Original subtitles

REPUBLIC OF KOREA, NEW PALACE, 1989

Secretary on duty speaking.

Have a seat.

Sir.

You'll come? Yes, sir.

Did the war break out?

They are waiting, Your Highness.

The prime minister just called.

He wishes to see you before announcing the government's statement.

The historical falling of the Berlin Wall.

Reporter Kim Jong-ho will report the news live on site.

We can hear the Eastern Germans' desperate cries

through the Brandenburger Gate.

Yesterday, there were cries of oppression and confinement.

But today,

-they are cries of hope and joy. -Man, it's broken. What a letdown.

Why are you up playing games so late?

-What's it to you? -Did you write your diary?

And why are you watching TV so late?

-Don't talk to your brother that way. -A civilian

-Time for bed. -who witnessed this incident

toasted with champagne, calling it the happiest day of his life.

The Berlin Wall was the symbol of the cold war

between East and West following World War II.

Its fall symbolizes the end of tension and change in this postwar era.

This will bring the reorganization of the international order.

Why are you all standing out here?

We're just here to observe classes.

You are too humble, Your Highness.

Thank you, dear.

What's your name?

Jae-ha.

How old are you? You're quite the looker.

I'm 13 years old, Your Highness.

Come visit the palace tomorrow. You know the address, right?

New Palace in Jongno District, it's on street number one.

Jae-ha.

Clearly he will charm all the girls with his confidence when he starts school.

Where's my brother?

Pardon?

You know what? My father donated 500 million won to your family.

You're living off my family's money.

Where's the gratitude?

Thanks. We'll use it well.

What the hell?

-Pretending to be the bigger man? -What do you want?

Let's see you grovel, jerk!

What are you looking at?

What are you looking at, jerk?

Are you okay?

The only thing you have is money, jerk. How dare you mess with my brother?

Try it again!

-Try me! -Jae-ha, stop.

-Stop. -That's enough.

Let go!

You little...

-Why you... -Let go of me!

Come here!

-Let go! -Go to hell!

Jae-ha!

-Jae-ha! -Your Highness!

-Are you okay? -Jae-ha!

Are you okay, Your Highness?

Get his other arm. Help him.

-Help him. -Are you okay, Your Highness?

Arm.

Gently, please.

I talked to the chief secretary.

Don't worry, he won't tell Mom.

Did you catch the jerk that stabbed me with a pen?

He's not in my class. Never saw him before.

Wait until I get my hands on him. He's dead meat.

So why did you fling yourself at them with your tiny little fists?

To protect you.

It's a huge deal if you get hurt. You're going to be the king.

Brat, you were that worried?

Stop it!

So, what if I get hurt? You can be the king instead.

Exactly my point. I don't want to be king.

Kings have to study too much and have zero privacy.

There will be no time for games, for sure.

Instead, I'll need to attend all sorts of weird social meetings.

Why would I want to do that? I'm not crazy.

Then stop--

Don't cause any more trouble. If I have to become king instead of you,

I'll kill you.

Reflect yourself in here for ten minutes.

For what?

Come on, open the door!

Jae-kang!

Jeez, he's so petty.

Hey, stop right there!

Why isn't this opening?

I'm going to kill you if I catch you.

Hey!

Hey!

23 YEARS LATER

I'm dying. I'm a royal--

I'm dying...

Sit down.

Stand up.

Sit down. Stand up.

Sit down.

Now, sing.

One, two, three, four.

-We were born as men -We were born as men

No!

-Let go! -Where is he going?

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL TRAINING SITE

I'm dying, you hear me?

-Sir! -Hello, sir.

Cigarette smoke!

Where are your cigarettes? Hand them over.

Don't you smoke?

What are you doing? Take him to the infirmary.

-Let's go, sir. -Yes, to the infirmary first.

The prime minister's son was exempted.

Why was I not when I'm a royal?

I already did CBR training once. Why do I have to do it again?

-Let go of me! -Let's go, sir.

You are so dead when I get back from the infirmary!

SONGRIM, NORTH HWANGHAE PROVINCE, 05:37 A.M.

His Majesty is entering.

Twenty-three years ago,

when the Berlin Wall fell,

the late king said,

"How great would it be

if the soldiers of the two nations

could train together?"

His dream is about to come true

after 23 years now.

The World Officer Championship.

Officers from 16 countries across the globe will gather

for a friendly competition.

The officers of the South and North Korea will join forces

and participate as one team.

My dream is not that grand.

I simply wish for the Koreans to live in peace, without the fear of war.

For this competition,

officers from North and South will unite to train.

And it will be the first step towards the dream.

AGREEMENT ON GROUP PARTICIPATION

DEFENSE MINISTER PARK WON-GUK

MINISTER OF PEOPLE'S ARMED FORCES RI CHEOL HO

Please help yourself.

Thank you.

Have you decided on your officers?

Yes, but we have a female drill instructor.

-A woman? -Yes.

Was it the North that was assigned to fill out the mandatory officer position?

Yes, and we have someone competent.

To be honest, she's my daughter.

But her skills are top-notch. She's the first of her kind.

The first woman to ever become a drill instructor in our army.

Always the first to spring into action, breaking down caves during training.

And she's also the best in hand-to-hand combat.

-Is that so? -Yes.

What's her name?

PYONGYANG GYMNASIUM

Comrade Kim Hang Ah!

It hurts, right? Bear with it.

There he is.

How hurt is he?

He broke his forearm. He can't fight.

But it's the quarterfinals.

We'll be in fourth place even if we just enter.

Don't look at me. I'm not doing it.

Who would you think of when you think about hand-to-hand combat?

Well, answer me.

Comrade Kim Hang Ah.

-Definitely. -At attention.

You trained everyone here yourself.

Fight just this once and show them what the 11th Sniper Brigade is made of.

I've already shown them plenty of times.

Besides, I'm going out later.

You gave your consent, remember?

Fight in the competition or I'm taking back my consent.

You can't change your words like that!

Then, we have no choice.

I'll have to fight at my old age.

I'm going to die.

Oh, my poor back. She's going to be the death of me.

Take his shirt off!

Come on, take it off.

I'll wear this for my face-off with death.

LONG LIVE NORTH KOREA

THE 32ND HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT COMPETITION

THE GREATNESS OF MILITARY-FIRST POLITICS

It's been a while, Comrade Kim.

Let's take it easy.

I have to go out later. So let's...

-Fight! -Fight!

Hey, why are you so serious?

Let's just put on a good show.

That jerk.

I said, take it easy.

You never stood a chance.

Oh no, look at my busted lip.

Hang Ah, over here.

Hang Ah.

Hang Ah, what happened to your face?

Is it obvious?

I'm talking about the freckles.

I told you to use the facial cream made with ginseng.

It's no use with all the drills.

Don't forget. If you fail this time, you'll be too old to get a chance.

You'll end up being a second wife, hear?

I have a good feeling about this guy.

He doesn't care that I'm an officer for life.

I thought he looked like a playboy.

Why not ask your father to find you a man?

-There are plenty of men where he works-- -Hey.

You know he thinks she's as popular as Hwang Jini.

He thinks guys are lined up around the block.

Please act like a gentle and quiet woman

with a soft smile, all right?

No matter what, you must hold hands with that guy today!

No one your age has never held hands or have never been kissed.

Do we have to kiss, too? I wouldn't know what to do if that happens.

Some girls sleep with a guy after three dates.

This is already your fifth date.

Take advantage of the odd tension.

Let the awkwardness get to you, and you'll never reach the next level.

You'll stay as friends.

You're right, I don't need more friends.

I have a truck full of soldiers-turned-friends.

-The train is now arriving. -Train stopping.

I have to go. I'll update you later.

Good luck.

Make sure to come back less innocent, okay?

You didn't have to walk me back. I don't know how to thank you.

It's no problem. Over there, right?

Right.

I'm sorry.

Holding your face seemed politer than pushing you away.

-Next time-- -I'll call you.

Have you made up your mind?

I'm not doing it.

Taking part in this World Officer Championship

is a huge honor--

I am not doing it.

Give it some more thought.

The historical significance of North and South training together...

What do you take the Worker's Party for?

You became the first female drill instructor thanks to the party.

You even made yourself on TV.

-Now it's your turn-- -That's exactly the problem.

One small TV appearance made the whole country think I'm terrifying.

And now you want me to show the world?

"Back off, I have iron fists that can kill several men in one go."

Is that what you want me to prove?

In my opinion, you're still single not because you're a drill instructor.

It's your temper.

You always throw fits. No man likes that--

Right, it's all my fault.

I had to become meaner to control the recruits.

While other girls receive skincare, I get freckles.

That's what I get for dedicating my life to the country, right?

In other words, you won't compete

because it interferes with pursuing a man?

Pursuing a man? This is about my life as a woman!

All right, I get it.

I will take responsibility.

For what?

I just have to make sure you have a life as a woman, right?

PYONGYANG, KAESONG

North Korean officers entered the country this morning.

They will be training for the WOC,

a friendly competition among officers from 16 countries.

This event has already captured the public's interest.

It is meaningful

especially because North and South will participate as one team.

The UN Conference on Disarmament is hosting the WOC.

They issued a statement this morning,

congratulating and praising the effort made by South and North.

That South Korean is Jeong Ji-hoon. He's a world-famous prancing singer.

He's a private in the army. A rookie soldier by our standards.

Gang Dong-won, the actor, is currently doing his service.

It's Jo In-sung.

He's in the air force.

The South Korean air force is quite formidable.

So they are.

Maybe we'll get to train with him.

If he receives a special medal and get promoted, it might be possible.

I forgot, he was discharged last year.

It's Hyun Bin. He is still as handsome as ever.

He's enough. He's only been in the military for a year.

He's not an officer, but with his fame, it's not entirely impossible--

It seems you're only interested in the superficial stuff, Comrade Kim.

What are you saying? It's not like I like him for his looks.

He's a Marine, similar to our naval officers.

I would say he's definitely qualified.

As a team leader, I simply want the best members.

He hasn't even trained for two years.

We've trained for ten years. He won't be able to keep up.

Wait.

Who are those girls?

Exposing their legs in this freezing weather.

Doing some strange wiggle--

It's called dancing.

They are the most popular female art troupe down here.

Pretty, aren't they?

How unsightly of grown women.

They look like girls that have gone wild.

I wonder what makeup they use. They're so pretty.

Just win the third place.

Enter the World Officer Championship and just win the third place.

If that happens, the Party will take care of your marriage.

I have something called taste too.

I won't just accept any man you set me up with.

We'll set you up until you find someone you like.

Tell us exactly who you want.

We'll line up a thousand men if we have to.

Yeah, right. The Party would never...

If only there was a guy as handsome as these actors.

It is protocol to do a simple search before an audience with His Majesty.

We ask for your cooperation.

No metal is allowed. Please take off the jacket.

The same for you, sir.

I broke my toe as a child and had a metal pin inserted.

It's the truth.

Please wait here. You are not allowed inside.

His Majesty is in essence of the Republic of Korea himself.

Please understand that we must be thorough.

But he's barefoot. Why do you insist--

We were invited here.

-Aren't you being too strict-- -Stop right there!

Cut it out.

What?

She clearly doesn't trust us.

Use your tooth or nail to dig out the pin.

Show it to her.

Enough.

The Office of Court Affairs is a little sensitive

since you'll be meeting with the King.

Please, come with me.

Welcome.

Reality is finally sinking in, seeing your officers in person.

Junior Lieutenant Kwon Yeong Bae of the Korean People's Army, sir.

Sir, Lieutenant Ri Kang Seok of the Korean People's Army.

Sir, Captain Kim Hang Ah of the Korean People's Army.

I told you about my daughter.

Right.

Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Jae-kang, King of South Korea.

Shall we? We can talk over a delicious dinner.

Father, will the other officers be joining us?

No, you'll meet them tomorrow.

I need you to scare some sense into one of them.

He's quite a handful.

Salute!

At ease.

Sergeant Lee Jae-ha, here to receive the order to be discharged as of today.

Good work.

Thank you.

You're the first royal to fulfill the military service.

That's right.

People talked so much about me being a royal

and not joining the Military Academy.

But an officer's life is too authoritarian for me.

We know, and we think highly of your ideals.

So we prepared a small gift.

Thank you.

This is...

A token of our appreciation.

Sign here to become a commissioned officer.

Sure thing.

-Where? Here? -Yes.

Let me borrow that.

Here.

-This one, too. -One more?

LEE JAE-HA

Salute.

Salute.

His Majesty is entering.

The oath!

The oath.

As an officer of Korea, I solemnly swear to pledge allegiance to the people,

to uphold the constitution and the law, and to fulfill the duties assigned to me.

You better keep your word.

Sleep. You must've stayed up all night to celebrate your discharge.

I did.

Actually, I dozed off a bit around dawn.

Jae-kang, you know my type.

Glamorous bimbos. Vapid and voluptuous!

A whole herd of them pounced on me...

This won't do. I should go back to meet them in my dream.

Prince Jae-ha, we're here. Time to get up.

This isn't the palace.

Did the car break down?

This is our destination.

Turn on the monitor.

Enemies yesterday, allies today...

What is this? It has been on all day since yesterday--

...holds a great meaning.

To instill further meaning into the WOC,

the King's younger brother, Prince Jae-ha,

-has decided to join the team. -What?

In response, the prime minister and other Cabinet ministers

-What the hell? -fully support

the example set by the royal family.

Who's this Prince Jae-ha?

Me?

Damn!

-You want me to do more military training? -That's right.

Guerrilla training with North Korean officers?

Officers don't do guerrilla training. This is for the WOC.

Officers and soldiers are the same!

What is your problem?

I was just discharged today, a few hours ago.

And I was going to cut you some slack, but you volunteered for it.

This is about making me an officer...

What's this?

LEE JAE-HA

A king committing fraud! To his own brother!

Look, I'm a sergeant. I can't beat an officer.

It's not going to happen.

It's a friendly competition.

Are you doing this to promote peace between our countries?

Yes, so let me use you. Help me out.

You can't do this to me. After all the support I gave you.

In history, kings' brothers slandered,

framed and killed in order to steal the throne.

But I worried for your well-being and all.

I never stopped fighting for you, taking on the evil role.

Because you didn't want to be king. That scares you more than death, right?

I didn't mean that. What, you want me to be king?

Yes, please do. I'm going crazy from this king business.

Why are you so hung up on this championship?

Is this about Dad? To be a good son?

You know what I always say.

I want people to live in peace, without fear of war--

One friendly competition won't make it happen.

There are wars everywhere despite all the Olympics.

It's also a great way to show the world how close our countries are.

A warning to stop all their meddling--

Why does it have to be us? Why you?

Team leader Kim Hang Ah, reporting for duty.

Comrade Kim, you are the leader of the unified team.

You must lead them well, regardless of rank, origin or gender.

I understand. I will repay your trust with results.

You were a drill instructor of the Special Operation Forces?

Meaning you were in charge of infiltration and destabilization.

As well as blowing up key facilities and assassinations.

Can we trust you to be the leader?

That's a cheap shot. Those incidents all happened in the past.

What about your officers--

-This is an interview session. -Then stop asking stupid questions.

Look here, mister!

Who are you calling mister?

How old are you?

Can't you tell?

I did teach my soldiers how to assassinate and detonate bombs.

But that was just my job.

You're an officer yourself, but I'm sure your country isn't your entire life.

The same goes for me.

And we stopped all that training ever since the peace talk.

I hardly remember how to do it myself.

I can guess what you're thinking now.

"That Communist woman is lying to win me over."

Not exactly.

It's too bad that I can't show you my sincerity.

Give me a chance. You can fire me if I fail to be qualified.

That's fine by me.

Did you meet all the South Korean officers?

I've already seen some of them.

And one of them...

Oh, him. He's here.

The thing is, he's someone from high up.

He's the prince. The younger brother of the King.

Pardon?

We live off the people's taxes.

We have to work their money's worth.

What have you done, living off their hard-earned tax money?

-I went to the army. -That's an obligation.

-I gave hopes and dreams to women. -When you were younger.

You're over 30 with new nicknames. Old Bachelor, Prince Nuisance.

A lot of men look up to me as their role model.

They want to be carefree like me,

dating around and living the good life.

The latest survey says 52 percent of men want you kicked out of the palace.

They won't put up with your antics any longer.

Jeez.

There was no progress at all while I was away.

What a sad level of consciousness.

They're putting importance on the principles of capitalism.

You have to work as much as you're paid.

You know how Mom feeds the homeless?

That's her way of working off the tax money.

Jae-shin supports counterculture. And I'm doing this whole WOC business.

And you?

What have you done?

You took the tax money too.

Let's just stop.

It would take all night to list.

But I believe in doing good deeds without bragging about them.

It's too embarrassing to list.

It's fine, just name one and you're exempt from the WOC.

-I told you, I can't. -Then leave the palace.

You're a bum leeching off the tax money.

I won't have it, so get out.

Jae-kang.

Wait, Jae-kang.

Wait...

This is His Majesty's message.

"Lee Jae-ha will be kicked out of the palace as of today.

He won't be aided financially in finding a new home or with living expenses.

The Royal Commission will discuss

whether he will be stripped of his royal title.

And if the motion passes,

according to Article Three, Section Eight of the Royal Laws,

he will become a commoner."

Will you participate in the training for the WOC?

Or will you become a penniless commoner?

The training will last a month?

And the WOC takes place in six months.

You must participate in the event for the full month.

My son will also receive the training as the South Korean team leader.

Ask him any questions, and good luck in the training.

Thanks.

We will take you to the dormitory.

Do you have a knife?

Attention.

Attention!

Five steps forward.

Two, three...

Hey, wait. Are you not coming in?

Who are you?

"Eun Shi..."

"Eun Shi-gyeong?"

Is your father's name Eun Kyu-tae? The Chief Secretary of Staff?

So, you're the team leader. Nice to meet you.

This is great. Do you have a knife?

Can you nick me right here--

Everyone is eligible to become an officer, but not just anybody can.

How could you be an officer?

Precisely, I'm not.

If only I hadn't signed the papers...

Oh, a gun.

Let's do this.

You're an officer, right? You have great aim?

Can you nick me slightly?

A graze right here near the skin.

Just enough so I can't pull a trigger.

Not a deep wound, mind you. Just a little trickle of blood, okay?

Give me two weeks in the hospital, and I'll take care of the rest, okay?

Wait, hold on!

A gun is too dangerous, right?

Where?

There?

What are you doing?

Can you do it?

Can you hospitalize me for two weeks? Or more importantly...

Can you even pull the trigger?

Then, shoot me!

That's not how you shoot a gun.

This is how it's done.

Prince Jae-ha! Your Highness!

Are you okay, sir?

Your Highness!

That had real ammo?

Were you really going to kill me?

-Sir, what happened? -Crazy bastard!

I shot the gun.

Arrest me.

It was a joke.

We were just messing around, so back off!

Does your father know that you're a psycho?

You've got guts, I'll give you that.

Unfortunately for you, I hold grudges against people.

You're...

dead meat.

I can be frustrating at times.

You're quite different from what I heard.

Take him to the dorms.

Hey, you!

What the hell was that?

What a crazy bastard.

Mr. Eun totally failed with that pathetic excuse for a son.

I should make a call, get him fired--

Your room, sir.

RI KANG SEOK LEE JAE-HA

You're here.

Come on in.

What the hell...

I'll just...

This isn't right. I can't share a room with a North Korean.

But that's the standard roommate regulation.

Then, why does Eun Shi-gyeong get a room all by himself?

Because Captain Eun is the team leader.

That's discrimination.

In order for democracy to progress,

no more special treatment for leaders or princes.

Everything must be fair and square.

Thus, everyone gets a single room.

Rules are rules, Prince Jae-ha.

The two nations, North and South, decided on this.

They went over each and every sentence together.

It took a whole year. We can't have it fall apart from the start.

Everyone can share a double. I'll talk to Captain Eun...

Oh wait, they have a woman.

There's a female officer from the North.

A woman?

There's a woman?

Share a room with a man?

The prince came late and turned things upside down.

Let's use it as a chance.

We must be steadfast in showing a good example--

How is sharing a room with a man being a "good example"?

If word gets out, I'll...

All reports will be contained. It won't get out.

Team leader Eun Shi-gyeong will share a room with Kang Seok.

If things work out, both your wishes will come true.

We wish for reunification

And you'll get to pursue a man.

Come on, sir!

Who exactly is this Lee Jae-ha? Why is he causing ridiculous...

Let go.

I am the team leader, Kim Hang Ah. You are the South Korean officers?

I am the team leader, Eun Shi-gyeong. I'm sorry we're late.

No worries.

-You must be Comrade Yeom Dong-ha. -Yes, ma'am.

I read your bio so many times, I feel like we're old friends.

Is it just you two?

Where's the third?

I'm Kim Hang Ah.

It's stupid me for having high expectations.

I am quite familiar with you.

You have a mole on your butt, am I right?

How did you know that?

I have my ways.

Have a seat, Comrade Lee.

Comrade?

Since when were we comrades?

You're right. Sorry, I'll try to watch what I say.

Mr. Lee.

I know you're the King's brother, but there will be no special treatment.

-King's brother? -You know, right?

He's a royal?

Shall we eat?

I apologize. That was my mistake.

Let's continue.

Since we're in matching uniforms and are officially one team now,

shall we introduce ourselves?

Lieutenant Ri Kang Seok of the Security Department.

Until recently, I was entrusted with the security

of a respected supreme commander.

Are you trying to look intimidating? That was such a weak attempt.

Captain Eun Shi-gyeong of the First Infantry Division, Forward Unit.

Why "Forward"?

Well--

They were the first to reach Pyongyang during the Korean War.

That was us, the Seventh Infantry Division.

No, I heard they planted the flag first.

That is not true. I heard it was our infantry--

Well, you heard wrong. They planted the flag first.

You dare insult us by talking about that incident?

Sit down.

Let's continue. The sun might set before we finish our introductions.

Junior Lieutenant Kwon Yeong Bae of Tactical Force, National Recon Office.

Really? Nice to meet you. I'm from the 22nd Infantry Division.

Your team sent the spies, right?

My division once killed over 20 of your men a long time ago.

Did you know?

Your Highness...

What a coincidence. Isn't life funny?

Anyway, nice to meet you.

Comrade Lee.

How about we share a hug?

Comrade Lee.

Lady, enough with this comrade business.

It will be a beautiful hug, a real picture perfect moment.

-Comrade Lee! -I already told you I am not your comrade.

Where is the restroom?

You call yourself an officer? Can't even go to the bathroom alone.

I feel bad for your team.

You can pee on your own, right?

I will be alone, won't I? No one's in there?

Don't worry, you'll be peeing all alone.

Let it all out.

Can you check if there are any recording devices?

I heard many South Korean men enjoy peeping on women.

You're such a hassle.

Let's go.

See, look around.

There's nothing here.

Besides, who would bother setting up a camera to peep on you...

Hey, why are you...

Hey!

What are you doing?

It hurts! My arms, it hurts!

I forgot to introduce myself.

Drill Instructor Kim Hang Ah of the 11th Sniper Brigade.

It's called Special Forces in South Korea.

How do you think I know about the mole on your butt?

I've studied and taught about your country for years.

What do you think I taught my men?

"Lee Jae-ha is an enemy of our people.

Assassinate on sight."

You're now the owner of Club M.

The real show begins from now on.

They are dealer of weapons who gain from conflicts.

We don't know what they'll do.

Do you know what I just experienced?

She threatened to kill me.

-I want to kill that South Korean Prince. -Hold out for a week.

Our time will come soon.

I'll train with Comrade Kim.

Why did you decide to join the WOC?

The Worker's Party has promised to set you blind dates?

Your country's so large-scaled even for small matters.

It's ridiculous that I've never dated anyone until this age.

Those people are blind.

In my eyes, Hang Ah, you're a woman.

Subtitle translation by Eunjin Kim