Character Relationship Map: Missing

Characters

• Ji-sun (played by Uhm Ji-won) — protagonist

  Ji-sun is a divorced working mother whose custody dispute and demanding job leave her vulnerable when her young daughter disappears with Han-mae. She investigates the disappearance herself, uncovers H...

• Han-mae (played by Gong Hyo-jin) — supporting

  Han-mae is a young Chinese caregiver who takes a job with Ji-sun and secretly removes her daughter after manipulating the circumstances that caused the previous caregiver's dismissal. Driven by grief...

• Detective Park (played by Kim Hie-won) — supporting

  Detective Park leads the investigation into the child's disappearance and initially examines Ji-sun's custody dispute, missing-person report, and possible kidnapping deception. He connects Han-mae to...

• Suk-ho (played by Jang Won-young) — supporting

  Suk-ho is Han-mae's abusive husband and the father of her daughter. He and his mother mistreat Han-mae for her limited Korean and inability to bear a child, then later abandon her and the sick girl ra...

• Mother-in-law (played by Kil Hae-yeon) — supporting

  Mother-in-law is connected to Ji-sun's former marriage and arrives to take the child after the custody ruling. She confronts Ji-sun at the police station and accuses her of concealing the disappearanc...

• Jin-hyuk (played by Go Joon) — supporting

  Jin-hyuk is Ji-sun's ex-husband and the father of her young daughter. He is involved in the custody conflict after the court questions Ji-sun's work-centered life and emotional stability. His workplac...

• Suk-ho's Mother (played by Kim Jin-goo) — supporting

  Suk-ho's Mother is Han-mae's abusive mother-in-law in the flashback account of Han-mae's life. She rejects Han-mae for not speaking Korean and for not bearing a child, then participates in abandoning...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Suk-ho's Mother → Suk-ho (mother)
• Han-mae → Suk-ho (Family Abusive Husband) — Suk-ho's abuse and refusal to support the child's treatment contribute directly to Han-mae's desperation.

  A neighbor explains that Han-mae was abused by Suk-ho and his mother, and that Suk-ho later received money connected to the treatment of Han-mae's dau...

• Ji-sun → Detective Park (Professional Investigator And Witness) — Detective Park initially scrutinizes Ji-sun but ultimately participates in recovering the child.

  Detective Park investigates Ji-sun's report, questions her circumstances, follows the clues, and later receives the child from Han-mae on the ship.

• Ji-sun → Jin-hyuk (Family Divorced Spouses) — Their failed marriage and custody dispute intensify Ji-sun's fear of losing her child.

  The plot identifies Jin-hyuk as Ji-sun's ex-husband and describes their custody battle over their daughter.

• Ji-sun → Han-mae (Professional Employer And Nanny) — Their employment relationship becomes the central source of suspicion after Han-mae disappears with the child.

  Ji-sun fires her old nanny and hires Han-mae to care for her one-year-old daughter.

• Ji-sun → Mother-in-law (Family Mother-in-law) — Their strained family relationship reflects the pressure surrounding Ji-sun's custody crisis.

  Ji-sun avoids her mother-in-law when the older woman comes to get the child, and the mother-in-law later accuses Ji-sun at the police station.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Han-mae → Suk-ho's Mother (Conflict Abusive Mother-in-law) — Suk-ho's mother is one of the figures associated with Han-mae's domestic abuse.

  The neighbor states that Han-mae was abused by Suk-ho and his mother for not speaking Korean and for being unable to bear a child.

Story Analysis

A desperate mother searches for her missing child and uncovers another mother's devastating history of loss, abuse, and grief.

Plot Progression

1. Custody Before Disappearance — Ji-sun struggles with work, divorce, and a custody battle while relying on Han-mae for childcare. After a missed hearing, Ji-sun returns home to find Han-mae and her daughter gone.
2. Clues Around The City — Ji-sun follows medical, neighborhood, and ransom clues while the police question her credibility. The discovery of forged identification makes Han-mae's disappearance increasingly suspicious.
3. A Buried Identity — Security footage and a baby photograph lead Ji-sun toward Han-mae's hidden history. Records reveal domestic abuse, an abandoned child, and a desperate connection to the hospital.
4. The Frozen Truth — Ji-sun discovers the dead child hidden in her kitchen and understands the depth of Han-mae's grief. Testimony indicates that Han-mae intends to escape overseas with the missing child.
5. The Shipboard Choice — Ji-sun confronts Han-mae on a departing ship and offers the quilt made for the dead child. Han-mae recognizes the truth, returns the child, and dies after jumping into the sea.