Original subtitles

I was an Albright scholar at an American University.

During my time in America,

there was beauty and abundance everywhere I'd look.

Meanwhile, my countrymen were stripped bare and starving.

Do you know what pizza is?

Has anyone tried it?

Mr. Pak, have you tried it, sir?

No, I haven't, boy.

During my time abroad, I lived above a pizza shop

and couldn't afford a single proper meal a day.

Every day, I smelled pizzas baking.

Every night, it kept me up.

Was it really that good?

Listen, the economy matters more than guns.

I saw a country where no one worried about food.

Where you can have three decent meals every day.

What I envied during my studies abroad

wasn't their fighter jets or aircraft carriers, it was…

it was pizza.

What is the point

of winning a war

when the entire nation is starving to death?

That's why Mr. Choo Intae said

that I should study economics.

The Republic of Korea…

can use its young and abundant work force to become an industrialized nation.

With our peninsular position, we could become the next center of trade.

That is exactly the kind of nation…

that Mr. Choo Intae dreams of.

Choo Intae!

- Choo Intae! - Choo Intae!

- Choo Intae! - Choo Intae!

- Choo Intae! - Choo Intae!

- Choo Intae! - Choo Intae!

Uncle Samsik

Uncle Samsik

Same Dream

Thank you.

Oh wow, that was a great speech, huh?

Yeah, I'll bet you'll make a great addition to the Democratic Party.

- Indeed. I found your speech touching. Is your boyfriend looking…

- We could set up a meeting. …to get into politics?

- Yes, exactly, exactly! Not at all.

You'll be the Democratic Party's greatest asset.

That is, if you want to join us.

- So you must join us! - Yeah!

We'd be glad to have you.

- Of course. - San.

- Shall we go? - Sure.

Assemblyman Sun, we will be in touch.

Oh, right. Sure.

Of course, of course.

Have a good evening, sir. Bye.

Wow, amazing speech, don't you think?

Will your father be okay?

I'm gonna go find him right now.

I'll come with you.

No, it's okay. I'll talk to you later.

Oh, no!

- Are you all right? - Yeah, oh my goodness.

Thank you. Oh, gosh.

- Oh, it's okay. - Your clothes are all dirty now.

- I'm terribly sorry about that. - You're not hurt, are you?

- Oh, no. Goodness. Thank you. - Sir, could you give us a hand?

- There you go. - Oh, my gosh, thank you.

We can take it from here now.

- I'm sorry about the fruit. - That's fine. Thank you. Thank you.

- Please be careful. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

I see you've got great potential.

Sorry?

You know what pizza tastes like.

Have you really had it before?

Yes.

I found your speech very impressive.

Especially "a country where you can have three meals a day."

Yeah, that part really brought tears to my eyes.

I appreciate it.

I hope to see you some time again very soon.

Seohae Oil, Sail Developments CEO Pak Doochill

Watch it, man!

Hello.

We won.

- Oh, you won? - Yes.

- You saw us destroy 25 men. - We only had 10 guys.

It doesn't matter that you only had 10 guys.

I would've hired more men with the money I gave you

and forgotten the rest.

And Yoon Palbong?

- He ran away. - Yoon Palbong was your target.

Either way, well done.

He and his men will retaliate, so be prepared.

- Yes, sir. - Have a good night.

December 1, 1959 Seoul, South Korea

Ministry of Home Affairs

Hey, kid.

I'll take a paper.

Wow, he's on the front page.

He's a star.

What are you doing?

Good morning.

Don't bother hiding it.

I've seen it all too.

It was a great photo of you.

Moving forward,

you'll be working with the Audit Bureau.

The Audit Bureau?

The minister requested that you be transferred.

Could it be because of that speech last night?

You just had to go there, huh?

Sir, listen. I've spent my life researching and analyzing this project.

The National Reconstruction Bureau brought me to Home Affairs.

If that's really the case,

then you should've been more careful.

I refuse to leave like this.

I'll meet with the minister myself.

Hey, are you insane?

The minister is not your friend. Hey!

I will meet with the minister and beg on my knees if I have to.

- Listen to me. Listen. - I can't just--

- Hey! - I'll handle this myself.

Wait!

Take a look at it.

Minister Choi.

Sir, I need to speak with you.

This man looks familiar.

Didn't you read today's paper?

Comprehensive economic policy for the 5-year National Reconstruction Plan

So you're famous now?

Who is that?

Liberal Party Assemblyman, Kang Seongmin.

Why is the Liberal Party walking off with our proposal?

Year 1960 Unknown, South Korea

Capital Defense Unit, Secret Bunker

That day…

I met Liberal Party member Kang Seongmin for the first time.

He was carrying a copy of the proposal I had worked on for over two years.

- The National Reconstruction Proposal? - Yes.

It was obvious Minister Choi Minkyu gave it to him.

But the thing is…

I still can't forget the look in the man's eyes.

That condescending…

disdainful look.

As if all he wanted to do was tear me apart.

Oh, so you're famous now?

And that I can't forget.

Army Counter Intelligence Corps

Commander. Sir.

Hong Youngki Head of the Counter Intelligence Corps

- What? What's going on? - There they are!

- Hey, run! - Get them! Get them!

I left the Ministry of Home Affairs not knowing what was next for me.

I just wandered the streets for the rest of the day.

I was angry. I felt defeated.

I had nowhere to go and no one to tell.

I felt so lost.

Fucking dogs.

I felt like no one wanted to listen to what I had to say.

It seemed like nobody even cared about the future of South Korea.

"Would I go back to America?"

"Just go teach somewhere?

Or go into business and be a complete sell-out?"

Damn it.

Ah, shit.

Just how far are you guys gonna run, assholes?

- Look behind you. - What?

I said look behind you, now!

We've got you now, asshole.

Bring it on.

You son of a bitch.

And then…

…Uncle Samsik showed up again.

Can I help you?

You remember my boss, right?

Yes.

He's waiting for you right now.

- I'm glad you could make it. - What's this about?

Please, have a seat.

I enjoyed reading the National Reconstruction Proposal.

How'd you get a copy?

I get anything I want from Home Affairs.

I always dreamed

of eating a red bean bun. So much so that…

that at 16…

I killed a person for the first time.

But now I eat as many as I want.

I bought this little bakery.

So what's the point of telling me this?

The point is that…

I tend to get…

everything I want from people.

I happen to have a special skill.

I can tell just by looking into someone's eyes

whether they'll make it or not.

You, Manager Kim,

have potential to become president.

Well, at least minister, for sure.

- Yeah, maybe I'll call you Minister. - Sure.

I can see it with my own eyes.

You've got strong ambition.

We met for the first time yesterday, right?

Yes.

And what a fateful encounter it was.

Minister, do you know the principles that govern this world?

Spring arrives, then summer. Flowers bloom, then wilt.

They're what make the world go around, the sun rise and set.

Are you referencing the rotation of the Earth?

That's right. The Earth's rotation and revolution.

Can you feel it right now? The rotation and revolution?

Yeah.

That is precisely the kind of man I am.

The Earth's rotation and revolution.

Minister, we're both dreaming the same dream.

But why me?

There's a lot of qualified people out there.

Those kinds of people aren't prepared to do

what needs to be done in order to help others.

You said you read the proposal I wrote?

How long would it take to get it running?

We at least need to foster talent

and complete the industrial complex in five years

to establish an export-led industry within 10 years.

Five years, seven at most. If we don't…

other countries will leave us behind.

That's the dream that I have.

Can you make this happen?

I knew it.

How is it that you and I think so much alike?

Can you make it work? Give me a straight answer here.

A straight answer?

I've got a straight answer for you.

What is it?

Stop seeing Choo Yeojin.

What'd you say?

You and Choo Intae's daughter can't be dating.

You don't even know me, all right? That's crossing the line.

You said we both had the same dream.

Exactly right.

And if you're Choo Intae's son-in-law, the dream will never be fulfilled.

Have you had pizza?

Yes, of course.

What's pizza taste like?

What?

Taste?

How do you even explain taste with words?

What does it taste like?

It's something that can't be explained.

Sounds like you don't know what it tastes like.

So then,

did you break up with Choo Yeojin?

Hmm. No, I didn't.

Then, when was it that you saw Samsik again?

After that night…

he visited me every single day.

President Rhee began his day by greeting various visitors.

First to arrive were key figures in the legislation,

the judiciary, and the administration.

He urged the government and the people

to work together in the coming year toward a better future for South Korea.

I'll be there when he announces.

Are you sure you'll be okay?

I'll be fine.

They drove you to the Audit Bureau because of your speech, didn't they?

Sure, but the Audit Bureau… could be interesting.

Just a minute, Yeojin.

Excuse me.

Yes?

Why are you following us?

Me? No. I wasn't.

Yeah, you have been since the theater.

- Why are you following us? - You're mistaken.

Did Uncle Samsik put you up to this?

Yes.

What's that? Who on Earth left this here?

Mom, Uncle Samsik? Who's that?

Soojin.

Is there an "Uncle Samsik" in our neighborhood?

Uncle Samsik?

I've never heard of him.

Someone left us these bags of rice.

Rice?

I'm home.

Uncle.

Who's Uncle Samsik?

Hmm?

Hey, where'd this come from?

Do you think it's all right if we keep this though?

I know who this is from, so we can keep it.

Jina, I'm gonna make some for you.

Oh, my. It's pretty chilly today.

This is for your niece.

How did you know we were out of rice?

Well, I could hear your stomach growling from miles away.

Yeojin and I are gonna keep dating.

So you can leave.

Choo Intae. Isn't that guy a communist?

No, and I wouldn't break up with her even if her father was a communist.

Why ruin the big picture with something trivial?

So you think our love is trivial?

Guess you don't know much about love.

Love, huh?

There's a lot of women, but opportunities are rare.

Opportunities, huh?

I have a great plan in mind. One that's just for you, Minister.

So what is this plan of yours?

That'll all be revealed to you when you're ready to receive it.

Here, share these with your niece.

A full stomach tends to open one's mind.

Pick Choo Intae and I promise you,

you'll be hungry forever.

No… Wait a second.

When your stomach's full, your mind really does tend to open.

He was right about that.

I'd never had such delicious rice or snacks in my whole life.

And the reality in this country was…

you couldn't afford those things with the salary of a Home Affairs manager.

December 15, 1959 Seoul, South Korea

Innovation Party

Ah, goodness.

- Must be a lot of work for you, huh? - Not at all.

- It's good to see you again. - Of course.

- Have a seat inside. - All right, keep up the good work.

- Congratulations. - Have you set a date?

We will, after the election.

- You're doing such great work. - Thank you.

Just gonna be a housewife after you're married?

Hmm?

Top of your class in Korean literature.

Come to Aemin Daily with us.

You're here.

How is everything? Where's your father?

Oh Inwoo. Reporter for Aemin Daily and classmate of Yeojin.

I'm Kim San.

Looks like you've come down here to celebrate, huh?

- You doing all right? - Of course.

So you're joining the Democratic Party.

- It's been a while. - Indeed.

- I'll see you again soon. - Yes, sir.

- It's good to see you. - Good to see you.

Seonyoowon

The foreign press is saying there's no way we can win.

The opposition party's influence is too strong

in the major cities right now.

What do we do about it?

Increase voter turnout in the provinces.

So how will you achieve that?

Campaign and encourage voting.

That's about all we can do, right?

You won't get anywhere with that attitude.

You're the future party leader.

If you have something in mind,

then let me hear it.

Amend the Local Government Act,

so we can mobilize local government workers for the campaign.

That's abuse of power and it'll lead to resistance from the opposition.

Some people will be against it even within the party. It'll get tense.

Will you be able to handle something like that?

You know that politics…

is all about beating those against you and getting them to join you.

It's a chance to take control of the party.

Perhaps it is.

As you prefer.

I guess I didn't see the big picture.

Well, I had no intention of participating in real politics until now.

But for the sake of the people's desire

to prevent the current administration from regaining power and strength,

I intend to run in the next presidential election.

Democracy this, democracy that, we're always busy talking about it,

but we don't know what it actually is.

I'm a novice when it comes to politics.

You're young.

You have time to face the… the obstacles of reality,

because you're young.

Well, I'm honored, sir.

But I'd like to think about it, if that's all right.

So what did you discuss with my father?

He wants me to join the Innovation Party.

Did you give him an answer?

Well,

I said I'd think about it.

- Should we postpone our wedding? - Hmm?

Just a minute, okay?

- Good evening. - Oh, welcome.

- Can I please have a basket? - Oh, sure.

Jina likes this one, doesn't she?

Oh, you don't have to do that for Jina.

Uh, I think this is the one she likes, right?

Uh, it's this one.

- Can we have a bag of these here? - Oh, sure.

I'd prefer it

if you stayed out of politics, actually.

Is that selfish to ask?

No, it isn't.

- Yes, how much is it? - Thank you so much.

It's 300 hwan.

It's okay. Let me buy this for Jina.

- Here you go, ma'am. - Thank you. Enjoy.

December 16, 1959 Seoul, South Korea

National Assembly

Good afternoon.

How have you been?

Why did you call me here?

The president is announcing his candidacy very soon.

The entire world knows that.

Well, what they don't know yet

is he'll be appointing me as the chairman of the election committee.

We need your influence, Mr. Pak.

And what influence do you think I have?

Don't you control the police?

We need some men to secretly work for us in the outskirts.

The president must have given him the chair position for a reason, right?

So what do you need?

The mighty Yoon Palbong…

…taken down by some underling.

Are you serious? If I could've faced those punks one-on-one,

they'd be dead right now.

You're done with street fights.

We're now in an age of fighter planes and submarines.

Did you come to make me angry?

Kang Seongmin has just put out a hit on a certain Yoon Palbong.

You're here to kill me?

Oh, I'm here to save Yoon Palbong.

All right. Well then…

tell me what I've got to do.

You gotta win the Innovation Party's nomination.

The Innovation?

Choo Intae?

But I don't like Choo Intae.

The safest spot's right next to Choo.

Tell Kang you'll get nominated

and you'll spy on Choo Intae for him from the inside.

He would never kill someone if he finds them useful.

Hey, how am I supposed to get nominated?

There's always a way.

There's a string attached.

- Come on in. - Yes, sir.

Hello.

Are you feeling okay?

Hand Dongdaemun over to these guys.

Thanks for your understanding.

Banya Hotel

Here he comes. I'll… I'll head inside first.

This way.

Shall we?

What happened with Yoon Palbong?

I will tell you when we're finished here.

Kang Seongmin

Cheongwoo Federation confidentiality agreement

I will be chairing the election campaign committee

in order to secure the president's reelection.

Are we certain that he's gonna run?

Yes, the announcement will be made soon.

The Development Bank is giving us a loan to invest

in the industrial complex facilities and 30%

will be used to fund the campaign.

What? 30%? That's out of the question.

Utterly ridiculous.

We cannot accept that--

Think about this. If our partners were to pull out,

we lose what we've invested.

So what do you say?

It's not feasible for us.

That's way too much, 30%.

We're talking about a debt here.

And for you to use 30% of the loan?

Once I become the chair of the election campaign,

I will make sure that our Cheongwoo Federation

takes control of the Liberal Party.

Then we can push for special laws

and see that the industrial complex is completed.

Lend me your support and put your trust in me.

Now applaud!

30%, that's totally ridiculous.

Is there really a need to kill Yoon Palbong right away?

You'll need him for the next election.

I don't need him.

It's not easy these days to find people to do the dirty work.

I told you, I keep having nightmares.

I'm gonna need some time then.

What's Cha Taemin up to?

Taemin?

Well, Taemin, I assume

is at the salt farms regretting what he did.

Give it to Taemin.

That's a little…

What?

Does that make you uneasy?

Should we just throw you to the fish, or…

should we work together?

Cha Taemin Leader of the Sineui Alliance

No, it does not.

I will arrange to meet with him.

I'm sure he's got a grudge against Yoon Palbong.

Tell him I'll send him to Osaka if he gets the job done right.

Yes.

Do this for me

as quickly as possible.

The Sineui Alliance is worthless.

It's a puppet exploited by your ambitions.

Why should we…

Why should we kill people for you?

Is that why you betrayed me?

So please, just let Taemin live.

I'll send him off to the salt farms and keep a close eye on him.

Call the salt farm.

Tell them I'm coming.

Very well, sir.

What's going on here?

- Well… - Huh?

The Reconstruction Bureau is being shut down.

Wait, what are you saying?

It's the minister's order.

What now?

What exactly is going on?

Well, we have an election to handle.

Would you just tell me what this is about?

What's going on?

Tell me why.

You and I spent all those sleepless nights, didn't we?

You missed your children's graduations.

And you put up with delayed payments.

You even rejected decent job offers.

For what?

Tell me, sir.

There were dreams, weren't there?

Dreams that we were planning on fulfilling, you and I.

Right?

I hear what you're saying.

And I feel the same way.

So then why are they doing this all of a sudden?

He says that a planned economy is for communists.

That's complete nonsense.

Each department will send employees to the election headquarters.

They're using government workers for the election?

Every non-essential department is getting disbanded

to focus on the election.

Sir.

Yes?

What have you been doing this whole time?

Were you planning on just riding our coattails until you got promoted?

Kim San.

How… how dare you?

I owe you nothing from this point on.

The National Reconstruction Project.

I'm not gonna give it up.

- What? - I will continue working

on the National Reconstruction Project.

So set the materials aside.

What did Samsik propose to you when you first met him?

He reached out to me as soon as I left the Ministry.

It turns out he had been watching me all along.

He also knew that the National Reconstruction Bureau

had been disbanded.

Mom, is this really gonna work?

I guess we'll see.

Hi, I'm home.

Oh, Uncle, someone sent us a telephone.

A telephone?

Who sent this?

Uh, some people came to drop it off earlier today.

- Yes, hello? - Hello, Minister.

Can you hear me all right?

I sent you a telephone, so that we could chat every now and then.

It's great to hear your voice.

What do you think you're doing?

Minister, I heard they shut down

the National Reconstruction Bureau.

Those poor fools, they just don't understand.

They don't see what a blessing you are.

In my opinion,

blessings are only blessings if and when they're placed in the right hands.

For those who are unable to appreciate them,

they become poison.

And the poison spreads.

I'm confident that I can make very good use

of the blessing that is Kim San.

Don't defy what's in your destiny.

He told me not to defy what's in my destiny.

Uncle Samsik is the kind of man who can forge destiny out of thin air.

So, where was I destined to go next?

Well, of course,

he had the answer to that.

He knew it wasn't to the place that needed me,

but to the place I needed to be.

Hey, what are you doing here?

Just passing by and wanted to see you.

Can you wait a second?

I'll tell Father that you're here.

Oh, don't.

I came here to see you.

Well then, can you sit down and wait a little while?

Yeojin, about that speech scheduled for this weekend.

I think we need to cancel. We have no campaign vehicles.

Let's wait a little longer.

The place I needed to be.

But where did I have to be for my own sake?

The foreign press is predicting Choo Intae will win the election.

Should we just trust Kang Seongmin and leave it up to him?

No, we can't.

So?

What's the other option?

Well…

I have a great plan for us.

The Cheongwoo Federation will eventually control the entire country.

So how do we do that?

We plan the establishment of a parliament

and we buy off the entire National Assembly.

Was Samsik involved in the illegal loan acquired

from the Development Bank?

I'm not sure about that.

Was Samsik involved

in the election fraud that took place on March 15th?

I'm not sure about that.

You want the ballot boxes…

Too risky?

You're stealing ballot boxes, aren't you?

You better not be caught this time around.

If it seems even a little dangerous,

leave the ballot boxes and get out of there.

If you're caught this time, I can't save you.

Did Samsik

coax and win over key figures

in the military and the government?

I'm not sure about that.

Go and meet Hong Youngki.

Politics.

That's what poisoned the military. Don't you see it?

The government turned the military into its puppet.

We need to reform politics to cleanse the military and if not,

then the military has to cleanse politics.

Was Samsik the one…

who planned coup d'état?

Let's turn the world upside down.

South Korea is too small of a vessel for us.

A bowl too small to hold our great potential.

We need to shatter it first

in order to create a bigger one.