The Next (South Korean Television Series) Plot Summary

The Next is a South Korean television series that explores themes of reincarnation, fate, and the enduring connections between individuals across multiple lifetimes. The narrative follows the protagonist, Jeong-hwa, a theater actress who experiences unexplained amnesia, recurring nightmares, and intense feelings of deja vu. Her journey to understand these sensations leads her to discover that the people in her current life are reincarnated figures from her past.

Modern Day Connections

In the present, Jeong-hwa encounters Ki-beom, a surgeon who assists her during a medical emergency. Despite being in a relationship with Ki-soo, Jeong-hwa feels an inexplicable, profound attraction to Ki-beom. Seeking answers for her memory gaps and emotional distress, she consults a psychiatrist named Soo-hyeon. Through hypnotic therapy, Jeong-hwa begins to recall vivid details of her childhood and, eventually, memories of previous lives. She discovers that her current acquaintances, including Ki-beom and Soo-hyeon, share deep, unresolved histories with her from the Chosun Dynasty, the Goryeo Dynasty, and the Japanese colonial period.

Historical Reincarnations

The series depicts these past lives through recurring motifs, such as a bronze mirror that appears across different eras. In the Chosun Dynasty, Jeong-hwa (as Geum-young) and her friend Yeon-hwa navigate a complex love triangle involving a man named Myeong-jin. In the Goryeo Dynasty, the narrative shifts to a period of conflict, where Jeong-hwa (as Jaunyoung) is caught in a dangerous political and romantic entanglement with a Mongolian commander named Kassar. During the Japanese colonial era, the characters appear as Seok-ho, a reporter, and Jeong-im, a nurse, whose lives are complicated by political resistance and personal betrayal.

Resolution and Departure

As the modern-day characters gain awareness of their past-life connections, their current relationships face significant strain. Ki-soo struggles with jealousy and a lack of trust regarding Jeong-hwa's feelings for Ki-beom. Soo-hyeon, who also begins to recognize the patterns of their shared history, attempts to navigate her own feelings for Ki-beom. Ultimately, the weight of these past-life memories and the resulting emotional turmoil lead to a shift in their current trajectories. Recognizing the cycle of tragedy that has followed them through time, Jeong-hwa chooses to leave Seoul, while Ki-beom decides to pursue volunteer work in Mongolia, marking a definitive break from the patterns of their past.