I did suspect that Typhoon Family’s ending would feel a little dull, even if it’s positive, because just so much has happened in the show so far. To be honest, I’d completely forgotten over the last 6 weekends that Tae-Poong actually wanted to grow flowers (is this a sudden trend in K-drama world? Why are there so many people who love plants?) Anyway, the final episode of the show definitely doesn’t feel satisfying in terms of “this is everything that this family has been through, and finally things are alright.” Yes, it’s realistic in a sense, but that’s not what we’re watching some of these K-dramas for, and it just feels a little less worth it to me after that ending, personally. I said this in yesterday’s article, too, but I really think this show would’ve benefited from a 12-episode model rather than the whole 16. But with that said, please let us know what you thought of the show in the comments, and let’s dive straight into episode 16.
Spoiler Alert
How Does Tae-Poong Save The Company From Being Auctioned Off?
Episode 16 begins with Tae-Poong finding the promissory note, and everyone immediately rejoices with tears in their eyes. Seon-Taek is especially touched, because she had given him that wooden carving, and he kept something so important in it. Finally, she’s part of the team again, proving to us that this family never truly gives up on each other. After stuffing themselves with some ramyeon, the gang get to work on the documents that Mi-Seon got her hands on in Hyun-Jun’s office. It doesn’t take them long to realize that this whole thing with the auction is entirely because Mark wants the patent for the camera fan that Song-Jung’s father has. Mark’s company wants to sell PMPs, or portable multimedia players, but these players get very hot very fast, so they need that fan, and they need it cheap. This is when Tae-Poong and Mi-Seon come up with a quick idea: get rid of the patent, and then the product’s value is lost for good.
Now Mark won’t need to buy the factory if there’s no patent. Tae-Poong has a word with Song-Jung’s father about the same, and he agrees it’s the best idea. He’s been holding onto the patents because he thinks they would help his employees, but now he feels like they’ve been holding him back. Tae-Poong assures him that the product is going to take off anyway. Within 14 hours of the auction, Typhoon Trading sets everything up for the release of the patent. This means it can appear in the newspaper, and Mark will withdraw his bid for the factory. The plan works wonders, leaving Hyun-Jun completely shattered. He also had Mark sign an MOU, not a contract, so basically Mark isn’t obliged to pay up anything; he’s going straight back, while Hyun-Jun suffers, yet again.
On the other hand, Hyun-Jun also lost his building, which he put up as collateral for an intermediate payment, which he would’ve done with Mark’s money, essentially losing it all. Hyun-Jun then takes the crate his father is in and starts to move it when Tae-Poong comes in the way and doesn’t let the truck move, kind of like way back when he just took over from his dad, but this time he isn’t lying on the floor; he’s on top of a car. Tae-Poong finds Pyo and hands him the promissory note. He also lets him walk free, as long as he’s willing to testify about the promissory note when the day comes, and they can both go back to their own companies and run them with respect. Pyo never paid Kang back because he had the responsibility of 350 people on his shoulders, and a promissory note such as that one was unimportant to him. Tae-Poong finally tells Pyo that he wanted an apology from him, but now he realizes it’s his dad who should receive it, not him. It becomes clear that if you think of the world only negatively, like Pyo, then nothing will ever work out for you.
What Happens With Nam-Mo?
Meanwhile, Nam-Mo finally gets affected by what Mi-Ho told him and goes back to music. He goes on a competition and is super cool, later even making a public confession to Mi-Ho, stating that he might end up broke, but he will make sure he sings for her every day. Honestly, I feel like, by the end, their love story had become a little toxic, and Nam-Mo’s reaction was really pathetic, so I really didn’t care that they got back together. But more importantly, they decide to get married, and the only thing Mi-Ho’s grandmother wants is for her granddaughter to laugh all the time. I really hope they can survive the 2000s just fine, eh?
What Happens to Hyun-Jun?
At the same time, Pyo gets Hyun-Jun arrested for malpractice and embezzlement at his company. I can’t believe that after everything Hyun-Jun put his dad through, Pyo tells Hyun-Jun that he’s lost against him, because he believes all that Hyun-Jun wants is to win, but the truth is, the young man just wants his father’s approval. It’s interesting to see the parallels between Hyun-Jun and Tae-Poong. Truthfully, they both started off as bad boys, but they ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum. Tae-Poong became responsible for the loss of his father, whereas Hyun-Jun got greedy because he feared his own father hated him and would never respect him.
What happened to Typhoon in the 2000s?
Tae-Poong used to dream about growing flowers; flowers were his whole dream. But he’s now come to the realization that the flowers in his life are the people around him; they’re his family, i.e., the employees who worked with his father and are now his everything too. At the same time, Mi-Seon doesn’t need to get a diploma either, because she’s got everything she needs already. At the same time, Tae-Poong’s mother is also now happy living with Mi-Seon’s family and isn’t even tempted by an apartment anymore. She even goes to Beom’s school and acts as his mother; they’re all one big happy family. The Typhoon Trading team even go on a TV show and make a donation to those who need it after the IMF crisis.
In Typhoon Family’s ending, it’s 2001, and Typhoon Trading has successfully survived the IMF crisis and become an inspiration for other small companies, again appearing on TV as a great example. Obviously, this is a show made in 2025, but it’s clear that all the employees of this company know exactly what to trade and what will succeed in the market in the future. The show ends on a positive note of not giving up. The show is titled “Typhoon Family” because it’s truly a family that continues to work together as a team and watches life go on. If any of these people had been left alone after the crisis and not rejoined the company (barring Seon-Taek, of course), they might’ve ended up in much worse states. It’s only because they come together and stick together through all the crises that they survive this low point, and they will also enjoy a high point.
