Light Shop Ending Explained: Who is Won-young? What Happens to the Passengers on the Bus?

Disney+ K-drama Light Shop comes to an end and audiences are left shocked at the heartbreaking turn of events. The series blends mystery, tragedy and psychological horror into a perfect blend and the storyline opens up in such an unexpected way that it can take any viewer by surprise.

The story follows a light shop owner, Won-young, whose seemingly ordinary shop, glowing magnificently at the end of a dark alley, holds many secrets. We are also shown a group of people who stumble upon this shop while wandering the streets seemingly confused and although their stories seem like they have nothing to do with one another, there is a shocking thread that binds all of them together.

Light Shop has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 45-60 minutes. It is based on the webtoon Light Shop by Kang Full.

Light Shop Ending Explained

At the end of episode 8, we learn that all of the characters that we follow are either dead or are between life and death (in a coma) after their tragic bus accident. All the characters were passengers on the bus whose lives were taken away too quickly. The series shows how they are all connected as well as their individual stories, creating a heartbreaking impact on the viewers.

What is the Light Shop? Where is it Located?

The light shop is located somewhere beyond our existence, on a plane that those who are dead or in between life and death can access. The lights in the shop signify their life force and whether or not they are alive. Those in this afterlife, who have a strong will to live, can come to the shop and find their light – the bulb that glows the brightest once near to the person it belongs to. However, it can only work if they come to the shop themselves of their own volition, although it is not mandatory. However, only the people who are in between life and death can come alive by holding their light and it does not work for the dead.

Who is Won-young?

Won-young is the mysterious owner of the shop who protects all the lights. He once made a deal with the previous owner in order to save his daughter and agreed to stay in the shop in order to find his dying daughter’s light and deliver it to her. Afterwards, he comes across his daughter after her death in the bus accident and is able to have a calm existence. Won-young does not tell those who come to his shop the truth about where they are and the purpose of the shop since if they know, they cannot forget it even after death. As a result, they cannot get out of the “delirious” state once alive, hampering their ability to live. It is also implied that people who achieve this knowledge are able to see ghosts as well.

How was Ji-young Keeping Hyun-min Alive?

Ji-young and Hyun-min’s tragic love story is truly heartbreaking. Ji-young witnesses Hyun-min’s bus going over the bridge during the accident and is left heartbroken. Unfortunately, his mother, in a fit of rage, tells her that Hyun-min is dead even though he was in a coma at the time, pushing the grieving woman to take her own life. However, he comes across Hyun-min in the afterlife and keeps him alive by making his heart beat with her strong love for him. Unfortunately, in the afterlife, he is unable to recognise her after the fact, making her unable to move on. Thus, although she makes him go to the shop and find his light, she continues to follow him in the real world, although he continues to not be able to figure out who she is.

Who is Young-ji?

Young-ji is a young nurse who is able to see the dead, wandering souls on Earth. She was once in a coma and it is implied that she came across Won-young when she was in the afterlife. She is compassionate of those who are in her care, relating to their experiences because she remembers her own ordeal.

What Happened to Sung-sik?

Detective Sung-sik was in a coma after getting into an accident investigating the mysterious death of an old man. While in the afterlife, he comes across Won-young and comes to the realisation about the shop. Although he is at first confused, talking to Won-young brings him clarity and he eventually comes out of the coma and meets the ghost who had saved him. Sang-hoon was the reason he was investigating the odd “murder” case in the first place and he eventually gives Sung-sik his ability so that he can keep doing his work after Sang-hoon departs.

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