A Killer Paradox ending explained: what happened to Lee Tang, Song Chon and Roh-bin in finale of Netflix drama

Netflix K-Drama A Killer Paradox was released in the UK today as a boxset and many fans of the genre will be bingeing the show over the weekend. 

The series follows Lee Tang, an ordinary man working in a convenience store who is attacked by one of his customers and accidentally kills him when defending himself. It is soon revealed that the man he killed was a serial killer who escaped justice.

Tang’s actions set off a chain of events through which he becomes a vigilante who kills seriously bad people. He realises that he has special powers to sense when someone is a villain, and seems to be always able to get away with his killings.

Throughout the series Tang forms an alliance with another vigilante, Roh-bin, but is pursued by a relentless detective, Nan-gam, whilst Chon, a vigilante who went rogue, killing over the slightest provocation, plans to murder them all. 

*Major spoilers for A Killer Paradox ahead*

What happened in the finale of A Killer Paradox?

In the season finale of A Killer Paradox Chon is now on the tail of both Tang and Roh-bin, but the pair have established a plan to flee the country. 

Chon murders Nan-gam’s father, sending the detective on his own quest for revenge - Roh-bin tries to reason with Nam-gan and explain that all the people who Tang killed were serious criminals who deserved their fate.

When Tamg arrives at a port to leave the country, he realises that Roh-bin isn’t planning to come with him and will likely be killed or arrested. Tang rushes to find Roh-bin, tracking him down at the abandoned factory where he was supposed to meet Chon.

Tang, Roh-bin, Chon, and Nan-gam meet at the factory and a fight breaks out - Roh-bin is fatally shot by Chon and Nan-gam shoots Chon. As he lays dying Chon explains the real story behind Nan-gam’s father’s accident. It is revealed that Nan-gam’s father was a corrupt police officer and when Chon, a young officer himself, found out he beat him unconscious, leaving him permanently brain damaged.

Nan-gam shoots Chon again in a rage, killing him, and as a fire starts in the factory, Roh-bin and Chon’s bodies are burned. Tang’s book is also destroyed in the blaze - it is revealed to be a copy of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Following the fire, Tang flees to Thailand for several months before being returned to Korea when the authorities find that he doesn’t have a passport. It is revealed that Roh-bin had helped to cover up all of the murders that Tang could have been charged with, even having his teeth filed to match the bite marks of a piece of half-eaten fruit left by Tang at one crime scene.

Additionally in the aftermath of the fire an investigator speaks to Nan-gam about the evidence, stating that Roh-bin is believed to be behind all the murders but adding that there is still suspicion over Tang - Nan-gam doesn’t support the theory and Tang’s file is marked ‘non-indictment’.

In a flashback to the night of the factory fire, Tang shows that he is ready to die and holds Nan-gam’s gun to his head - but the detective refuses to kill him, promising Tang that one day he will get caught.

Back in the present Nan-gam hears a news report about a man who has been found dead and that DNA has linked him to a series of murders. Nan-gam realises that Tang is back in South Korea and is once again working as a vigilante.

In the final scene Tang bumps into a man on the street and his powers activate, alerting him to the fact that the man has done something for which he deserves to die.