Road Number One
Episode 7
This program has received production support from Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
This drama spans the first year of the Korean War,
which broke out on June 25, 1950 and rages for three years.
Most of the events of the Korean War have been dramatically recreated
and do not reflect any actual individuals or troops.
After reclaiming Dabudong's Hill 674,
the army's march to the North was almost within reach.
The 2nd Company crosses the Nakdong River, a history making feat.
Down here, right of this spot seems to be the best place to cross.
The current is a bit swift, but it's shallow enough to safely cross.
I believe it'll be safer to cross further north of here.
Did you check out any signs of an ambush?
I checked that also. There is no ambush.
All the men will be in the water.
If I were the enemy, I would take that opportunity for an ambush.
What?
We should wait until the light of day, to be safe.
Speed is life.
Trying to cheat may cause you a watery death.
Open up.
Mommy.
Speed is life.
We're crossing now.
I tell you once again, speed is life.
The 3rd Platoon follows the 1st.
Let's move.
This is the moment the 1st Platoon makes history by being first to cross Nakdong River.
The water may look calm, but the current is strong, so don't let your guards down.
Fill your backpacks with rocks and we will cross, staying as close as possible.
If the water gets to the guns, it won't fire, so wrap them tightly in plastic.
If we encounter an attack, you will follow my orders and go under water.
The 1st Platoon will cross the river as quickly as we can.
If we stay together, we can become a target for the enemy.
So everyone keep apart.
Not giving them a chance to attack is the way to survive this.
Slowly. We stay together and cross as a group.
Speed is life.
The current is too swift!
It's difficult to withstand it.
Cross quickly. Quickly!
Slowly, slowly.
The 1st Platoon is a mess.
Don't lose your heads, you punks!
Come on you kids! Let's get going!
Submerge! Submerge!
Submerge underwater! Go underwater!
The land! Get to the land!
- Move! - Get on the land!
There's an ambush force on top of that hill!
Target them immediately!
To the right.
Move quickly to the right.
Attack!
None of our guns are firing!
Move up closer! Move in! Move in!
Mun Ho!
Take off the covers and we'll move in on them from the right.
Get down. Get down, you fools!
Han Kyul!
Han Kyul! Get over here!
Okay! Let's go.
Captain!
Let's go.
Captain.
Stop wiping it already.
- Hang those up. - Yes, sir.
Sergeant, why don't you come here by the fire?
Did you get it out?
Yes.
Kid, your captain's not dead.
Stop frowning.
It just scratched me.
How can I die and leave Tae Ho behind?
It's not a scratch.
In the heat and the rain,
if you don't clean it every day, it could get infected.
Tae Ho.
Don't feel sorry.
I'm the one who gave the go ahead.
I checked it out, but I didn't know there was an ambush.
Hey, everybody makes mistakes.
I was too greedy.
At the thought of crossing the river as quickly as possible,
my judgment got clouded.
You're not the only one who was greedy.
It was the same for me.
Tae Ho, shake it off.
Are you all right?
Don't I look it?
You don't.
I'm fine.
Let me ask you something.
When you were crossing the river, I heard you carried rocks in your backpacks.
Yes.
How did you think to do that?
I experienced it many times at Jiri Mountain.
And in swollen creeks, I lost many men.
Yes,
nothing more important than experience in a battle.
It wasn't a good experience.
It was an experience carved into my bones from losing my men.
Yes.
Don't underestimate this wound.
If you're not careful, you might have your arm cut off.
Thank you, you punk.
Tae Ho, it's okay.
Please save me.
Can you see this?
What are you doing?
Please save me.
What do you think you're doing?
Who let you in here?
Look here!
He is finished being treated.
You just have to treat the soldiers.
What do you mean finished? He didn't receive any treatment.
Don't you worry.
The soldiers have the first priority.
I decide on the priority of treatment.
Isn't following the doctor's orders the duty of a nurse?
The one to follow orders is not me but you, doctor.
A military hospital is not a free clinic.
We don't have time to waste on saving useless people.
This is a place where one is responsible for his own usefulness to continue living.
Move quickly.
Do as you're told.
They're all ones who have received their death notices already.
They're still alive.
The ones who are sick, the ones still alive must receive treatment.
We're in the middle of a war.
Are you saying you're going to do what you want?
Let's stop.
This is my business.
And it won't affect you any.
Comrade Kim Su Yeon!
Heed my warning.
If we become useless, we're all as good as dead.
You, me!
Being useful?
There must be a reason for why a person should live?
Can you say to only live for your own self is really living?
I can't do that.
In a battlefield where people keep dying, saving even just one life is my reason for living.
And the reason for leaving Su Hee behind and coming to Pyeongyang with you.
Su Yeon!
Tell those people for me.
If they are going to make a problem with my treating patients,
then I will refuse to treat.
Please save me.
Don't worry.
Comrade Kim Su Yeon.
Stop this!
Jang Woo.
You're doing well, aren't you?
I'm fine.
Whenever it gets hard, I bring you to mind.
That heaven where we will be together,
I hear there's no pain or reason to hurt.
When will we be there together?
I miss you… Jang Woo.
You're always so quiet.
I'm fighting against people from my home.
There's not much for me to say.
Yes.
What is that place like, that Pyeongyang?
You want to go home, don't you?
At Dabudong, I heard you say you needed to go to Pyeongyang.
Do you have someone there?
There's someone I must meet.
What about you?
I have a younger sister.
I was going to school in Seoul when the war broke out, so we got separated.
She's got to be still alive.
Cheer up. I'm sure you'll see her soon.
- In Je. - Yes?
Let's go to Pyeongyang, together.
Yes, sir.
Victory to Republic of Korea!
They're supporters of the North Korean army.
And these are stragglers that the town boys caught.
They were trying to steal some corn and we caught them all.
Let's hurry up, get this over with and leave.
Just a minute.
There is a troop that will arrive shortly.
What does that mean?
You can turn these guys over to them.
Captain, let's just get it done and leave.
Our men at Nakdong River could have been shot down by them!
We can't handle POWs recklessly.
We're at war, a war!
If we did away with them, no one will say anything!
How can we kill them when they're unarmed?
How many lives did their guns take?
And multiple families have been taken and killed in whole!
Grinding them down and drinking them would be too good for them.
We cannot let them remain alive!
You are private citizens.
You must not kill them!
Captain! It's the Battalion headquarters.
Hey you!
Who are you glaring at?
Aren't you Lee Dong Soo?
Dong Soo, do you recognize me?
Dong Soo, don't you know me?
It's me, Jin Chul.
It's me!
You know him?
More than know him.
He and I used to go hunting together.
But why do you have on North army uniform?
Why do you think?
It's because I couldn't flee to the South.
You should have.
Sergeant, he isn't a commie.
I know him very well.
What are you talking about?
Of course he's a commie!
Sergeant Oh.
The troops at the first defense line were battered severely
and the general was defeated. We have an order to get there and secure the area line within 24 hours.
Even if we march day and night, it'll still take 24 hours to get there.
We have to secure Boeun to clear the way for the soldiers to come after us.
There's no time for delay. We move out immediately.
Get ready to move out!
We'll let the arriving squad know of the situation.
You must not take any actions on your own.
Do you understand that?
Yes.
Lieutenant Shin!
Yes.
- Leave a few men to hand them over. - Yes.
Im Kyung Soo and Park Mun Ho, Yang Kang Tae.
The 3 of you stay behind. The rest of the men, move out.
Yes, sir!
Master Sergeant Oh!
Please untie him.
Grinding you up is too good for you!
Please don't treat him like that!
What did you say?
You stupid bastard!
Dong Soo! No, Dong Soo.
Oho! The bastard keeps glaring at me?!
Put your gun down!
We must kill them now, so we won't regret it later!
Jong Ki.
He's just a kid.
We don't have time for this.
Getting to Boeun is our priority right now!
Come on. Let's go.
Jin Chul, hurry up. Let's go.
In Je.
Should we rest a moment?
No, it's okay. Let's continue on.
Medic!
You're good with your hands.
Did you work in a hospital?
No such fortune.
I worked out at the village giving pigs shots and birthing cows.
That's what I did.
Captain, you need to get to a medical facility soon.
If you leave this as is, you may have to cut off your arm.
I can't trust the words of a quack doctor who used to birth cows.
I'm not a quack, just so you know.
I got it. You don't have to get upset over it.
- Thank you. - Yes, sir.
Let's go.
Captain!
There he is! Up above! Up above!
Everybody, focus and get that bastard!
You damned bastard!
You saw him, didn't you?
It's that kid you said you used to go hunting with, you bastard!
Let go of me!
I'm going to kill that bastard myself.
You bastard!
Captain!
Let go. Let go of me!
Captain!
Hyungnim!
Quickly.
He said that we should quickly get to Boeun,
that we don't have much time.
You're saying we leave the son of a bitch who shot the captain?!
There's no way I can do that!
Right, I can't leave like this either.
This is all your fault, you bastard!
That's why I'm saying.
I know I can't leave like this!
I'm going to kill that son of a bitch with my own hands!
When my father died in battle as a Liberation Army officer,
to me, Yoon Sam Soo, you were my father, my brother, and forever my captain.
In Manchuria,
when I fought under your father,
he called me over one day and told me this.
He said the men,
who lost their lives under him, showed up in his dreams,
so he couldn't sleep at nights.
He'd speak of his heartbreak over them like that.
He was a dignified soldier.
He inspired me to be like him.
He was that kind of soldier.
Hyungnim, you are that kind of man to me.
No,
no, no...
I've just been trying hard to mimic what I learned from him.
Anyhow, dying in battle,
that's a soldier's obedience to orders.
Because of that, for us,
I sometimes wonder if protecting other people's lives
might not be our true calling.
It's all over.
Let's go.
How can this Captain die, leaving our Tae Ho on his own?
Thank you.
Rest in peace now.
Lee Jang Woo,
I have faith in you.
All the troops will rest at this current location for five minutes.
All troops,
five minute rest!
Five minute rest.
Over there,
when you reach the top, your legs shake dal-dal.
That's why it's called Daldal Peak. (*dal-dal = sound to signify shaking)
My father's grave is over there.
And my house is just over two hills.
I'd love to go visit for a moment.
Stop your crazy talk.
Can't you see the mood of the Company?
According to Park Dal Mun,
he says it should take about 3 hours from here to Boeun,
but the terrain is so rough,
moving the entire company will probably take another hour or two.
We will camp at our current location until midnight, and then move during the night.
By 06:00 tomorrow, we will arrive at the outskirts of Boeun,
and at exactly 07:00, we will launch our attack.
Why don't we keep moving until we reach Hill 234?
I think it would be good to prepare our attack from there.
What?
On the battle lines, nobody knows what will happen when.
When we make our approach, we need to make it from the shortest distance possible.
If it's Hill 234, it's a 30 minute distance...
In enemy territory, it is best to move the troops in the night when possible.
That's basic battle knowledge.
If you camp near the enemy, you can get ambushed in the night.
Then our attack also becomes a moot point.
Sergeant.
Yes?
We'll camp at our current location until midnight.
I understand.
It's the order of the senior platoon leader, so we should follow it.
Fox.
Fox!
Duck.
Why are you sneaking around instead of sleeping?
I need to do my business.
Don't make me laugh.
You're going to take off for home.
Aigoo, no, that's not so.
If it isn't so, then go back and get to sleep.
Okay.
Geez.
Aigoo, such a useless lump...
Hurry up!
What is that?
I picked it up.
Yeah right, you stole it.
Aigoo.
Oh, what the...
My notebook.
I have a talisman in there.
My grandmother gave it to me.
What, does a talisman block bullets?
It works, really.
Aigoo...
Mother. Mother.
Bong Soon.
What's wrong with you?
Did someone die?
Even if I'm alive, this isn't living.
If I just went over those hills, I can see my mother and bride.
My hometown is right under my nose.
Bong Soon.
Would you stop crying?
It's hard enough for me already.
Aigoo.
- Come here. - Bong Soon...
Again!
Just think of me as your bride and come over here.
Just go to sleep already. And stop crying.
Really, aigoo.
I'm conflicted. It was the Captain's dying wish...
You can't.
Don't tell anyone.
Dying wish or whatever,
don't you know the two of them clash over everything?
On top of that,
you tell them the Captain asked Lee Jang Woo to lead the company.
That's adding fuel to the fire.
How long am I supposed to keep my mouth shut?
It was the Captain's order.
Hey, Kim Duk Shil,
what do you want to do with a dead man's order?
As we said, does that make any sense right now?
Still...
the difficulty everyone is feeling after the Captain's death is worrisome.
The Battalion Commander will resolve it.
There's no need to pit the officers against each other.
Just let 1st Platoon Leader take charge like he is now.
You absolutely can't utter a word.
Got it?
Yes.
When we move at night, it's absolutely lights out.
Don't you know how far the light of a cigarette and the sound of a cough go at night?
You seem to think you've become something without the Captain around.
Keep that up and you could get seriously hurt.
Don't make any mistake.
In this war, the enemy you need to fight isn't me.
If you're going to kill me, do it gently.
That's not why I came, so please be quiet.
Did you come from the south?
Where ever I came from, I have the same blood.
Where ever you came from,
whatever you are,
thank you.
Don't give up.
Our country's soldiers will be coming soon.
That's good news.
I won't make it.
Don't give up.
Didn't you say the soldiers will be coming soon?
What do you think you're doing?
As you can see, I'm treating an emergency patient.
Are you saying you didn't know you can't come here?!
I'm a doctor.
If there's a patient, there's no place I can't go.
If that's the case, I suppose it's our fault for not managing you.
You should be managing better. Hmm?
Stop it!
Move.
If someone does something wrong, we need to deal with it immediately.
Unless you, the doctor, are willing to take her punishment instead?
I will.
If it's my wrong, I'll take the punishment, so stop this.
Really?
Take this doctor comrade.
Somehow I'll find a way to stay alive,
and I'll wait until you return.
Why aren't you eating?
You've got to be really hungry.
You've suffered a lot.
Right, just think of this as a big lesson learned and forget about it.
You...
The higher-ups really let you off easy.
You know that, right?
This place is different from where we came from.
You have to be careful of everything you do or say.
I've made a decision.
I need to carry out whatever task is necessary,
so I'm going to get my health back.
I'm going to become a useful member of the group.
So Su Yeon, you too...
don't think about anything else. Just focus on treating them.
Understand?
Here. Eat.
Eat!
Eagle.
[September 20, 1950, Boeun]
Eagle.
Eagle. Eagle, answer.
The town hall is their base.
This won't be easy.
Judging from the numbers in the center, they've got the force of at least an entire company.
If you follow the main road here,
the town hall is where they're mainly positioned.
On the building to the right, there's another machine gun set up.
- What about contact with headquarters? - We can't get through.
I don't know when we'll connect.
Do you think we can do this on our own?
Why don't we wait for the rest of the troops, and...
We will approach at the designated time as planned.
3rd Platoon will take the left.
2nd Platoon will take the right.
I'll take the 1st Platoon and penetrate from the front.
If our advance isn't synchronized,
our own troops may be hit by friendly fire. Bear that in mind.
2nd Platoon and 3rd Platoon, synchronize your approach with mine.
The time right now is 06:30.
Begin to familiarize yourself with soldiers, and at precisely 07:00,
on my signal, we will launch our attack.
- That is all. - Lieutenant…
Which platoon will be firing the flamethrowers?
We won't be setting fire.
The enemy are inside the buildings.
If we're out on the streets, we're at a disadvantage.
We need the flamethrowers to pull out the enemies lying in ambush.
This location will be used by our troops eventually.
And the citizens will be returning soon as well.
That's also why the division command has decided not to bomb.
And you want to burn it all down?
I know from facing the North Korean guerrillas a couple of times
that they are lying in ambush for certain.
We rush headlong into it and we'll all just die.
I've done the reconnaissance.
Their troops are concentrated in one area.
Reconnaissance was also done at Nakdong River.
Lieutenant Lee,
we follow the lead of the senior platoon leader!
This could determine whether we live or die.
If we wander into the gaping jaws of the enemy, we all die.
Are you saying that if we do as I command, we'll all die?
If we use the flamethrowers, is there any guarantee we'll live?
Where is there anything that can be guaranteed in battle?
That is why there are senior ranking officers and orders.
Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo,
right now Lieutenant Shin Tae Ho is the ranking officer!
If he were alive, the Captain would have ordered the flamethrowers.
As senior platoon leader, I am leading 2nd Company right now.
If anyone disobeys orders, he will be arrested for disobeying wartime orders.
Do whatever you like.
Are you refusing to follow orders to the very end?
Do you really believe I'm wrong?
I don't need your opinion.
This isn't a democracy, is it?
I'm not going to let my boys die like dogs.
Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo, after this operation,
you will be reported to the Battalion Leader for disobeying orders.
From this moment on, 2nd Platoon will be led by Sergeant Kim Duk Shil
I can't do that.
Hey Kim Duk Shil!
What are you doing?!
Before he passed away, the Captain spoke to me.
He said that 2nd Company was to be led by Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo.
Maybe you misheard him?
After all, someone else is the senior platoon leader.
No, I heard it very clearly with my own ears.
Why bring it up now, at a time like this?
I couldn't believe it myself. However, that was definitely his order.
Shut up!
It's not like he was formally appointed, you bastard.
Isn't that right?
We can't just follow the words uttered in the man's last breath.
We don't have time.
You make the decision.
The plan doesn't change.
We launch the attack in 10 minutes.
This is my last warning.
If you disobey orders, it's immediate summary trial and punishment.
They're on the move!
We have to keep in sync with 1st Platoon.
Which direction should we move?
Direction?
Which way do we go?
Quickly, double coverage!
Hey! Move in closer! Get to the side of that building!
Move in!
Move! Keep moving!
Get down!
Get out the flamethrowers!
You can't!
The road is lined with ambushers. We go down this road and we're all dead!
But 1st Platoon Leader said...
Get out the flamethrowers!
Grab hold of that bazooka!
Get the bazooka… the bazooka.
What the hell are you doing?!
Get me the rockets, the rockets!
Load bazooka!
Move!
Lee Jang Woo.
It's an ambush! Take cover by the building! The building!
Now.
Get down!
We're connected to the battalion.
This is 1st Platoon Leader.
The situation?
We're engaged in combat.
The enemy was lying in ambush all around.
What the hell are you doing? Flame them out!
Flame?
Yes, flames!
Set fires and make the bastards come out!
The situation isn't allowing for that!
We must break through the enemy defense. We can't fail at that!
I understand.
That's Dong Soo.
Bastard, son of a bitch.
The reason was...
Why'd you do it, kid?!
Save me.
You lost this, right?!
What are you doing?! I told you to wait!
I definitely told you not to use flames.
I didn't do anything wrong.
You want me to beg for leniency?!
This noona is carrying a baby.
A new life.
Who's the daddy?
Someone I love.
Platoon Leader, if you and I join forces,
that bastard Lee Jang Woo is nothing.
That Lee Jang Woo, without any support…
Find out. This is your special order!
From this moment forward, 1st Battalion, 2nd Company
will be led by Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo!