Cheong-san’s return in All of Us Are Dead season 2 sounds very likely, but I think it will not be a happy moment like many are speculating. Although Cheong-san’s death was as definitive as it can get – he fell from a rooftop right before the entire area was bombarded – his return does not sound too far-fetched. Firstly, Cheong-san’s body was never actually shown. Secondly, the character is just too important not to be included in the second season of the Netflix K-drama. Lastly, Cheong-san’s actor Yoon Chan-young was one of the cast members featured in the season 2 announcement video.

The wait for All of Us Are Dead season 2 continues as the show does not have a release date yet. Assuming this popular K-drama based on a webtoon will return in 2025, more than three years will have passed since the first season. Therefore, fans of the show have plenty of time to come up with theories regarding Cheong-san’s fate. While I do believe that Yoon Chan-young’s character will return, I expect his comeback to be a quite dark storyline.

Cheong-san Will Return As A Hambie In All Of Us Are Dead Season 2 – Theory Explained

Cheong-san could be as lost as Nam-ra was in season 1.

I believe Cheong-san is alive in All of Us Are Dead, yet season 2 will reveal he is now a hambie. All of Us Are Dead’s “half zombies,” as suggested by their name, are people who were infected with the Jonas virus but did not fully transform into zombies. These people retain their consciousness but have the same needs as normal zombies. In other words, they crave human flesh and brains just as any other zombie. It is unclear what causes the hambie transformation, but one’s will to live seems to be part of it.

The hambie transformation in All of Us Are Dead also seems to be tied to how the person was infected. For example, when Gwi-nam attacked Nam-ran, the latter became a hambie just like the former. Considering that Gwi-nam bit Cheong-san’s arm just before their fight in episode 11, it is reasonable to assume that Cheong-san turned into a hambie if he survived the fall. Cheong-san turning into a zombie could actually be the reason why he survived both the fall and the bombarding of Hyosan, which no regular human would.

Cheong-san Becoming A Hambie Would Explain Why He Hasn’t Returned Yet

Cheong-san may be afraid of hurting his friends.

All of Us Are Dead episode 12 included a four-month time skip, after which the surviving characters that were in quarantine were allowed to walk freely in the military camp. It did not take long before On-jo and the others escaped the quarantine to look for Nam-ram, who had lightened up a fire on the school’s rooftop. Interestingly, Cheong-san was nowhere to be seen in the finale, not even after Nam-ra revealed the existence of other hambies. On-jo even found the name tag she had given to Cheong-san surrounded by ashes.

I, like many other All of Us Are Dead fans, have assumed that Cheong-san survived and will return eventually. However, this raises the question of why he never revealed himself to his friends during this fourth-month period. If Cheong-san was alive and okay, there would be no reason for him not to look for his friends unless he had turned into a hambie. Cheong-san would most likely avoid showing up in front of On-jo and the rest of his friends as a hambie, as that would put their safety at risk if still can’t control his powers.

Cheong-san Returning As A Hambie Would Make His Relationship With On-jo Even More Complicated

They would be the new Nam-ra and Su-hyeok.

On-jo and Cheong-san’s romance in All of Us Are Dead was one of the main storylines of season 1. They had been friends for years, but it took a while before both of them realized they liked each other. Cheong-san only confessed his feelings for On-jo in episode 11, shortly before he had to stay behind to fight Gwi-nam. Cheong-san’s death was tragic on its own, but his return can be very bittersweet. If Cheong-san cannot control his zombie transformation, he and On-jo cannot be together. This would mirror Nam-ra and Su-hyeok’s dynamic in season 1.

Nam-ra almost attacked Su-hyeok a couple of times in All of Us Are Dead, including at the end when she almost killed On-jo. It was only after spending four months out in the open with other hambies that Nam-ra learned how to control her powers and felt comfortable about reuniting with her friends. This is why I believe Cheong-san’s eventual return in All of Us Are Dead will not be a happy one at first. It would be interesting to have Cheong-san watching his friends from the shadows until he has to reveal himself to help them.