''Steel Rain'' is a 2017 South Korean
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
directed by
Yang Woo-suk
Yang Woo-suk (born October 24, 1969) is a South Korean film director and manhwaga. His first film was the critical and commercial hit ''The Attorney'' (2013).
Career
Born in Seoul in 1969, Yang Woo-suk graduated from Korea University with de ...
, based on his 2011
webtoon
Webtoons (), are a type of digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones.
While webtoons were mostly unknown outside of Korea during their inception, there has been a surge in popularity internationally t ...
of the same name. The film stars
Jung Woo-sung
Jung Woo-sung (born March 20, 1973) is a South Korean actor and the first Korean UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
Jung started his career as a fashion model, rising to stardom and teenage cult status with the gangster movie '' Beat'' (1997), for which ...
and
Kwak Do-won
Kwak Do-won (born Kwak Byung-kyu on May 17, 1973) is a South Korean actor.
Career
Kwak is known for his roles in the films '' The Yellow Sea'' (2010), '' Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time'' (2012), ''The Attorney
''The Attorney'' () is a 20 ...
.
The film opened in South Korea on December 14, 2017, and was later released worldwide on March 14, 2018, on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
. A
standalone sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the ...
titled ''
Steel Rain 2: Summit'' was released in 2020, with Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won returning to play the leading but different roles.
Plot
In
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...
, Eom Chul-Woo is assigned by chief director Ri Tae-han of the
Reconnaissance General Bureau to assassinate
Supreme Guard Command chief Park Byung-jin and the
minister of state security to prevent a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...
. Eom kills the minister in a car accident. In
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, senior presidential secretary Kwak Chul-woo congratulates Kim Kyung-young for winning the presidential election. He is later informed by Li, an
ethnic Korean in charge of the Korean branch of China's
state security, of the assassination and the possibility of a coup in the North.
Bidding farewell to his wife and daughter, Eom proceeds to the
Kaesong Industrial Region
The Kaesŏng Industrial Region (KIR) or Kaesŏng Industrial Zone (KIZ) is a special administrative industrial region of North Korea (DPRK). It was formed in 2002 from part of the Kaesŏng Directly-Governed City. On 10 February 2016, it was tem ...
, where Park is due to arrive with the
supreme leader for a North Korean—Chinese event. Meanwhile, North Korean infiltrators disguised as
ROK Army
The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...
soldiers hijack a US Army
MLRS vehicle and launch two missiles at Kaesong. Eom tries to inform Ri about Park's absence just as the missile lands.
Surviving the attack, Eom witnesses
KPA soldiers massacring the remaining survivors. Eom and two schoolgirls rescue the gravely injured supreme leader in a toy company van and escape across the border to the South with the rest of the Chinese delegation. Kwak, meanwhile, meets with
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
station chief Joanne Martin, who absolves US responsibility for the incident.
In
Ilsan
Ilsan New Town refers to a planned city occupying Ilsandong-gu and Ilsanseo-gu of Goyang.
Ilsan is located northwest of Seoul. Like other satellite cities in the Seoul National Capital Area such as Bundang, Ilsan was planned in order to alleviat ...
, Eom has an
obstetrician
Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surg ...
to tend the supreme leader, but she is unable to extract a bullet lodged near the supreme leader's brain. Meanwhile, Eom informs Ri of his location, who sends reinforcements to kill the supreme leader. Ri reveals himself to be the mastermind of the coup. Eom eliminates them and evacuates him to a plastic surgery clinic staffed by Kwak's ex-wife, Su-Hyeong. Notified of the fight, Kwak makes his way to his ex-wife's clinic and is tied up by Eom along with the South Koreans. However, South Korean special forces soon detain Eom, while the supreme leader is sent to be treated in a military hospital. Meanwhile, President Lee declares
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
in the country as North Korea declares war on the South.
The next morning, Eom and Kwak shadow the director of South Korea's
National Intelligence Service as he meets with North Korean military leaders at
Nodongdangsa. North Korean snipers attack the meeting and a car chase ensues. Not expecting Park to be leading the North Korean delegation, Eom shoots him as ordered earlier. Meanwhile, Ri reveals his plans to attack the South by using nuclear missiles but is unable to use them without the nuclear codes. Eom and Kwak foil another assassination attempt on the supreme leader. Tensions rise as the
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
launches nuclear missiles at North Korea, which responds by launching a nuclear missile toward
Japan. The interception by a Japanese ship causes an
electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of electromagnetic energy. Depending upon the source, the origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial, and can occur as an electromagnetic fi ...
which takes down the US missiles. Alarmed by the escalation, Eom convinces Kwak to leak false news that the supreme leader is dead, which leads to the North halting its plans.
Eom forms a plan with Kwak and returns to the North via a secret tunnel to confront Ri in his underground bunker. The
ROK Air Force receives Eom's signal to launch missiles at his location, destroying the bunker and killing everyone. With the coup attempt foiled, newly-inaugurated President Kim announces peace and
reunification
A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal governmen ...
talks with North Korea. South Korean officials repatriate the supreme leader in return for half of North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
Cast
*
Jung Woo-sung
Jung Woo-sung (born March 20, 1973) is a South Korean actor and the first Korean UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
Jung started his career as a fashion model, rising to stardom and teenage cult status with the gangster movie '' Beat'' (1997), for which ...
as Eom Chul-woo, former
North Korean special forces
The Korean People's Army Special Operations Forces (KPASOF; Korean: 조선인민군 특수작전군; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 特殊作戰軍; Chosŏn-inmin'gun teugsujagjeongun) are the special forces of Korean People's Army. It consist of speci ...
agent
*
Kwak Do-won
Kwak Do-won (born Kwak Byung-kyu on May 17, 1973) is a South Korean actor.
Career
Kwak is known for his roles in the films '' The Yellow Sea'' (2010), '' Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time'' (2012), ''The Attorney
''The Attorney'' () is a 20 ...
as Kwak Chul-woo, South Korean
senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and national security
*
Kim Kap-soo as Ri Tae-han, head of the
Reconnaissance General Bureau
*
Kim Eui-sung
Kim Eui-sung (; born December 17, 1965) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in films '' The Day a Pig Fell into the Well'' (1996), ''Office'' (2015), '' The Exclusive: Beat the Devil's Tattoo'' (2015) and ''Train to Busan'' (2016) ...
as Lee Ee-seong, incumbent
president of South Korea
The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...
*
Lee Geung-young
Lee Geung-young (born December 12, 1960) is a South Korean actor. He graduated from the Department of Drama in Seoul. He debuted in 1977 and after completing his mandatory military service, he debuted in 1982 as the 10th public relations actor fo ...
as Kim Kyung-young,
president-elect
An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the U ...
of South Korea
*
Jo Woo-jin as Choi Myung-rok
*Jung Won-joong as Park Byung-jin
*
Jang Hyun-sung
Jang Hyun-sung (born July 17, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He started his acting career as a member of the ''Hakjeon'' Theatre Company, before transitioning to film and television. Jang is best known for starring in director Song Il-gon's art ...
as Jung Se-young
*
Won Jin-ah as Ryeo Min-kyeong
*
Lee Jae-yong
Lee Jae-yong (; born 23 June 1968), known professionally in the West as Jay Y. Lee, is a South Korean business magnate and the
chairman of Samsung Electronics. He is the only son of Hong Ra-hee and Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung until his de ...
as Park Kwang-dong
*
Kim Myung-gon
Kim Myung-gon (born December 3, 1952) is a South Korean actor, screenwriter and music director. He is best known for starring in and writing the screenplay of Korean film classic '' Seopyeonje'', for which he won Best Actor at the 1993 Blue Drago ...
as Mr. Li, the
Chaoxianzu
Koreans in China (), Korean Chinese (), Joseonjok, Chosŏnjok (), or Chaoxianzu (), are Chinese by nationality and are Koreans by ethnicity (with either full or partial Korean ancestry). A majority of the chaoxianzu are descendants of immigran ...
head of the Korean branch of
Ministry of State Security of
China
*
Park Eun-hye as Kwon Sook-jung
*
Park Sun-young as Kang Ji-hye
*An Mi-na as Song Soo-mi
*
Kim Ji-ho as Choi Soo-hyun
*Lee Yoon-gun as Park Yong-gun
*
Lee Chae-eun as Kwak Se-rim
*Kim Hyung-jong as Lee Hyang-pil
*
Kristen Dalton as Joanne Martin,
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
station chief
A station chief is a government official who is the head of a team, post or function usually in a foreign country. Historically it commonly referred to the head of a defensible structure such as an ambassador's residence or colonial outpost. In G ...
in Seoul
*
Ron Donachie
Ronald Eaglesham Porter (born 26 April 1956), known professionally as Ron Donachie, is a Scottish actor. He is known for starring as DI John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of the Ian Rankin " Rebus" detective novels and for his suppo ...
as Michael Dobbs,
US Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's C ...
*
Kim Ki-hyeon as Park Ki-hyun,
Prime Minister of North Korea
*Kim Joong-ki as Takashi, chief of the Korean office, Japanese
Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
*Andreas Fronk as Tyler,
USFK
United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-ready fighting forces and components under the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) – a su ...
spokesperson
*
Kwon Han-sol as North Korean guide
*Lee Ji-won as North Korean Hacker
*Park Min-hee as NSC Chairman
*Daniel Joey Albright as Pilot
*Lee Si-woo as Kwak Se-min
*Kim Tae-han as Chief Kim
Awards and nominations
Sequel
A sequel ''
Steel Rain 2: Summit'' was released on 29 July 2020. Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won returned to star, but in different roles compared to the first film.
See also
*
Mutual assured destruction
Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy which posits that a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by an attacker on a nuclear-armed defender with second-strike capabilities would cause the ...
*
2017–18 North Korea crisis
Notes
References
External links
*
*{{IMDb title, tt6769508
2017 films
2017 action thriller films
2010s political thriller films
South Korean action thriller films
South Korean political thriller films
Films based on South Korean webtoons
Live-action films based on comics
Films set in North Korea
North Korea in fiction
Next Entertainment World films
2010s South Korean films
Films set in bunkers