Let's be honest: the moment Lee Na-yeon wiped that handkerchief on Gyeong-su’s open wound, she became the most loathed person on television. It wasn't just a zombie bite. It was a calculated, classist murder hidden behind a "I was just trying to be safe" excuse. Even in a show where a literal monster like Gwi-nam is ripping throats out, Na-yeon somehow felt more personal.
Maybe it’s because we’ve all met a Na-yeon. You know the type. Someone who uses their status as a weapon and views everyone else as "welfies"—a derogatory term for those on welfare—while contributing absolutely nothing to the group's survival.
But looking back a few years since the show dropped, is she really just a one-dimensional "rich girl" villain? Or did we witness one of the most tragic, failed redemption arcs in K-drama history?
The "Welfie" Insult and the Reality of Lee Na-yeon in All of Us Are Dead
Na-yeon, played with terrifyingly good precision by Lee Yoo-mi, is the ultimate example of what happens when privilege meets a total collapse of society. Most of the kids at Hyosan High are trying to hold hands and survive. Na-yeon? She’s busy making sure she isn't breathing the same air as Han Gyeong-su.
The tension between them didn't start with the virus. We see glimpses of their history—Gyeong-su running through her gated community, the "forbidden" shortcut for kids who don't live there. Her hatred for him is learned. It's systemic. She’s essentially a mouthpiece for her parents' elitism, and when the world starts ending, that’s the only tool she has left to feel powerful.
When she intentionally infects Gyeong-su, it isn't a "heat of the moment" accident. It’s a cold, pre-planned move to prove she was "right." That's what makes it so hard to stomach. She would rather turn a friend into a monster than admit she was wrong.
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Why the Redemption Arc Felt So Unfinished
For several episodes, the show keeps Na-yeon alive in the music storage room. We watch her watch the others through a video camera. She’s alone. She’s starving. She’s haunted by hallucinations of Gyeong-su. Honestly, it’s a lot.
Ms. Park, the teacher who sacrificed herself for Na-yeon, told her to "survive no matter what" and that it wasn't her fault. It was her fault, obviously, but the teacher’s compassion was supposed to be the catalyst for Na-yeon to change.
We see her finally pack up a bag of food and drinks. She’s ready to step out. She’s going to find the others on the rooftop and finally, finally do something helpful. And then?
Gwi-nam shows up.
No grand apology. No sacrificial moment where she saves the group. Just a brutal, sudden death. Some fans think this was a "waste" of a character. They wanted to see the confrontation on the roof. They wanted to see if Nam-ra would rip her head off or if Dae-su would forgive her because he was hungry.
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But that’s kind of the point of a zombie apocalypse, right? Not everyone gets a beautiful ending. Sometimes you wait too long to be a good person, and the clock just runs out.
Lee Yoo-mi: The Actress Who Made Us Forget Squid Game
It is still wild to think that the same actress who broke our hearts as Ji-yeong (Player 240) in Squid Game is the one who made us want to throw our shoes at the TV in All of Us Are Dead.
Lee Yoo-mi actually talked about this in interviews. She purposely asked her co-star, Ham Sung-min (Gyeong-su), if her acting was "annoying enough." She wanted to be provocative. She wanted to be the person everyone loved to hate.
- In Squid Game, she died so someone else could live.
- In All of Us Are Dead, she caused someone's death so she could be "right."
That range is insane. It's why, even though the character is a nightmare, the performance is legendary.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her Death
There's a theory floating around that Na-yeon was supposed to have a much longer arc, but Lee Yoo-mi’s schedule with other projects cut it short. Whether that’s true or not, her death serves a specific purpose: it’s a lesson in "too little, too late."
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She spent days in that storage room. She had the food. She had the chance to open the door when the group was right there in the music room. She didn't. She let her fear and her pride win. By the time she gathered the courage to be a human being again, she was already a ghost.
She wasn't just killed by Gwi-nam; she was killed by her own hesitation.
Can She Return in Season 2?
Look, we saw her as a zombie. We saw the military bomb the school. Unless she’s a "hambie" (half-zombie) who somehow survived a literal missile strike, she is gone.
Some fans hope for flashbacks. Maybe some backstory on why she was so intensely lonely even before the outbreak. But as far as the main timeline goes? Lee Na-yeon is a closed chapter.
Actionable Takeaways from the Na-yeon Saga
If you’re rewatching the series or analyzing the characters, keep these points in mind to catch the nuances you might have missed the first time:
- Watch the background details: In the early episodes, notice how Na-yeon stands apart from the group. She’s physically there, but she never touches anyone unless she has to.
- Pay attention to the camera footage: The scenes where she watches the survivors on the camcorder are the only times we see her genuine, unmasked emotions. It’s the only time she isn't "performing" for an audience.
- Compare the Webtoon: If you think TV Na-yeon is bad, the webtoon version is significantly more unhinged. She actually tries to kill more people and is way more aggressive. The show actually "softened" her.
The takeaway? In a world that's ending, your status and your bank account don't matter. The only thing that keeps you human is how you treat the people around you. Na-yeon learned that lesson, but she learned it about five minutes too late.
Explore the rest of the Hyosan High survivors to see who actually had the most growth, or check out our breakdown of the "hambie" virus rules for Season 2.