Cheong-san’s return inAll of Us Are Deadseason 2 is being taken for granted by a lot of people, but even if he does come back, things might be more complicated than they seem. I do thinkCheong-san will return inAll of Us Are Deadseason 2, even though it would be quite difficult for someone to survive what he and Gwi-nam went through at the end of episode 11. Still, in a show about a virus that gives you super strength but transforms you into a zombie, nothing is off the table.
All of Us Are Deadseason 1 was very popular for many different reasons, but whether or not Cheong-san died at the end was the topic that dominated the conversation about theNetflix original K-drama. Even now, almost three years afterAll of Us Are Deadseason 2was announced, we don’t know if Cheong-san is really dead. However, even if he is still alive,bringing Cheong-san back will not be easy.
The Director Hasn’t Confirmed Whether Cheong-san Will Return
Speaking toWikitree(viaallkpop) aboutAll of Us Are Deadmonths before the confirmation of season 2,director Lee Jae-gyu discussed his ideas for a second season and whether Cheong-san could return.The director pointed out that, whereas season 1 was about the contrast between adults and students surviving the apocalypse, season 2 would be about the contrast between students and zombies. When it comes to Cheong-san potentially being alive, the director stated “I think there will be viewers who won’t be able to accept that but also there are going to be fans who are happy about it.
“I do have a vague picture that I drew out imagining what would happen if all the other actors, including Cheong San, were to appear in Season 2. I definitely want to add more plot twists than season 1.”
While Lee wouldn’t confirm whether Cheong-san is alive, the director made it clear that he had a“vague picture”of what would happen in season 2 if Yoon Chan-young were to reprise his role. Lee commented that he wants to“add more plot twists”in season 2, which strongly suggests that Cheong-san could indeed return. Either way,theAll of Us Are Deaddirector is aware of how tricky it would be to justify Cheong-san’s returnafter he sacrificed himself to protect On-jo and the rest of the group from Gwi-nam.
There is no official confirmation that Cheong-san will return, but at this point, it’s very difficult to believe that the character is really dead. Not only was Cheong-san one of the main characters inAll of Us Are Deadseason 1, but Yoon Chan-young was one of the actors promoting season 2 back when Netflix first announced the show’s renewal.Lee Jae-gyu’s comments also hint at Cheong-san returning in some capacity, and I can’t imagine a version of season 2 without the character even if it means lessening the impact of his sacrifice.
There are ways to have Cheong-san in season 2 without actually bringing the character back. For example, Cheong-san could appear to On-jo in a dream or a hallucination, which would fit the show’s horror tone. Cheong-san could also appear in flashback sequences, perhaps in scenes set before the outbreak begins. However, both of those options would be very anticlimactic, especially considering the popularity of the character and thelong wait forAll of Us Are Deadseason 2. I’m fairly certain Cheong-san will be in season 2, although he may not be exactly alive.
Cheong-san’s Return Should Be Bittersweet
The best, most logical way to bring Cheong-san back in season 2 would be as hambie. Cheong-san was bitten by Gwi-nam in episode 12, meaning thatAll of Us Are Deadalready has the perfect way to explain how Cheong-san survived the fall and the explosion. Hambies are technically just as undead as any zombie, except that they retain their memories and consciousness. This would allowAll of Us Are Deadto “have its cake and eat it too,” as Cheong-san would be back but as a very different person.
There is a lot that we still don’t know aboutAll of Us Are Dead’s hambies, but they are expected to be the focus of season 2.All of Us Are Deadepisode 12 ended with Nam-ra reuniting with her friends after months and revealing she had found other people like her, presumably other hambies. With director Lee Jae-gyu mentioning the contrast between students and zombies as one of his ideas for season 2, everything is pointing towardAll of Us Are Deadnow being about these half-zombies. As such, Cheong-san returning as hambie would make a lot of sense.
