In episode 5 of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, it was mentioned that Chief Hong’s life five years after graduation is one of the three mysteries of Gongjin. As an avid follower of the series, you might also be wondering, what was Chief Hong doing for 5 years? Here’s what we think.
Characters who are close to Chief Hong (Kim Seon-Ho) speculated as to his whereabouts during those five years.
One surmised that he was a spy sent to North Korea, one presumed that he became a member of the National Intelligence and faked his identity; some rumors even go to extreme lengths of theorizing that he went to Africa, swam the Pacific, climb the Everest, even the idea of him being locked up in an asylum and incarcerated for murder.
For someone seen as the pride of Gongjin, his life with the mysterious 5 year gap can really cause a ruckus amongst the villagers and as fans of the show we also can’t help but theorize on what exactly happened to him within those five years.
We even joked that maybe his five years was spent in Start-Up as the genius investor Han Ji-peong. 🤣
Kidding aside, the previous two episodes (5 and 6) left some clues as to what possibly happened to him during the missing 5 years. In episode 5, we saw the reason why he visits Seoul.
He is seeing a psychiatrist because he experiences a trauma from his past. Could it be that this supposed trauma took place within those five years? This prompts us to ask another important question: What/Who caused the trauma? Which would then lead us to the clue in episode 6.
During his conversation with Oh Chun-Jae, the latter urged him to date Dr. Yoon so that he can finally have someone to lean on. Chief Hong brushed off the topic and said he doesn’t have any baggage and went on to get a glass.
When he returned home, he opened a book by Leo Tolstoy (What Men Live By) and inside the pages of the book lies the clue – a photograph. By the looks of it, it is a family portrait. There’s a woman holding a child and presumably a man whose face was not revealed. Chief Hong looks at the photograph with a bittersweet longing and sadness as his tears fall; and with that our theory materialized.
OUR THEORY: What Happened to Chief Hong in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Chief Hong’s missing five years was spent in some place, presumably Seoul. He fell in love, married, and had a child with the woman in the photograph.
The picture, we theorize, is a family picture of him and his wife and child. Something tragic must have happened with his family which caused his trauma. This tragedy forced him to return to Gongjin to rebuild his life, move forward, and forget the horrors of his past.
If you think about it, it’s a pretty plausible theory, don’t you agree? Bear in mind that we only use inferences based on the clues presented in the narrative. It could be true or we could be nothing but mere clowns. 😂
What do you think? Do you think the theory is plausible? Do you have other theories as well?
Let us know in the comment section below and let’s further discuss what really happened to Chief Hong in those mysterious missing five years.
UPDATE: The Heartbreaking Truth Behind Chief Hong’s Missing 5 Years in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Finally, at episode 15, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha has given us the answer to one of its biggest mysteries – what really happened to Chief Hong during his missing 5 years?
Not known to the people, behind Gongjin’s lovable handyman, Chief Hong, is a man haunted by long-standing emotional wounds. After losing his parents and grandfather, he is burdened by a deep-seated guilt of feeling responsible for their deaths.
Added to that is what happened to him in Seoul. Chief Hong felt guilty for the death of a close friend and for ruining the life of a man who trusted in him.
He was a promising employee at an asset management company until an economic meltdown changed everything.
A security guard at the company asked Chief Hong for investment advice, but he referred the man to someone else. However, the man made a reckless investment decision following the other person’s advice and lost all his assets. Eventually, the man attempted suicide.
When Du-sik learned of the situation, he rushed to meet him with his friend Jeong-u, but they got into a fatal car accident on the way. Jeong-u died, triggering Du-sik’s survivor’s guilt and reminding him of his grandfather’s death. This made him feel that he would always lose the people dear to him. So, he had no choice but to keep his distance from others.
This tragic backstory brought us to one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. We finally understand why Chief Hong is living the way he does, and our hearts seriously broke for him.
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2 thoughts on “Our Theory Behind the Missing 5 years of Chief Hong in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”
The man in the picture was not Chief Hong. He was the baby. That man looks like his grandfather and his mother.
This is rather a late reply.. 😅 But at this point, we both know our theories were both wrong! lol!