Netflix K-Drama The Whirlwind Ending Explained & Episode 12 Recap

Netflix released all episodes of The Whirlwind K-drama on Friday, June 28, 2024. Starring Sol Kyung-Gu and Kim Hee-Ae, the series is a political drama revolving around a brutal power clash between prime minister and deputy prime minister. The Whirlwind ending seems to be bittersweet.

The previous episode ended on a shocking note. President Park Dong-Ho (Kyung-Gu) invited Prime Minister Jung Soo-Jin (Hee-Ae) to a cliff near the Blue House. He tried to pursue her to stop her as her plans were harming the political world. When she didn’t budge, Dong-Ho resorted to his final plan. He jumped off the cliff, making it appear as if Soo-Jin pushed him.

The Whirlwind episode 12 (finale) begins with Choi Yeon-Suk finding the president’s will on his desk. She understands his next move and thus rushes towards the cliff to stop him. But when she reaches, Yeon-Suk witnesses Dong-Ho falling down the cliff. Meanwhile, Soo-Jin becomes shocked and scared.

What happened in The Whirlwind episode 12?

Netflix‘s The Whirlwind episode 12 shows Dong-Ho rushed to the hospital. Multiple flashbacks show the moments when the president chose the right path to eradicate corruption from the political world. It featured when he, prosecutor Lee Jang-Seok, and his late friend discussed their goal of a corrupt-free society.

Back to the present, Soo-Jin has been arrested. She tries to find a solution in the interrogation room and seeks the help of her secretary, Man-Gil. Meanwhile, news of President Dong-Ho’s death shakes the nation. A day before his funeral, Yeon-Suk visits Soo-Jin in the interrogation room. She shows the prime minister a recorded video of Dong-Ho. In it, he gives her two options —either she names the corrupt politicians and sets herself free of his death accusation or gets punished for killing him. Yeon-Suk tells her that she has until the president’s funeral.

The next day, Soo-Jin fails to find any evidence proving her innocence in Dong-Ho’s case. At the funeral, Yeon-Suk is about to leave Dong-Ho’s will on top of his body when Soo-Jin calls. The latter accepts the deal and names all the culprits. While the nation bids farewell to the president, Jang-Seok warns Soo-Jin, mentioning the death of former president Jang Il-Jun. For context, Soo-Jin killed Il-Jun at the hospital in episode 3.

Soo-Jin asks Jang-Seok to behave and reminds him that she will be the acting president as Dong-Ho is no longer. Her attitude irks the prosecutor, who recalls his friend Dong-Ho’s final words when he asked Jang-Seok to take action as a friend for the last time. With this memory, Jang-Seok calls the media.

The Whirlwind ending spoilers

The Whirlwind episode 12 further shows late Dong-Ho’s secretary Jeong-Yeon visiting Soo-Jin’s office with flowers. She meets her secretary, Man-Gil, who is also her ex-fiance. As she puts the flowers in a pot, Jeong-Yeon warns Man-Gil not to trust Soo-Jin. After she leaves, the prime minister arrives and becomes shocked.

She enters the office where Man-Gil is panicking, watching the news. It appears Jang-Seok has fed information to the media claiming that Man-Gil has killed Il-Jun. Soo-Jin tries to calm him down as he switches off the television. Man-Gil begs Soo-Jin to turn herself into the cops and tell the truth that she killed the former president. Soo-Jin seems agitated and attempts to make Man-Gil understand that she will be the next president and that no one can harm them.

Outside that office, the nation is watching Soo-Jin and Man-Gil’s conversation in the news. So, when Jeong-Yeon brought flowers and a pot to the office, the pot was installed with a hidden camera. The nation witnesses Soo-Jin confessing to killing Il-Jun. She realizes it when her daughter calls and asks her to watch the news. Defeated, the prime minister sits down. Furthermore, she has been arrested while Dong-Ho’s funeral comes to an end.

Overall, The Whirlwind ends on a bittersweet note as justice prevails. Fans can watch all 12 episodes of the K-drama on Netflix.

Sushmita Sen

Sushmita is a Contributing Writer at ComingSoon. As an entertainment journalist, she has covered Hollywood, Bollywood, Reality TV shows, and Celebrity interviews. Currently, she covers Korean Entertainment. When not working, Sushmita enjoys painting and binge-watching K-dramas or classic American series like FRIENDS and Grey’s Anatomy.