Who Is Nam Sang-won In Sweet Home? Lee Jin-wook’s Confusing Villain Role Explained (2024)

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Sweet Home season 3.

Lee jin-wook plays more than one character in Sweet Home, with the various identities of Nam Sang-won causing some confusion. While Sweet Home is primarily about surviving in a world full of monsters, the Netflix K-drama starring Song Kang has had a major villain since season 1 – Jung Ui-myeong. The character, who first appeared as one of the soldiers who infiltrated the Green Home, was revealed to be a special infectee like Song Kang's Cha Hyun-su and became his rival. Ui-myeong caused a lot of death and destruction in season 1, but the extent of his plans would only be revealed in season 2.

Sweet Home season 2 confirmed that Ui-myeong could transfer from one body to another thanks to his monster powers. The villain was a liquid monster with no defining form, meaning that “Ui-myeong” was not necessarily their original identity. After playing Pyeon Sang-wook in Sweet Home2, Lee Jin-wook remained on the show in seasons 2 and 3, this time playing Ui-myeong for the most part. Sweet Home would later reveal that “Ui-myeong” was not their original identity after all – his real name was Nam Sang-won, also known as Yi-kyung’s fiancé.

Nam Sang-won Has Been Sweet Home’s Villain Since Season 1

Yi-kyung’s Fiancé Took Over Multiple Identities Throughout The Show

In the final minutes of Sweet Home season 2, it is confirmed that Ui-myeong was never the character’s real name and that he was, in fact, Sang-won all along. Sang-won was the missing fiancé of Yi-kyong, and he disappeared shortly before the events of season 1. Yi-kyung spent most of Sweet Home season 1 looking for Sang-won, only to learn that he was being used as a test subject by the military. Yi-kyung found the facility where her fiancé was being kept but assumed he was dead. She would then give birth to his child.

Although Sang-won’s body was indeed deceased, he transferred himself to the body of one of the soldiers at the lab and took on the name of Ui-myeong. Sang-won had originally offered himself to the military after noticing he was infected, hoping that they could find a vaccine or a cure for the outbreak that was about to happen. However, he was tortured and treated like a lab rat by Dr. Lim, which is partially his hatred toward humans and desire to become more powerful and invincible comes from. Dr. Lim was the first to learn the truth about Sang-won’s return.

Lee Jin-wook’s Sang-wook Died In Sweet Home Season 1

Sang-wook & Yu-ri Were Killed By Ui-myeong

Sang-wook died in Sweet Home season 1, episode 10. Both Sang-wook and Yu-ri were shot by Ui-myeong, who had attacked the Green Home building along with other men in the previous episode. Despite all signs pointing to Sang-wook being a villain in Sweet Home’s first couple of episodes, the character’s true motives were later revealed, and he spent most of the series trying to help others. Sang-wook had a close relationship with Yu-ri, whom he was trying to save when they both were attacked by Ui-myeong. Sang-wook and Yu-ri spent their final moments together.

The shot of Sang-wook’s body lying on the ground should have been enough to prove that the character was dead. However, in a major twist, Sweet Home showed Sang-wook, seemingly fine and smiling, in the car that was taking Hyun-su. One popular theory argued that Sang-wook had transformed into a monster right before he “died.” However, the most logical outcome was that Ui-myeong, who was a liquid monster who could jump from one body to another, was now using Sang-wook as his host. Both theories remained popular for three years until Sweet Home season 2 was released.

"Ui-myeong" Inhabits Sang-wook’s Body In Sweet Home Seasons 2 & 3

Lee Jin-wook Played A Different Character In Season 2 & 3

Sweet Home season 2, episode 1 explained why Sang-wook appeared inside the car after having died a few minutes earlier and confirmed which theory was the correct one. Sang-wook was dead after all, yet Ui-myeong was now using his body. This is why Sang-wook smiled at Hyun-su at the end of season 1, something that would have been very out of character for the real Sang-wook to do. Additionally, “Sang-wook” was not arresting Hyun-su. Instead, Ui-myeong captures Hyun-su to try to convince Sweet Home’s main character to join him in his plans for the future of humanity.

It did not take long for Hyun-su to realize that it was Ui-myeong who was in front of him, not Sang-wook. The scene in which Ui-myeong revealed his plan to Hyun-su at the mall allowed Lee Jin-wook to essentially play a brand new character, as the villain’s personality could not be more different from Sang-wook’s. Ui-myeong spends the rest of the season and most of season 3 inhabiting Sang-wook’s body. As such, Lee Jin-wook did not play Sang-wook in Sweet Home's final two seasons except for one brief moment in the series finale.

Nam Sang-won’s Plan In Sweet Home Season 3 Explained

Sang-won Wanted A New, Stronger Body

Sang-wook was just about to die when Sang-won took over his body at the end of season 1. This is why the villain seemed so bothered about his new body and season 2, leading to his ultimate plan in the final season to find a new and more powerful host. The potential new host in question was Seo Yi-su, Sang-won’s own daughter. Sweet Home’s monster child could infect people by touching them and could also control their minds, which is why Sang-won wanted to take over her body. He also wanted to rule over this new world of special infectees and neohumans.

What Happened To Nam Sang-won At The End Of Sweet Home

Sang-wook’s Consciousness Helped The Heroes Win The Battle

Sang-won succeeded at transferring himself to Yi-su’s body, making him more dangerous than ever. At first, Hyun-su did not notice the switch and believed he was talking to Yi-kyung’s daughter. Song Kang’s character eventually realizes Sang-won is now inhabiting the child, making Sweet Home season 3’s finale quite tragic right from the start. To stop Sang-won, Hyun-su would have to hurt Yi-su. Whereas Hyun-su wanted to avoid hurting Yi-su, Lee Do-hyung’s Eun-hyeok was ready to do whatever it took to stop Sang-won and his special infectees. Yi-su sadly died in battle, but Sang-won escaped to another body.

Now inhabiting the body of a special infectee who had just transformed, Sang-won once again attacked Hyun-su. The villain was thrown back into the fire but once again managed to switch hosts. This time, he came back to Sang-wook’s body, now cured from its wounds. Fortunately, Sang-wook’s consciousness was still there somewhere and momentarily took over. Sang-wook fought bravely against Sang-won’s influence and managed to throw his body back into the fire, thus finally killing Sweet Home’s villain. Sang-won’s defeat allowed Hyun-su and the others to build a better world for humans and neohumans.

Sweet Home (2020)

TV-MA

Drama

Horror

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Sweet Home follows the story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who moves into the Green Home apartment complex after losing his family. When a mysterious epidemic turns people into monstrous creatures, Hyun-soo and the residents of Green Home must band together to survive, confronting their inner demons and the horrifying threats outside.

Cast

Song Kang , Lee Jin-Wook , Lee Si-young , Park Gyu-young , Go Min-si , Kim Hee-jung , Kim Gook-hee , Lee Joon-woo

Release Date

December 18, 2020

Seasons

3

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix