(Korean Movies) 71-Into the Fire, 2010

The moving true story of the 71 student soldiers who jumped into the fire
A page of history that has been forgotten for 60 years is revived!
2010 is a meaningful year to mark the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the 6.25 outbreak, but the reality is that the Korean War is being forgotten by many. <Into the Fire>, which depicts the true story of 71 student soldiers who changed the fate of a huge war by jumping into the fire as a student, but no one remembers now, is more than just a movie in that sense. As director Lee Jae-han said, “I finished the film with a sense of mission to inform the noble sacrifices of the students who fought in the Korean War,” <Into the Fire> can be a meaningful opportunity to revive a page of history that has been forgotten for 60 years. because there is In 2010, the sad and great battle of 71 student soldiers revived through <Into the Fire> will give you a heartwarming impression that you will never forget for a long time.

It all started with one letter!
A letter that could not be sent to the mother of student Byeong Lee Woo-geun, a third year middle school student
The letter that begins with “Mother, I killed a person” was written on August 11, during the Battle of Pohang, by Lee Woo-geun, one of the 71 student soldiers. The letter from a 16-year-old boy who was in the third year of middle school at the time is heartbreakingly melted in the shock and sadness of killing a person for the first time in his life, the fear of an invincible enemy, and the courage to never lose hope until the end. The sad reality of Korea is that even today, 60 years later, the boy's question, “Mother, why do we have to go to war?” cannot be answered. Student soldier Lee Woo-geun could not return to his mother's arms in the end, and the letter was later discovered and made known to the world by a surviving student who was collecting the body. The horrors of war seen through the eyes of a student soldier who are not affected by the times of the world, and the horrors of war through his eyes free from ideology, represent the message that <Into the Fire> is intended to convey.

Cha Seung-won, Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Seung-hyun (TOP), Kim Seung-woo, the strongest cast ever!
A charismatic war unfolds between the four men who risked their all!
Cha Seung-won, Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Seung-hyun (TOP), Kim Seung-woo. Four male actors representing Korea have teamed up for <Into the Fire>. The strongest casting in history was made for <Into the Fire>, a war masterpiece produced to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, with a total production cost of 11.3 billion won. Cha Seung-won, the charismatic leader who said, “War movies are the best experience for a male actor”, Sang-woo Kwon, who burned with enthusiasm saying “Into the Fire is a movie like a nuclear bomb”, experienced tremendous growth with the determination that “I risked my life for this work” Seung-hyeon Han (TOP), even Kim Seung-woo, who reminded the meaning of the work as the eldest, leading the scene as the eldest, saying, “There are no heroes in <Into the Fire>.” The passionate performance of the four actors who started filming on December 1 and stayed together for nearly five months in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do and melted the worst cold weather in history is the strongest reason to look forward to <Into the Fire>.

A new challenge for the production team of the national drama <Iris>
Look forward to the war spectacle following <Taegeukgi Waving>!
<Into the Fire> is an ambitious work newly introduced by Taewon Entertainment, the producer of <Iris>, which opened a new chapter in the history of Korean dramas and became a 'national drama' in 2009. In June 2010, the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, the war blockbuster, which disappeared after <Taegeukgi Waving>, which was released in 2003 and surpassed 10 million viewers in the shortest period of time, will be revived in theaters. The various know-how of shooting large-scale explosions and battle scenes accumulated in <Iris> shines with the directing of director Lee Jae-han, who captivates the audience with his excellent visual beauty. The war scenes in <Into Fire>, where the emotions and emotions of the characters coexist with an overwhelming spectacle, rather than simple actions in which bullets fly and bombs explode, will give the audience a visual pleasure that can only be felt on a large screen.

Pre-sale at Cannes Film Festival in 4 countries, Stanford University invitation to the US official screening
Now the world pays attention to <Into the Fire>!
The most talked-about film at the Cannes Film Festival market in France, which opened on May 17th, was undoubtedly <Into the Fire>. The 12-minute promotional screening was followed by major buyers from around the world, such as Paramount, Kino, Magnolia, Kaga, Toei, and Amuse in the United States. In addition, hot love calls from buyers from dozens of countries poured in. <Into the Fire>, which was evaluated in Cannes as 'a work with global sensibility and commerciality unlike existing Korean war films', will have an official screening in the United States on May 27th at the invitation of Stanford University. Stanford University's screening is the first in two years since Clint Eastwood's war film A Letter from Iwo Jima. Considering that global film festivals are paying attention to Korean films, but no Korean films have even been nominated for nominations at the American Academy Film Festival, this interest in <Into the Fire> is a glimpse into new possibilities for Korean films moving toward the world stage. is an opportunity to

[ About Korean War ]

Journal of major events in the Korean War

At the dawn of June 25, 1950, North Korean communist forces illegally invaded South Korea across the 38th parallel, which was the military demarcation line between the two Koreas.
June 27, 1950 Moved to Daejeon, the temporary capital of the Republic of Korea
On June 28, 1950, North Korean troops occupied Seoul.
On July 07, 1950, 16 countries participated in the formation of the UN Allied Forces.
July 08, 1950 Moved to Daegu, the temporary capital of Korea
On July 19, 1950, North Korean troops occupied Daejeon.
The Battle of Pohang on August 11, 1950
August 18, 1950 Moved to Busan, the temporary capital of the Republic of Korea
On August 31, 1950, the North Korean army advanced to the Nakdonggang Front.
September 15, 1950 General MacArthur's Incheon Landing Operation
On September 28, 1950, Allied Forces regained Seoul
On October 19, 1950, the Allied Forces recapture Pyongyang.
On December 14, 1950, the Allied Forces withdrew from Pyongyang due to the participation of Chinese troops in the war.
January 04, 1951 Allied Forces retreat from Seoul

After the 1.4 retreat, the Allied Forces succeeded in recovering Seoul again on March 14, but after the Soviet Union joined the North, the outbreak of World War III was predicted. In July 1951, as the war continued, armistice talks began, and after Stalin's death in March 1953, the Soviet Union declared an end to the war and North Korea subsequently proposed a ceasefire. The effect continues. During the Korean War, which lasted three years and one month, the number of deaths reached 2 million, and it is estimated that 85% of the deaths on the Korean side were civilians.

*References: Wikipedia, Doosan Encyclopedia, National Archives of the National Archives, Nakdonggang Victory Memorial website

Battle of Nakdong River

“The last line of defense from which no more can be retreated or pushed,
When the Nakdong River is opened, it will be over!”
The North Korean army, who had seized Seoul three days after the start of the war, continued to advance southward to the vicinity of the Nakdong River. If the Nakdong River breaks through, Busan cannot be protected. The South Korean Army ordered to build a bridgehead on the Nakdong River on August 1 to defend the Nakdong River, and from August 3, fierce battles to defend the Nakdong River support line will take place in Uiseong, Masan, Yeongsan, Angang, Pohang, and Waegwan areas in Gyeongsangbuk-do.

<Into Fire> is a true war story that depicts the devastating battles that took place in the Nakdong River and Pohang area when the North Korean army, armed with overwhelming firepower and troops, was gathering on the Nakdong River front to cut off South Korea's last aorta. Although the war continued after that, in August 1950, it was the last battle that staked everything for those who fought there, called the 'Sea of Blood'.

Battle of Pohang Girls' Middle School

“Are you going to abandon Pohang?”
“I can’t. If Pohang is breached, the Nakdonggang front will be surrounded back and forth.”
“Then which unit is in charge of Pohang?”

August 10, 1950
According to the records, there were hundreds of regular South Korean soldiers and 71 unarmed student soldiers waiting in Pohang at the time. At that time, even though the student soldiers were not obligated to participate in the war, they followed the regular army officers they followed to Pohang. Pohang, which was inferior in terms of power and did not know the information on the advance of the North Korean army, was absolutely defenseless.

August 11, 1950
When North Korea's 766th guerrilla unit raided Pohang, only 71 students remained among the Pohang Girls' Middle School. The weapons provided to each student were an M1 rifle and 250 live ammunition. They fought a total of four battles for 11 and a half hours against the tremendous firepower of the North Korean army, and when the live ammunition ran out, they threw back a grenade thrown by the enemy and threw it back in a bloody battle. About 60 North Korean soldiers were killed in this battle, and 48 student soldiers lost their beautiful young lives. It takes 2 hours from Pohang to Nakdong River. Over 200,000 refugees evacuated to the south of the Hyeongsan River during the 11 and a half hours that 71 student soldiers delayed the North Korean invasion of South Korea, which greatly contributed to the defense of the Nakdong River as well as the subsequent counterattack by the ROK and Allied forces.

Student Soldiers in the Korean War

“Can I be the only cowardly at home? All my friends died fighting.”

The term 'student soldier', which is unfamiliar to today's young people living a life unrelated to war, refers to student soldiers who participated in the war, 'student volunteer army'. In the 1950s, just 60 years ago, the educational environment in Korea was worse than I had imagined. A time when you could become a teacher or a civil servant even if you had an academic background above the national school (now elementary school). Therefore, educated human resources were considered to lead the country, and this was the case even after the outbreak of the war. For this reason, the government strongly discouraged young students from participating in the war for the sake of the country's future, but they left school wearing uniforms and stood in the middle of the battlefield. During the Korean War, student soldiers ranged from young boys to college students, as well as returning international students and female students. The number of students killed during the Korean War, including 286 from 55 schools in Gyeongsangbuk-do, where the Nakdonggang Battle took place, is estimated to be close to 3,000. However, it seems that the number of student soldiers who disappeared into the fire without leaving a name because they did not have a military number and no affiliation is likely to be higher. The production team, who wanted to breathe life into the students who had been forgotten for 60 years, selected all the students through an audition. As the protagonists of the movie and the protagonists of the true war, they will rewrite a page of history that has been forgotten for 60 years but must be remembered.

* References: Korean War History (Ministry of National Defense), Korean War History (War Memorial Society)

Memories of that day from survivors
– Pohang Battle Survivor Kim Man-gyu (15 years old at the time), Son Joo-hyeong (17 years old at the time) –
Pohang Girls' Middle School (now Pohang Girls' High School), where 71 student soldiers risked their lives during the Korean War, has been transformed into a modern building and green campus today, 60 years later. Right in front of the school gate, the 'Student Volunteer Army 6.25 Memorial Monument', built on the site where the first 48 dead student soldiers were buried, is the only one that remembers the horrors of that day 60 years ago. The survivors of the Battle of Pohang, who return to the place on August 11 every year, still remembered that day as vividly as if it were yesterday.

The situation at the time of the battle on August 11th

Kim Man-gyu (student soldiers) came to Pohang on August 9, 1950. It was the afternoon of August 10 when I went to Ocheon Airfield and received weapons, and it was around 1 am when I received 250 live ammunition from the auditorium of Pohang Girls' Middle School and fell asleep with it. Around 3 in the morning, I hear a clicking noise from downtown. At that time there were only 71 of us in the school. The company commander divided the 1st and 2nd platoons and placed them on the school fence. He said, 'Don't shoot until you shoot from the other side first'. I see a huge number of puppets coming. His eyes caught fire and he fired. The puppet army said, 'Comrade, retreat,' and withdrew, a few minutes later, they advanced again. They fired guns here and there and retreated again, and then they took over the railroad tracks going to Yeongdeok from above and shot and surrounded us with guns from below. In the 4th game, they attacked mortars from the back and shot a lot of machine guns and pistols from the front, gradually making a pincer attack, but at the end they came up to 30m in front of me and threw a grenade bat. The bullets ran out and the grenade was either thrown back (at the North Korean army) or exploded to death. I was taken prisoner in that battle and held for ten days, barely escaping just before being shot. The rest of the prisoners were all shot and killed in Shingosan.

Son Joo-hyung From North Korea's point of view, while concentrating the South's nerves on the Nakdong River, they sent Unit 766 to Pohang to go straight to Busan. I had confidence that I could enter Pohang without firing a single shot, but I had no idea that we would be there, and then we got hit. Since we lasted 11 and a half hours, our allies have that much free time. I felt like a rock came and hit me while fighting, but when I looked at the warmth underneath, I was drenched in blood. I got shot. I passed out there and when I opened my eyes, it was a Gyeongju Field Hospital.

The story of when I volunteered for the student soldier

Kim Man -gyu My hometown is Daegu, and I was fifteen at the time. He was about an inch taller than an M1 rifle. 'You're too young, you can't', so I deceived my age by saying I was 18. My mother cried and opposed it, but I hid at a friend's house and slept for one day, and enlisted the next day.

Joo-Hyung Son I was a fourth-year middle school student, now a first-year high school student, and was seventeen. Seoul was my home, but I was the only one who evacuated first. I even got on the roof of the train and came to Daegu like that, living as a beggar for a few days before applying. At home, I didn't know I was going to the military.

Looking at Pohang after 60 years

Kim Man-gyu The school building seems to have been remodeled, but the location of the auditorium remains the same. At that time, there were no fences or iron gates, and the fence we were fighting was wood. The neighborhood has changed a lot. The east side was an orchard, and there were no private houses on the other side, all of which were paddy fields. At that time, Pohang was all bombed and there was nothing except Pohang First Church.

Grandchildren type at the time the school was a two-storey building. We were sleeping in that auditorium that night and I was shot under that fence. Every year on August 11th, I come here to participate in a memorial service and climb up. Even now, 48 of my co-workers are looking at me from there. I still live and come here every year, but I can't forget that my friends went first. If we close our eyes, we might meet together, but even now, my colleagues have gone… My heart aches because of the thought.

Memories of Lee Woo-geun's Student Soldier

Kim Man-gyu and Lee Woo-geun were in the third year of Dongseong Middle School in Seoul. He was lively, tall, and very cheerful. I kept a journal before the battle, and I kept a journal until I died. I didn't know at the time that I was writing such a journal. About ten days later, I went to collect the bodies of my colleagues. Woo-geun Lee found a small notebook in his clothes. At the time, it had been oxidized by a grenade (it was summer) and the body had been left for more than ten days. So there were many people whose names were unknown, but Lee Woo-geun had the notebook. So the letter became known.