The Manipulated episodes 5-6 recap: Why and how did Yohan frame Taejoong?

Episodes 5 and 6 of the Korean thriller The Manipulated premiered on Disney+ on November 12, 2025 (released via Hulu in some regions). The show centers on Park Taejoong (Ji Chang-wook), an ordinary man who is falsely accused of murder and rape. This leads to his imprisonment. While behind bars, he uncovers that his conviction was plotted by Ahn Yohan (EXO's D.O.).

Taejoong stops appealing and begins plotting retribution from inside the prison. He collects proof to expose Yo-han and seeks to overturn his sentence. In The Manipulated, Yo-han is the CEO of an exclusive security firm for the top 1%. He specializes in fabricating proof and rebuilding crime scenes to manufacture scapegoats. When Taejoong becomes a possible loose end, Yo-han turns the case into a calculated game.

He locks onto Taejoong via CCTV, running Taejoong's life through high-powered computers and compiles a dossier of personal details. He monitors Taejoong’s relationship and harvests DNA from discarded items belonging to him and his girlfriend. That genetic material is then planted on the victim. Each move is deliberate, timed, and preplanned to secure a conviction.

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The Manipulated episodes 5 and 6 recap

Episode 5 of The Manipulated opens with Baek Do-kyung killing the woman linked to Taejoong’s false case. A chilling frame shows Yohan fixing a human finger into his sculpture. It is the same finger he cut off from a man who had pointed him out during a business gathering. Do has been secretly tracking every move of his targets.

It is later revealed that even the doctor (Baek Na-ra) who administered injections to the framed suspect was complicit. He was also involved in the death of Taejoong's brother. Elsewhere, after a meal, the inmates are assigned separate rooms for rest. Taejoong tries to flee but is later caught by Yohan. The next morning, the prisoners receive white uniforms with identification numbers and are led to a racetrack.

The Manipulated (Image via X/@DisneyPlusKR)

Each prisoner must race using a randomly allocated vehicle, with no rules in place. When one inmate refuses, he is shot on the spot. The ultimate reward is 5 billion won for the winner. Each number on the uniform corresponds to a specific garage. Inside, prisoners find their cars, some of which are in poor condition. Yohan serves as a mediator, addressing questions from the participants. Meanwhile, his VIP guest, Baek Do-kyung, arrives to witness the event firsthand.

In The Manipulated episode 6, Do Gang-jae seeks a private meeting with Yohan, proposing a long-term alliance. Another inmate, Deok-su, demands a different reward. He wants to personally kill Taejoong instead of taking the prize money. Taejoong joins forces with Gu Ji-yong, but chaos erupts as inmates clash over high-performance cars.

Gang-jae targets Car No. 10, a sports vehicle, but Taejoong takes it off. The situation escalates until Yohan’s guards intervene, and the car ends up destroyed beyond repair due to heavy revving and fire. Later, Taejoong meets Yohan. When asked why he created this brutal contest, Yohan replies that he finds "fun" in it.

Taejoong uses the interaction to observe the surroundings and analyze possible escape routes. Returning to the garage, he begins fixing his damaged vehicle. Yohan plants a gun inside Gang-jae’s car. Once the race begins, Gang-jae aims directly for Taejoong. The match intensifies as multiple racers die in the chaos. Taejoong abandons the wrecked car and switches to a motorcycle.

Midway through, Yohan announces that anyone who captures the biker will receive double the prize, 10 billion won. Deok-su manages to corner Taejoong, and a violent knife fight breaks out between them. Taejoong narrowly escapes injury and rides off again. As the commotion grows, Yohan grabs a rifle and fires, but Taejoong evades the shots.

He explodes a gas cylinder, creating a fiery diversion, and speeds away on his bike. The Manipulated episode ends with Yohan aiming once more, while Taejoong appears moments away from a possible escape. This leaves viewers uncertain if he will make it out alive.

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Episodes 7 and 8 of The Manipulated are set to release on November 19, 2025, at 5:00 pm KST on Disney+ and Hulu.

Edited by Shreya Jha