3 Highlights From The Final Episodes Of "Taxi Driver 3"
Kim Do Gi (Lee Je Hoon) faces his toughest and most personal mission yet in the season finale of “Taxi Driver 3.” Do Gi reunites with his subordinate from the special forces team and is stunned to hear that one of his former comrades, the bright Yoo Sun Ah (Jeon So Nee) has passed away. What troubles him further is the revelation that she was disgraced, labelled a traitor, and demoted by several ranks before her death.
Certain that Sun Ah, a brave heart and committed officer, would never compromise on national integrity and security, Do Gi traces her final steps, returning to the barracks to uncover the truth.
Initially, he keeps this from his Rainbow Taxi squad. However, as the operation grows increasingly convoluted, he brings them on board. Ahn Go Eun (Pyo Ye Jin), Choi Kyung Goo (Jang Hyuk Jin), Park Jin Eon (Bae Yoo Ram), and CEO Jang (Kim Eui Sang) join forces to help their most trusted and beloved comrade. Here are three highlights from the season finale, which show Do Gi at his most vulnerable and bravest.
Warning: spoilers from episodes 15 and 16 ahead!
Do Gi sets out to restore Sun Ah’s honor
A soldier is always a soldier. Do Gi’s commitment and sense of duty towards his missions is legendary. But this time, the mission is closer to home. It has been three years since Do Gi discarded his military uniform and combat gear for a bomber jacket and a life behind the wheel at Rainbow Taxi.
Devastated on learning about Sun Ah’s death, Do Gi is shocked to discover the circumstances that led to the incident. As per military records, Sun Ah had driven off with a truck loaded with stolen arms into enemy territory, abandoning her soldiers in the process. She had not only compromised national security but also betrayed herself as a soldier.
Convinced that Sun Ah has been framed, Do Gi returns to the military, his pretext being a temporary assignment to safeguard a rare bird. Though the harebrained idea is met with suspicion by the commanding officer, Do Gi is convincing enough to be allowed access.
He retraces his steps to the exact point where Sun Ah’s truck had blown up. As he investigates further, Do Gi discovers that Sun Ah had followed his tutelage and left behind crucial footage. He learns that she had martyred herself for the nation after uncovering a chilling plot: the commanding officer had hidden bombs inside the vests meant for her and her soldiers. The plan was to have them blown up, blame the incident on North Korea, and trigger a war that would lead to a military regime ruling the country. Sun Ah had single-handedly foiled the plan.
Armed with the footage, Do Gi is determined to restore Sun Ah’s honor and expose the corrupt nexus between the military and a former disgraced general who continues to wield power.
The indent also shows Do Gi at his most emotionally exposed. His determination to clear Sun Ah’s name reinforces his uncompromising sense of justice while adding emotional weight to the finale.
Do Gi at his most vulnerable
Do Gi’s mettle as a training instructor and drill sergeant is military lore. A committed soldier, he has also been a mentor to some of the bravest officers. However, during a training exercise where he humbles a group of soldiers, it is the sole woman among them who earns his praise — Sun Ah. The feisty, petite officer in olive greens possesses instincts and insight that mark her out for greater things.
When Do Gi learns the circumstances of her death, shock quickly gives way to anger. Visiting Sun Ah’s memorial, he breaks down. This marks the first time the series shows Do Gi emotionally exposed and vulnerable. His frustration, grief, and helplessness shake him deeply. A photograph of Do Gi with Sun Ah and another comrade underlines the bond they shared and the value they placed on friendship and camaraderie.
He chooses not to inform the Rainbow Taxi team, preferring to handle the matter alone. Do Gi does not want to reveal himself at his weakest, nor does he wish to involve the team in a mission that is deeply personal. That said, they eventually track him down, recognizing that his silence itself is a warning sign.
As Do Gi recalls a past conversation with Sun Ah about the procurement of intel, he realizes she had truly been his ideal disciple — someone who followed his training to its very end, even if it meant sacrificing her life for the nation. He is moved and in tears when he gets ahold of her camera and hears the message: “I knew you would find me Kim Do Gi, sir,” she says. It is as if she has entrusted him to take the mission forward. This further fuels his determination.
When he confronts the commanding officer and the disgraced general, clearly in cahoots, Do Gi’s anger is unmistakable. Yet he remains controlled, aware that he cannot allow emotion to compromise his objective.
This arc offers perhaps the clearest insight yet into Do Gi’s personality. His moral compass and sense of justice have always been evident, but here he lays himself bare. Grief, rage, and resolve converge, making this a mission he is willing to risk his life for. As he believes, if justice does not move through the proper channels, it must be forced to find its way.
Do Gi in the line of fire
Do Gi knows this is no ordinary mission. After deliberately cutting off the Rainbow Taxi squad, he sends them a message on their beepers, instructing them to assemble at the base. It is a tacit admission that this operation is too big and too dangerous to be handled alone.
Even under the watchful eyes of the commanding officer, the team quickly realizes that this case carries serious global ramifications. The stakes extend far beyond personal vengeance; what is unfolding could alter geopolitical realities, making this one of the most perilous missions Rainbow Taxi has ever taken on.
As they set their trap, the truth becomes clear: the commanding officer is merely a pawn, and his strings are pulled by someone far more powerful. That figure is General Oh (Kim Jong Soo), the disgraced former officer who once sent Do Gi and his unit on a suicide mission. Though dismissed for sexual misconduct, Oh continues to wield influence within the military establishment and is now intent on manufacturing a war. Sun Ah’s sacrifice had derailed his first attempt. With the evidence in Do Gi’s possession, silencing him becomes imperative.
Certain that his second operation is unfolding flawlessly, General Oh underestimates his opponent. Do Gi and the team replace the explosives with fireworks, transforming the base into an unlikely setting of a concert and exposing the hollowness of Oh’s authority. As the military police close in, the general flees, forcing Do Gi into a final, brutal pursuit. The encounter leaves Do Gi grievously injured, sending him hurtling off a cliff.
For a moment, the series invites the possibility that Do Gi, too, may have been martyred in the line of duty. But the tension is short-lived. The finale reveals that the vigilante has survived, battered but unbroken, already inching toward his next chapter. A glimpse of a shirtless, bullet-scarred Do Gi signals resilience rather than closure. And the cameo by Shim So Young, appearing as the sister of her season two character, Bok Ja, further hints that the world of “Taxi Driver” is far from finished, with new missions already on the horizon.
Start watching “Taxi Driver 3”:
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.