Actor Kang Sang-jun has delivered an irreplaceable performance, breathing life into a character filled with deep scars.
In the 5th episode of MBN Plus’s ‘Azure Spring’ aired on May 25, the mysterious details behind Yoon Deok-hyun’s (played by Kang Sang-jun) past shooting accident were finally revealed.
During the episode, Deok-hyun calmly confessed to Anna (played by Kim Ye-rim) after she saw a news article about his past, saying, “Someone died because of me. That’s why I was in prison for three years.” He added a chilling remark, “He deserved to die,” before quietly packing his bags to leave Parang-ri so as not to be a burden to Anna. Kang Sang-jun amplified the tension of the scene by blending deep sorrow and bitterness into his steady, calm tone of voice.
What truly broke viewers’ hearts was the flashback to Deok-hyun’s life seven years ago. While serving in the Special Forces, Deok-hyun punched his senior, Seok-woo (played by Jung Jae-bin), who had been cruelly bullying his junior, Jae-hee (played by Choi Seok-won). However, during the intense struggle, a gun went off accidentally, and the bullet hit Jae-hee. Deok-hyun’s desperate internal struggle and overwhelming guilt were captured as he held the bleeding Jae-hee and called out for Gi-tae (played by Jung Hyun-min), unable to even cry out loud.
To make matters worse, Seok-woo also accidentally slipped and fell off a cliff, resulting in his death. Kang Sang-jun perfectly portrayed the shock and grief of this unexpected tragedy with subtle, breathtaking detail.
Later, Deok-hyun visited Jae-hee in the hospital, where he wept while watching him from a distance, unable to even approach. His lonely departure after handing over all his saved money for medical bills, saying “This is the last time,” highlighted the heavy burden he had been carrying throughout his life.
By the end of the episode, Deok-hyun eventually returned to the sea of Parang-ri where Anna was. He offered her sincere advice, saying, “Let’s swim again. You can do it.” Just as he said, “Enduring isn’t everything in the water. You have to know the end to come up and survive,” he quietly reached out once more to Anna, who had given up swimming after realizing her own limits. The episode ended with the two facing each other against the backdrop of a shimmering sea after Anna asked, “Shall we swim together?” leaving fans excited for the upcoming story of two wounded souls saving each other.
Meanwhile, ‘Azure Spring’ is planned as a 6-episode series, with only one episode remaining. The final 6th episode will air on May 26 via MBN Plus.
