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● Plot Summary 1h 10m Drama · Mystery

When the Phone Rings (2024) — full plot summary

Directed by Kim Ji-woon, When the Phone Rings unfolds across 1h 10m of drama. This page covers the story beat by beat. For the ending, see the dedicated ending explained page.

● TL;DR

A rising politician and his mute wife's tense marriage begins to unravel after a call from a kidnapper turns their lives upside down.

The story

When the Phone Rings is a 2024–2025 South Korean television series written by Kim Ji-woon, co-directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu, and starring Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-jun, and Jang Gyu-ri. It premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST) for 12 episodes. It is available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.

Setting & tone

When the Phone Rings is set in South Korea and works primarily in Korean. Tonally it sits in Drama, Mystery, Crime, drawing on the conventions of each while filtering them through Kim Ji-woon's direction.

Why people search for this plot

Search interest in the plot of When the Phone Rings tends to spike around questions about narrative ambiguity, the meaning of specific scenes, and how secondary characters connect to the main arc. Our editorial team tracks those queries and updates this summary as new questions emerge — see the FAQ on the main movie page.

● Spoilers ahead?

Read the ending explained

A scene-by-scene breakdown of the final act, the closing shot, and what it all means.

When the Phone Rings ending explained →