In the drama episode Missing Crown Prince (2024), one of the initial mysteries revolves around the Queen Mother Min Soo Ryeon’s secret romantic partner. The Queen Mother, portrayed by Myung Se Bin, is caught engaging in inappropriate behavior with her lover by a maid multiple times. Shortly after, the witness who attempted to expose this secret dies under mysterious circumstances.
Crown Prince Yi Gun, played by EXO’s Suho, accidentally discovers his grandmother’s forbidden relationship. He becomes enraged as her actions tarnish his loyalty to his late grandfather, the King. Yi Gun is determined to uncover the identity of the secret lover. Here’s what unfolds!
Attention: Spoilers ahead!
1. Discovery of the Queen Mother’s Illicit Lover
The Queen Mother is seen meeting a man clandestinely in one of the palace pavilions. When Yi Gun confronts them, the man accidentally drops a box of acupuncture needles. Armed with this crucial evidence, Yi Gun embarks on a quest for truth.
He seeks assistance from Choi Sang Rok, the most trusted healer by the royal family. Choi Sang Rok reveals that the acupuncture needles belonged to one of the palace physicians and promises to disclose who misplaced the box.
2. The Prime Suspect: Palace Physician
According to Choi Sang Rok, the individual who lost the acupuncture needles is healer Heo Jin Soo. Heo Jin Soo serves as the chief healer at the Queen Mother’s palace and conducts autopsies on servants who die mysteriously after witnessing her secret meetings. He always concludes their deaths as suicides.
As Yi Gun prepares to confront Heo Jin Soo and put the Queen Mother on trial, the physician is found dead by hanging in his residence. This event leads to suspicions of suicide out of fear of facing charges of adultery with the Queen Mother. However, Yi Gun remains skeptical.
With the help of Choi Myeong Yoon, they clandestinely examine Heo Jin Soo’s body and determine that he was murdered with poison, not suicide.
3. Revealing the Queen Mother’s Secret Lover
Choi Sang Rok, aware of Yi Gun’s suspicions, admits that the acupuncture evidence belonged to Heo Jin Soo. Yi Gun begins to suspect that the Queen Mother’s true lover is Choi Sang Rok.
Collaborating with Prince Doseong, Yi Gun plans to apprehend Choi Sang Rok. Before executing their plan, Yi Gun intends to extract a confession from the doctor himself.
Under pressure, Choi Sang Rok confesses that he is indeed the Queen Mother’s lover. Their relationship dates back to childhood, and they were even engaged. However, when Min Soo Ryeon became the king’s wife, their relationship ended. Choi Sang Rok seized the opportunity to rekindle their romance upon meeting the Queen Mother again at the palace.
Enraged, Yi Gun seeks to arrest and prosecute Choi Sang Rok. However, Choi Sang Rok and the Queen Mother have already devised a counter-plan. This time, it’s Yi Gun who is apprehended by palace guards.
The mystery surrounding the Queen Mother’s secret lover in the Korean drama Missing Crown Prince is finally unveiled. This revelation further complicates Yi Gun’s relationship with Choi Myeong Yoon, much to the viewers’ anticipation. We’ll have to wait and see how their relationship unfolds!