'Mystic Pop-up Bar' Episode 12 Preview: Is Kang-bae really Weol-ju and Gwi's child?
'Mystic Pop-up Bar' Episode 12 is the finale of the JTBC show and will reveal the true connection between Kang-bae, Gwi, and Weol-ju. In episode 11, Weol-ju and Gwi's misunderstanding from their past was resolved. Gwi's enemy from their past, Won-hyung, who acted as a friend only to betray Gwi and plan an uprising, is still on their trail and looking for a way to ruin their lives. The fact that the misunderstanding that he had taken care to create was resolved angers Won-hyung.
Won-hyung's now an evil spirit and he has even gone to the extent of taking over his dead father's role and form. His dead father is Mr. Death, a person who accompanies spirits from the living world to the afterlife. This way, he found a way into Weol-ju and Gwi's life and this has also given him the opportunity to attack Weol-ju at an unexpected time. It is then that we saw Kang-bae enter unexpectedly and try to stop the attack that takes place on Weol-ju. In the process, Kang-bae's true form gets revealed. He becomes this powerful presence who is able to stop even the 500-year-old evil spirit.
In his eyes lie the power of a sacred old tree, the same tree that Weol-ju had hung from. The spirit of this tree had apparently entered Weol-ju's unborn child who also died with her. The reason why Weol-ju took on the punishment of resolving grudges of humans was to ensure that this child doesn't have to live a miserable life after being cursed by the sacred tree's spirit. Now that we see the spirit of the sacred tree within Kang-bae, does this mean that he is the child who had to die with Weol-ju in the past?
The last shot of Kang-bae standing in front of the withered tree with tears in his eyes clearly indicates how forlorn he feels. When the sacred tree was still alive, people from across the town would tell the tree their troubles in the hopes of finding a solution. Kang-bae's ability to get everyone to reveal their deepest darkest secrets and thoughts is probably the gift of the sacred tree and living with this gift is the punishment that he would have to suffer for 1,000 lifetimes before he can lead a normal life.
Kang-bae is currently not himself, but after helping Weol-ju through Won-hyung's attack, can Kang-bae really face the truth?
'Mystic Pop-up Bar' originally airs in South Korea on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9.30 pm KST on JTBC and can be streamed on Netflix in the US.