Road Number One
Episode 5
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 raged for three years.
Most of the events of the Korean War have been dramatically recreated
and do not reflect any actual individuals or troops.
Episode 5
Remember me like this.
Hold it gently in your eyes,
so you won't lose your way,
so you can return.
Su Yeon,
I've made a decision.
So, you have to go along with my decision too.
What is it?
I'll tell you when I'm done drawing.
Jang Woo,
go back.
Don't worry about me.
I'll stay alive somehow
and wait till you return.
This time, I'm going to believe you to the very end.
That you'll absolutely return.
Just wait a little bit, Agassi.
For the first time in a long while, this servant boy
will prepare a tasty meal that will put meat on your bones.
Comrade Kim Su Hyuk is dying.
This makes me think of washing the rice when I was young.
When the fire was lit,
Little Agassi would rush us,
fretting about how her shrinking belly was sticking to her spine.
Do you remember?
Su Yeon.
Did you fall asleep already?
Oppa says he's leaving for Pyeongyang.
I'm just going to go for a second and say goodbye.
It shouldn't take long.
Oppa.
Wake up.
Oppa.
The bomb that went off at the Busan station, that was you all, wasn't it?
With someone this sick, what the hell did you do?!
Oppa.
Are you conscious?
Su Yeon,
how did you come here?
What did I tell you?
I told you that you were pushing your body too much.
No.
Because I did it with this sick body,
I can be more proud.
Su Yeon,
I did it.
Me.
Oppa.
Goodbye, Oppa.
Jang Woo,
I'm sorry.
I can't send off my brother like he is.
Su Yeon,
even if it's small,
let's find a place to live together.
And let's buy a blanket.
We'll also need to buy two sets of bowls and silverware.
No, shall we buy three sets?
One for the baby we'll have?
While you fix hurt people,
I'll be out on the wharf, laboring hard.
When it becomes evening, as we sit at the table,
and talk about this and that,
we probably won't even notice that our soup was getting cold.
That was my decision, So Yeon.
To be with you,
and live a cozy life.
Together with
a baby that looks like you.
Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo,
you've neglected to show at the expected time.
You are under arrest for the crime of desertion.
You could have run away.
Why did you come back?
Why did you wait for me?
We're going together,
I'm going with you.
You follow Kim Su Yeon,
and I'll follow you.
You...
I'm going to Pyeongyang.
Pyeongyang?
Are you saying Kim Su Yeon ultimately left for Pyeongyang?
I see a reason has developed for us to go to Pyeongyang together.
Kim Su Yeon has made a promise of love to you.
And to me, she's made a promise of marriage.
If it wasn't for the war,
which promise would Kim Su Yeon have kept?
I want to hear that answer.
In front of the two of us.
I'm going to live and go with you,
to Kim Su Yeon.
[August 6, 1950 Nakdong River Defense Line]
Even if you had to roll around in dog shit,
it was still worth living this life.
I don't know who made up that saying up,
but that was all lies.
Please go to heaven,
and rest in peace.
Deserter, Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo.
Tie him up.
I want to fight too.
I'll be the judge of that.
Hey! Tie him up.
Hurry it up, punk!
Nice to meet you.
I'm Go Man Yong.
Lieutenant, did you get caught trying to desert too?
Excuse me, Lieutenant.
Hey, couldn't we drink some water? Huh?
The Nakdong River defense line's virtual windpipe, Dabudong's Hill 674,
has regrettably been occupied by the enemy.
If we can't recapture Hill 674, we can't block the enemy from entering Daegu.
From here to Daegu is 20 km.
A 122 mm howitzer's range of fire is 12 km.
In other words, right in front of us,
the bastards are strangling our windpipe.
But as far as the enemy's strong front,
there wasn't any significant damage made by the aerial bombing by the U.S. troops.
And, in our 13 attack attempts,
we've had 137 casualties in our battalion.
We've just made mistake after mistake.
We must recapture it.
If we don't recapture Hill 674,
then they'll enter Daegu for certain, and they'll probably even get to Busan.
Ultimately, the Republic of Korea will sink off the shores of Haeundae.
And the fate of the Republic of Korea will be history. The end.
Today at exactly 1400 hours,
we begin a 3-day long extensive counter-attack.
New recruit reinforcements have already been dispatched.
And for three days, a large scale bombing by the U.S. troops has been planned.
With our attack today, we must absolutely recapture Highland 674.
Even if we get our heads bashed in, we must take it!
That Highland 674!
Eagle, Eagle, this is Alpha.
A brief pause at the end of the current assault. At 14:30, the attack begins again.
Take note of the time of attack! Over!
All right! It's almost 2:30! Get your heads down!
Don't get your heads blown off even before the attack!
Hey, what are you doing? All o'you get your heads on straight!
It's all right.
Eagle, Eagle, this is Alpha.
A brief pause at the end of the current assault. At 14:30, the attack begins again.
Take note of the time of attack! Over!
- Move. - Yes.
Couldn't you untie this? No?
Excuse me. We're going to die without being able to do anything about it!
Jang Woo,
don't worry about me.
I'll stay alive somehow
and wait till you return.
2nd Company! Charge!
Let's go, 2nd Company! This is the last attack!
Charge!
Keep moving!
Stay there and you'll die!
Keep moving!
2nd Company! Charge!
Charge!
Captain!
We're all going to die at this rate!
Oh, we're gonna live. We're gonna live. We're gonna live.
- Lee Keun Bae - Yes.
We're going up to the base of the bunker. Cover us!
Yes, sir.
Hey Bok Soo,
- that way. - Okay!
Get down!
Black Kite 2! Black Kite 2!
Eagle, this is Black Kite 2!
I'm telling you to destroy that bunker!
At this rate, we'll be annihilated.
The situation is bad!
General!
Captain.
Captain!
Sam Soo!
Captain!
What should we do?
Do we keep creeping forward?!
Send the platoons the message. Let 'em know,
- we're retreating now. - Yes, sir!
Hey 2nd Company!
Retreat!
Platoon Leader.
Retreat!
- He says to retreat. - Retreat!
Don't abandon the wounded!
What do we do?
Retreat, retreat, retreat.
Platoon Leader!
Captain!
Platoon Leader!
Who is that? You go and get him.
Eh?!
Run!
Don't go out there by yourself!
Get down!
Hey you sons of bitches!
Die, you bastards!
Get down!
Lieutenant!
Lieutenant.
Calm down. Calm down!
1st Platoon, charge.
Charge the bunker! Charge!
Hey Sergeant Lee! You tell 'em! Retreat.
Retreat. Retreat.
Attack. We're not retreating. I'm telling you to charge!
Shin Tae Ho!
Tae Ho!
Shin Tae Ho!
Get a hold of yourself, pal!
Look at me!
We'll all die here.
Do you understand?!
We're going to back to camp.
Get ready.
Get a hold of yourself!
Go, run!
Retreat! Retreat!
Captain.
Captain!
Tae Ho!
Captain!
Why did you not follow the orders to retreat?!
We made it that far.
We were all going to die anyway if the plan failed, weren't we?
In war, an order is your life!
Don't treat your life so damn recklessly!
Excuse me, Lieutenant.
We're actually not deserters.
If you go just a ways from here, you can see my house.
We were just going to drop by the house.
We just wanted to check in with our families and see if they were scared.
That was all.
If you just go over that hill, in about half a day...
- No, it's just a quarter of a day, right? - That's right!
You mean you went there without getting caught by the North Koreans?
That's right. To avoid the North Koreans, we scooted up the face of the cliff.
So, now you know how to get over that hill, right?
It's the cliff.
That cliff is our way up.
Who? Who's going to scale the cliff?
I will.
I think I've already found someone to come with me.
Captain, I have something to tell you.
What?
It's the cliff.
We climb up the cliff on the right side of Hill 674.
This time we have a chance of victory.
The enemy has set up no protection on that side.
Platoon Leader!
Don't you have eyes?
Even a lynx can't climb up that sort of cliff.
That's why they left it clear!
Enough.
We can't attack where retreat is impossible.
I can't have my men risking their lives on a gamble.
Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo will go.
If I engage the enemy from the front,
and Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo approaches from the side, then we have a chance this time.
Please give the order.
Shin Tae Ho,
what are you thinking?
I want to do this.
Please send me.
What, you guys want to be war heroes or something?!
Just give me a few men.
Did you just say a few men?!
- We'll get it done somehow. - Did you just say a few men?!
The rest!
The few men you mention,
who's going to take responsibility for them?
Huh?!
I will take responsibility.
How will you take responsibility?
How?!
This is Private Go Man Yong's hometown.
Go Man Yong!
Yes, sir!
You've been up that cliff before, right?
Of course. I can climb it even with a wooden load carrier on my back.
It's the reason I'm headed to the brig, yesterday I got caught after dropping by my house.
I can scale it with my eyes closed.
We can be successful.
We will be successful.
Shin Tae Ho,
was this your idea?
Why?
Didn't you say you'd rather go to the brig than lead a platoon?
During your time away,
did you suddenly feel a wave of patriotism? Huh?!
I put on this uniform to earn a bit of money,
but I won't run away any longer.
At Mount Jiri,
I scaled deadly peaks multiple times. I have confidence.
Give me one chance.
What's your real reason?
I have to get to Pyeongyang.
We have to win here first before we go to Pyeongyang, don't we?
What for?
There's someone I have to meet.
It's basically a suicide mission,
and I can't force anyone to do it.
A special mission unit...
will be formed only from volunteers.
You think a volunteer will come forward?
Most the guys can barely manage huddling here.
What lunatic would raise his hand, who in his right mind?
Master Sergeant Oh!
Master Sergeant Oh?
Must be nice to be promoted.
What is it, Lieutenant Lee?
I have something to say to you privately.
Come with me.
I need an experienced non-commissioned officer.
And to wipe out the enemies inside the bunkers, we'll have to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Master Sergeant Oh, that's your specialty, isn't it?
Making people's lives a joke.
Hey Lee Jang Woo!
Lieutenant Lee...
I have no interest.
A second-hand store in Yeongchon, you remember it?
Hey kid.
Don't get to greedy, yeah?
Why don't you just move the whole army warehouse here?
Lee Ju Hwan,
and this one is Park Hong Ki.
Sloppy punks, losing their supplies.
This time, I'm gonna tear 'em a new one.
You better be watch out too!
Aigoo, my back.
Aigoo, my back. Aigoo, my back.
Aigoo, my back.
Just look the other way one last time, yes?
I'm letting you go because you've got such a pathetic life,
but this is the last time.
Got it?
Ah, of course.
Could there be any doubt?
Lee Jang Woo.
Smuggling out supplies, looking the other way, and getting kickbacks.
Should I report it?
Look here.
Lee Jang Woo!
It's Lieutenant.
You get a little notch on your badge and now you're scared of nothing?
If you threaten me like this, you think I'd budge an inch to follow you?
Go ahead and report it.
Then how about this?
What if I look the other way on all you've done till now?
That's only if we come back alive.
That's my plan;
to stay alive and return.
Then, I'll take it that you'll come.
Let me think about it.
I didn't ask you to think about it,
Master Sergeant Oh Jong Ki.
Volunteers.
The soldiers who will participate in the special mission unit, step forward.
Step forward!
Private Yang Kang Tae, I volunteer.
Any other volunteers?
Can I ask you something?
Speak.
What I heard was that you're pulling together a special mission unit to avoid going to the brig.
Is that report true?
Or are you really fighting for our army.
I have someone I want to see.
I'm sure you all have someone you want to see.
Because what I'm feeling and what you're feeling are probably the same.
But,
we have to get over that hill to be able to return home.
You all know that.
If we just sit here trembling, fanning our lives,
the family we miss, the people we want to see...
you all know we won't get to see them.
I want to meet them. I want to see them.
That's why I'm going.
Somehow, without fail,
I'm going to get over that hill.
Thanks.
Private Park Dal Mun, I'll go too.
Let's give it a go.
You know, that debt of gratitude I owe Lieutenant Lee,
I'm gonna pay it back this time.
Let's go over that hill,
across Nakdong River, to Pyeongyang.
No, let's go all the way to Mount Baekdu!
What are you looking at?
Thanks.
This special mission unit will meet again at exactly 20:00.
Dismissed!
Oppa, stay strong.
You can't give up!
- Oppa! - Su Yeon, I'm sorry.
Get a hold of your senses!
I think we're going to have to take the boat ashore, Comrade, Kim Su Hyuk!
He'll be able to make it.
If he can't walk on his own, we have no choice but to leave him.
I'm a doctor.
Where ever you go, I'll be of use.
I can't abandon my brother and go.
Please. Please!
Oppa, are you okay?
Try to come to your senses!
Su Yeon,
you'll become a good doctor.
How do you know?
You said it before.
Poor and uneducated people...
when people like that get sick,
you'll be the first doctor to race to their side.
You don't lie.
That's just a dream.
Dreams, if you pursue them hard enough, can become reality.
Then,
Jang Woo, what's your dream?
You do have one, then.
What is it?
Tell me, hmm?
My dream is kinda boring.
If it's a dream, why not have a big grand one?
Why have a boring one?
Because even if it's boring, it's important to me.
Tell me.
C'mon.
If you don't tell me,
I'm going to wreck all of this!
Su Yeon! Give it back.
I'm gonna get you.
Give it to me.
I got you. Give it to me. Su Yeon!
No!
Don't, Su Yeon!
Forever... drawing... one person.
That's my dream.
That long fingernail got all filed down to nothing.
Even if I wanted to cut 'em, I've got nothing to cut.
Ow.
Hey Kang Tae, why aren't you cutting your fingernails?
It's bad luck.
Who's gonna die?
I'm not going there, pal.
You...
Busan is right over there.
I'm going to Busan.
And me?
You take care of yourself.
You really...
What are you doing?
Pull a hair too.
So, if we die,
these are going home instead of us?
You're saying Mother and my bride are going to get this instead of me.
Here.
Aigoo.
Why do you always get scared so easily?
Let's put on some camouflage face paint.
I have to see Mother and my bride.
I'm probably gonna die before I see them, huh?
I did a reckless thing.
I've totally gone nuts.
It'll be all right.
It's a hill I used to run around ever since I was a kid.
We won't get lost.
It's not that.
How can you fight a phantom?
If you're that scared, then how come you volunteered?
Didn't you hear what Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo said earlier?
He said we're going home.
Do you really believe that?
Yeah.
I believe it.
For me, when Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo speaks,
I believe it all, and my heart feels lighter.
Aigoo.
Lieutenant Lee Jang Woo,
Master Sergeant Oh Jong Ki and twelve soldiers.
Make sure I don't have to send these envelopes.
Without fail,
we'll come back alive.
Without fail.
I believe you.
Tomorrow morning,
we'll be waiting for you up there.
We will absolutely recapture this Dabudong hill.
Let's stay alive and meet again.
Guys...
you sure are a long way from home.
Hey,
you've totally aged in a matter of months.
Lift your head.
Do you want to go home?
Do you all want to go home?
Right.
You should go.
We should all go back home.
When we get back to Yeongchon,
let's sit under the big tree, cool off and have some *makgeolli (*unfiltered rice wine).
Does that sound good?
Now then,
are we going back home?
Or are we going to sink in someone else's seas?
We have to decide on just one of the two.
Where you are standing right now is the Republic of Korea's last line of defense.
And in a way, it means this upcoming battle...
might be our last.
In Je...
pick a song for us.
When I let go of my mother's bare hand
and turned away...
Did you bring your canteens?
Now then.
This is our town of Yeongchon.
Under our big tree,
let's quench our thirst.
The green leaves that were blowing all around...
as I stood there…
How I miss that night.
Lee Jang Woo,
I wish for safety on your mission.
At 07:00 exactly,
The U.S. Field Artillery Unit 72
will bomb Hill 674 for 20 minutes.
By 07:00, the special mission unit will approach the bunker via the cliff on the right
and will be on standby until the company attacks.
After the bombing,
when 2nd Company charges the front of the hill and engages the enemy,
the special mission unit will raid the bunker in a surprise attack.
- Keun Bae. - Yes?
You've seen the enemy's weapon before, right?
You mean the Russian Maxima machine gun?
We even have one that we've picked up.
How long would it take to reload the ammunition?
And, I think you put water in here to cool the gun barrel.
Then, what's the total time to load?
10 seconds to load the ammunition,
and 10 seconds to pour in the water to cool the barrel.
I think it will take at least 20 seconds.
- Let's try it one more time. - Yes, sir.
It's that way.
Dong Sik, where are you going?
Hey! Hey!
Dong Sik, that punk!
Let's just go. We don't have time.
What?
Let the runaways go?!
Lieutenant!
Lieutenant, I stepped on it!
Save me!
It's a land mine. Don't move.
I made a mistake.
I made a mistake!
Save me!
You fool, why did you do it?
Why did you run away?
Don't move!
Bastards!
We're carrying out a plan with the country's fate at stake,
and you run away to save yourselves?!
Bastards like you are the true enemy in a war.
Aigoo, Dong Sik.
Dong Sik. Dong Sik!
If they locate us, it's annihilation.
Run.
Run!
Dong Sik! Dong Sik.
Lieutenant Lee, this has been totally destroyed!
Let's turn back.
Moving on our own without communication is reckless.
- Hey, punk... - Man Yong!
Yes, sir.
Lead the way.
Yes, sir.
Go Man Yong.
Go back.
Excuse me?
I thought you said you needed my experience.
In this situation, my experience says go back.
Thank you for the advice,
but we... are going up.
Move out.
What?
Say that again?
The U.S. back up bombing has been cancelled?
Hey chump! How the hell can you say that at this point?
You damn rotten bastard!
What's happened?
The battle in the Yeongchon has heated up and the U.S. troops have been diverted there.
Today's U.S. reinforcements have been cancelled.
Hey, no word yet from the special mission unit?
There's been no response for an hour.
- Keep trying. - Yes, sir.
Then, what about our plan for today?
We'll have to postpone it till tomorrow.
The chances were slim with the bombing backup.
Without the bombing, the conclusion is obvious.
Special mission unit.
Special mission unit!
This is Black kite.
Special mission unit!
What do we do?
We can't even connect with the special mission unit.
It's here.
We're going to scale that?
It's easier than it looks.
How long do you think it will take?
Even if we take our time, it shouldn't take more than an hour.
We take off our military gear and just take our ammunition and grenades.
The rope.
Let's go.
How far are we going to go? Until we all fall and die?
The Company will absolutely not attack.
No, the Company will definitely come.
Please give the order.
We can't contact them, to say it was a failure.
You take one more step, and I'll kill you.
Let's go to Pyeongyang together.
Without you, they'll abandon me.
Have you thought about what's going to happen to us, Oppa?
This is a place where one has to create their own reason to stay alive.
Our national army will be here soon.
Don't give up.
Lee Jang Woo, he's not so easy.
You let down your guard, and he'll climb over you in no time
What does it matter who crosses first?
What?
Enough.
There won't be a separate leader assigned for this task.
Each platoon leader will cross with their own men, the platoons staying 500 meters apart.
We will follow after all the men have crossed.
Submerge underwater! Go underwater!