her volunteer medical service. She still has her family with her, albeit with her independence and a new life. In her own words, she is happy to have gotten the chance to be alive, and is cherishing every moment of it.
Final Thoughts
The last episode of Doctor Cha was a happy-ending episode. Everyone’s hair is longer or straighter, and they are all one big happy group of friends. It was a little too modern for actual reality, but maybe that was the point of it—to gently make a point so that everyone doesn’t get up in arms and just tries to understand why it was important for Jeong Suk to take the path that she did. Additionally, when it comes to Season 2, we don’t expect one since Doctor Cha‘s ending was set three years later when Jeong Suk is already independent and happy. Season 2 should have covered the three years that they skipped. Either way, this was a delightful series and, despite the nature of its content, a surprisingly easy watch. Of course, you cannot skip it, or this is one FOMO that will haunt you forever.
