This film is based on an actual event.
On August 15th, 1945, Korea gets liberated,
The South under U.S. influences and the North under Soviet influences,
June 25th, 1950, the North Korean People's Army
makes a surprise attack on the South, The North occupies Seoul in 3 days
and the rest in 40 days, except for the area south of Nakdong River,
Far outnumbered, many students joined the South Korean army as volunteer soldiers,
Young-deok, August 8th, 1950
Hey! You!
- Take this to the third platoon! - Sir?
Gae-sung Store rooftop!
- Get me more ammo! - Yes, sir!
Captain.
Capt, Kang. How's the situation there?
Requesting reinforcements, now!
Fire!
Forward!
This is the 3rd platoon!
- How much left? - That's it, sir.
Captain!
- Where are our reinforcements? - They have ordered a retreat.
Retreat, now! That's an order!
If you don't, you'll all die! Listen to me, Capt. Kang!
We can beat them, Commander!
- Lieutenant Kim! - Yes, sir!
- Backup the 3rd platoon. - Yes, sir!
- Fight them off no matter what! - Yes, sir!
- Let's go! - Yes, sir!
- Kim Jun-seop! - Sir?
Careful out there.
Incoming on the left!
Medics! Over here!
Hurry!
Oh Jang-beom!
Back to the 4th defence line!
More ammo, sir!
Take cover!
The machine guns are down!
Take it.
Stay behind me!
Jang-beom! Stay back!
More are coming!
2nd platoon! Sit tight!
Commander! We've lost contact, sir!
- Try it again! - Yes, sir!
Capt. Lee Myung-guk, sir!
Still couldn't break through?
The remnants are starting to run away.
We'll seize the place, soon!
Unit 766 will finish fighting and head to Pohang, now!
Liberate our country!
Unify our country!
Kill every one of them!
Charge!
Commander! Send us reinforcements, sir!
We'll get all the damn commies!
Retreat! Retreat!
- Let's go! - Run!
Get them, now!
Take your picture, sir.
Yes, sir.
I understand, sir.
Commander.
Our political leader has ordered us to go to the battle at Nakdong River at once.
Look, Commissar Lee An-nam. Why should I go there?
- I'm going straight to Pohang. - But it's the party's order!
What do those scribbling at their desks know about war?
Are you saying you will go against an order?
Comrade, who is above the party?
Who is at the top of the party?
Our Great Supreme Commander.
On the day I left Pyongyang our Great Supreme Commander
ordered me to seize Busan before August 15th!
- Lieutenant! - Yes, sir!
Our 766 unit will march straight for Pohang.
Stop hesitating! Blow it up, now!
If we cut off the bridge, the refugees will be stranded!
- What will happen to them, sir?, - That's an order, Kang Seok-dae!
We'll take care of you. Don't worry.
Hold on. The medication's coming,
We'll give you morphine.
Kim Jun-seop
Take away the body.
Can you hear me?
Or can't you?
It looks like your eardrums are ruptured.
Does it hurt?
What's your name?
Do you know when you got hurt?
Don't want to talk to me?
- What happened to Kim Jun-seop? - Killed in action, sir.
That fool.
Where are our backup troops?
- Why did you stop the artillery support? - Capt. Kang,
Our 3rd division has done nothing but retreat for the last 40 days.
We're sick of retreating!
When are the allied forces coming?
Where do we run away to now?
All the way to Busan? Then what? Jump into the sea?
Enough! Capt. Kang!
Stop.
I know.
Watching your men die, it breaks your heart.
I didn't have any troops to send you.
And the artillery units had to go and save the 4th division at Wonpori.
Our 3rd division are going to fight at Nakdong River immediately.
The North's 5th, 12th, and 15th divisions are swarming towards Nakdong.
We've been ordered to annihilate them.
Nakdong River will be a pool of blood.
Because we have nowhere else to retreat to, It's our last line of defence.
Then which unit will protect Pohang?
Attention!
All student soldiers in there!
Hurry up, people!
- Get going! - Go!
Gather around!
When Kim Jun-seop died,
- were you the one with him? - Yes, sir.
Hurry up!
- What's your name, son? - Oh Jang-beom, sir.
Catch!
Good day, sir.
- What is it? - Just wondering...
Those boys over there
are bound for juvenile reformatory on murder charges,
But they want to become student soldiers instead,
and fight against the damn commies,
Will you take fools like them?
I'm sure they'll be good at fighting and stuff.
Especially this one, here.
He looks a little old.
- Sure he's a student? - You're a student, right?,
The other students are gathered over there. Run over!
Don't worry, sir.
Run you fools!
His parents got shot dead by commies.
He's itching to get his hands on the commies.
Sign here, please.
68 new, plus 3 existing student soldiers, all 71 here, sir!
The existing 3 step forward.
Give the new student soldiers a rifle and 250 bullets each.
Now, sir?
Come up, one at a time!
Next!
Back to positions after getting your weapons!
Move it!
Whoa!
Awesome!
Men!
You will now be formed into one unit.
You will be divided into two platoons.
Your captain will be...
Oh Jang-beom here.
Excuse me, sir?
- What is it? - Why's he the captain, sir?
Any objections?
Can't we vote to choose the leader?
Yeah! Let's do it democratically!
How about who eats the most? I'm pretty good at that, myself!
Quiet! You think this is a picnic!
The captain must have combat experience.
Oh Jang-beom's your captain.
From now on, you will defend this place.
Our 3rd division command will all go to fight at Nakdong River.
You mean
we have to protect this place?
- Just us, sir? - That's right.
- Does Pohang need to be protected? - Pohang is a strategic point.
Then why are the soldiers leaving?
Pohang is important, but if we loose the battlefront at Nakdong,
we're all dead.
Information tells us now,
it's safer here compared to Nakdong River.
How long do we have to stand guard?
The allied forces will arrive in Busan soon.
Just till then.
Don't go, sir. Can't you stay?
It's an order from above.
- A soldier moves according to orders. - Sir?
What if the commies attack? What then?
Then we kill them all!
Fool. We don't know how to shoot!
Shit. Then we learn.
Can't run away, right? We fight them, right?
Student soldiers,
are you soldiers or not?
This is your country.
I trust you will defend it.
Here.
Remember,
put it up higher than the arm.
Don't forget.
First you press power then set the frequency.
Then you turn the volume up to hear.
- What's this again? - The frequency, sir.
No, it's the power button!
We have no time. You bury those killed in action.
- Captain - What?
You can do it. If anything happens, call me.
I can't be the captain here.
I was never the leader type.
Lead them with heart.
If your sincerity gets through, they will all follow you.
It'll take our engineer units two days to come to build a temporary bridge.
Then 18 hours to build it. So three days in total.
We don't have enough rubber boats to make a pontoon bridge, either.
Going around that mountain will take a day and a half.
But the enemy could be waiting in ambush.
Commander,
why don't we go to Nakdong as the party ordered?
This is why theorists like you are no use on the battlefield.
Think about it.
When they're feeling safe, we should strike them from behind.
Then any ideas on how to cross the river?
The shock troops will swim across the river minimally armed.
Yes, sir.
We'll swim across!
The tank unit goes around the mountain.
Swim across, now!
766 shock troops!
- Swim! - Yes, sir!
South Korean comrades.
I can't wait to see your damn faces.
There's chocolate!
Move!
Get your hands off!
Scram!
Just one chocolate bar. Please?,
Hey.
Student soldiers! Student soldiers!
You will be divided into 2 platoons and work on...
What's he yapping about?
Speak louder. I can't hear you.
The 1st platoon will bury the dead soldiers.
Did you eat?
If you didn't, go stuff yourself.
You three weak musketeers.
You boys.
Have you ever stabbed someone?
Ever killed a damn commie?
I ain't burying corpses.
Why should we do it?
We came to kill commies not bury corpses!
Right?
- Right! - Yeah!
Yeah, he's right.
But still, listen to the leader.
They're Capt. Kang's orders.
Orders?
What if we go against them?
You'll get shot dead.
By who?
You?
Shoot me?
What are you looking at?, Move.
Take him, Hurry!
One, two, three!
Shoot one bullet...
- Good luck. - ..Lt's like your 100th shot.
I had eight practice shots before going to battle, but you get just one.
- So what do we do? - Shoot one like it's a hundred.
- Again! - Shoot one like it's a hundred!
Line up! Firing squad up front!
You son of a bitch!
Watch carefully.
See that?
If you mess up, you'll lose your thumb.
Get down and shoot!
Breech blocks pulled back!
Take aim! Fire!
Why's he shooting so much?
We're supposed to shoot once,
Did you see that?
Hey, Gap-jo.
This won't last two weeks with all the mouths here.
If he doesn't eat, it can last a month.
This stuff's just snack food for me.
- Hey, Gap-jo. - What?
Want to call out the three weak musketeers and scare them?
Show them who we are?
Who are we?
We're orphans! You bastards!
We're gangsters! You bastards!
Gap-jo can't even read! You bastards.
Shut up, bastard.
But that hat looks good on you, Gap-jo.
Damn right,
Whoa! Cool!
Gap-jo, is this a grenade?
Give me that.
- A grenade? - That's right, fool.
If this blows, it can wipe out the black market.
- The whole thing will blow up? - Sure.
We can wipe out the damn Lily gang with this.
They'll vanish without a trace.
- Stay back! - Hey!
- Stay back! - Stop it!
- Don't move! - Stop it, fool!
- Stay back! - Son of a bitch!
What's this?
- Are you stupid? It'll blow, fool! - Throw it, fool!
Throw it!
Jump!
Arms up straight, fool!
What do we do?
There are only three sacks of potatoes and two sacks of corn left.
Don't worry.
We'll go find food!
Wang-pyo, get up! Poong-chun, let's go!
Stop right there!
You're not doing it.
- Why? - It's an order.
An order?
Enough with the damn orders!
How are we going to fight against the North with them?
But they're trusting us to lead them.
So we have to keep calm and handle things well.
Mother,
I miss you so much,
The soldiers guarding Pohang
left for Nakdong River today.
There are only 71 of us left here.
Mother,
I can hear fellow students laughing in the next room.
I don't remember the last time I heard laughter around here,
I hope their laughter will not vanish away,
Hey!
Can't you dance better than that?
Poong-chun! Let's show them!
In front of damn kiddies.
Charleston swing!
Bastards.
Gap-jo! Hey, Gap-jo!
It's 10 o'clock. Go to bed.
It was just getting fun,
1st platoon! Let's go!
This ain't a picnic! We're at war!
Get up, now!
Let's go,
- See you. - Sleep tight.
Ain't that heavy?
No, not at all. But why's it so long?
It's American. They made it for their size.
But it'll shoot really far.
Should I try it?
Go ahead! Then all the others will come out!
- Hey, bro! - What?
I miss the Kimchi soup mum used to make.
Her homemade Kimchi with anchovy broth. So delicious.
See, I told you not to follow me out here.
Are they our troops or the enemy?
If they're the enemy, nobody shoots till I say so!
We shoot if you shoot?
- Yeah, tell everyone that. - Got it.
Hey, bro! I've got to pee.
Hold it in. Did you undo the stabilizer?
Get down!
Get down, now!
Nice cool breeze.
- Not a damn mouse in sight. - Yeah.
Don't move, fool!
- Where are the enemy soldiers?, - Damn monsters,
What if we win without even getting to shoot?,
At this rate, our guns will rust!
This place reminds me of home,
Cease fire!
Shouldn't we go and check?
Stop trembling, man!
We're supposed to check.
Get up!
Mum...
Hurry up and kill him!
What? You want me to do it?
Mother, I killed a North Korean soldier today,
I thought the enemy soldiers were monsters with horns,
But they cried out for their mothers just like us,
Mother, why must we be at war?,
I have to get all these mixed emotions off my chest, Mother.
Over here!
- Have some corn. - Give it here.
Corns? Come quick!
- Give me one. - You only get half a corn.
- Scram! - Ain't there bigger ones?,
We should go out there. Get ready.
But the commies are lurking out there.
What about the school?
Leave some behind to guard it.
Captain, can we use this?,
Not sure.
Let's take it and see.
Look at that damn stomach!
- Damn lard! - Hey.
Put that out.
Even my dad can't tell me what to do.
Stop yapping. I'm second in command here!
- Do you want to die? - Why you!
Son of a bitch! That's American!
In the forest a cigarette can be smelt as far as 4 km away.
What a wimp.
Get down!
Wang-pyo!
Dar-young! Where are you going?
Yong-man!
Get down!
Wang-pyo! Get down!
Wang-pyo!
Wang-pyo! Wang-pyo!
What's with Wang-pyo?
Wang-pyo! No!
Damn commies!
I'll kill them all!
Gap-jo!
Gap-jo! Watch out!
Follow them!
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Fire!
Get down!
Poong-chon! That way!
Wait here!
Get up! Hurry!
Put the gun down! Now!
Hell no!
I'm a soldier of North Korea Led by General KIM ll-sung!
Don't shoot! That's an order!
I'll die if I have to! But I will never surrender!
Don't shoot!
To liberate South Korea from under the Americans!
We'll stand victorious!
Don't shoot!
Shoot!
Go ahead, fool!
He was a commie!
He had a gun!
If a damn commie's got a gun, we kill him!
Did you see Dar-young?
- How many died, Jae-sun? - 16 dead and 5 injured.
- Hold on, - Take in the pain.
Leave it, bro! Don't touch it!
It hurts!
- Don't touch it. - Hold on tight.
- Take in the pain like a man! - Just leave it!
Hold still, kid!
I knew Wang-pyo would get killed.
Always going around getting hurt and stuff.
Damn fool.
Got a smoke?
I took it from Wang-pyo this morning.
Do you want to have it?
Forget it.
This is Cuckoo! Come in Nest!
Come in Nest! Come in!
37583758! This is 3758! Come in!
Capt. Kang Seok-dae, please. We have something to report.
Capt. Kang. Hello, sir.
- This is Choi Jae-sun, sir. - Who?
A lot happened yesterday and today, sir.
We killed 12 commies and lost 16 men.
Some got injured, some ran away, and some didn't make it back!
- We fought the commies twice! - What? Put your captain on!
Oh Jang-beom, sir.
They're just the scouting soldiers!
No telling when the enemy will attack!
Report to me every 30 minutes!
I'll ask for reinforcements! Don't be scared and wait!
We're only 2 hours away!
Hold out for 2 hours! Just 2 hours!
So? Are they coming?
He'll ask for backup troops, but there's a big battle there, too.
I could hear bombs every where.
- What if we lose the war? - What if we lose our country?
Shut up! Get out!
Fire!
Reload!
Preston, Preston! Braston, Braston! Smith! Get over here, get over here!
Go! Go! Man down.
The North's 5th division is charging towards Pohang, sir!
If we don't do something, the student soldiers will die!
Pohang's in danger! They need backup, sir!
Send what troops? Can't you see?
Nakdong River is a pool of blood!
The student soldiers are in danger? Everyone's life is precious!
We have to fight here till the end! If they break through here, it's all over!
Then everyone will have to jump into the sea like you said!
Is that what you want?
Sacrifice the lesser for the greater cause.
How many military doctors?
I... I only saw nurses, sir.
How many trucks went out two days ago?
Fifteen, sir.
Bastard! You said twenty before!
But I didn't count, sir.
Continue, comrade.
Are you done?
- Soldier. - Yes, sir.
- Get some water. - Yes, sir.
For the student comrade.
Give it to him.
Such intensity in trying to find out enemy secrets.
What a loyal, devoted comrade. Such passion!
I'm deeply moved.
What do you mean?
Follow me.
Get up.
Comrade Lee An-nam.
Watch and learn.
It's a commie!
- Dar-young! - Dar-young!
Who is the leader here?
Are you comrade Oh Jang-beom?
And who are you?
I am
Commander Park Moo-rang,
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Our troops...
plan on taking over this place two hours from now at 12:00 pm
But!
If you hang a white flag up there and surrender, I'll let you live.
I'm showing mercy to you students
because I know you were sent here as mere human shields.
Also...
Because you comrades
will be the pillars in our unified Korea's future.
At 12:00...
We'll see you here.
Comrade,
I hope nothing unfortunate happens.
- Lieutenant Kim. - Yes, sir
Any changes in the enemy's 5th division?
They're all coming to Nakdong. No movement in Pohang, sir.
Hear that Kang?
Still say Pohang's in danger?
But there have been two confrontations, sir.
Just give me 10 men, then.
I'll fight them off, sir.
Follow me!
Attention!
- Lee, get your ass over here. - Yes, sir.
Ask him if he has any soldiers to spare.
General, do we have any back up we can send, sir?
There is a severe shortage of U.S. troops
even at the Nak Dong river front as I speak.
I'm afraid it's not possible to send any new troops any time soon.
The U.S. doesn't have any troops to spare.
Follow me.
Open them up, now.
This is the new line of Super Bazookas. It will make it that much easier
in stopping those North Korean tanks.
He says these new bazookas will demolish the enemy tanks.
Thank you! Thank you very much!
I'm going to the battle at Nakdong!
I'll fight like hell till I die!
Dar-young, this bastard! He's a coward!
He's a traitor! A scared chicken!
He sold us all out to save his own life!
This son of a bitch should die by our hands!
Am I wrong?
- Hell, no! - Yeah!
- Damn commie informer!
I think I pooped in my pants.
Can't I just die?
Hold on, little bro.
Capt. Kang will come to save us.
You do it, bro.
I hope you get to eat Mum's Kimchi soup.
Dar-young!
Damn traitor!
- Stop it! That's enough! - Get lost!
- What the... - Stop it!
You want to fight, huh!
Put the gun down, first!
You can clap and live.
You can go to the North Koreans and live like a rat!
Son of a bitch!
If you're going to run, go quietly!
Me? Run away?
- Gap-jo! Gap-jo! - Let go!
Coward! Are you that scared of death!
You die like dogs! I'll fight like hell till I die! Let go!
Let's go!
Aren't you coming?
Do whatever you want, fools!
Fight with your bare hands and die like fools!
Let's go!
- Let's go! - Yes, sir.
Commander!
We got word that the white flag still isn't up.
Comrade, why are you hesitating?
Let's attack!
If you went against orders to attack here, then do it!
What's holding you back?
How can we end the war before August 15th like this?
If they were soldiers, they'd already be dead.
- Do you see them as soldiers? - No matter how young they are.
If they have guns, they're the enemy.
Comrade, you've become loose and sluggish.
Do you hear me?
Bears get killed for their gall bladders.
People get killed because of their tongues.
What?
Comrade Park Moo-rang.
Releasing an enemy soldier without the party's command
could get you executed!
Yap one more word!
I'll send you back as a corpse!
Mother,
while changing into the long johns you packed for me,
I suddenly thought of the shroud for the dead,
Mother,
I could very well die today,
I don't think the countless enemies will go and leave us be,
Found it!
Set up a line of defence 1 km from the school.
Then wait for my command.
Don't fire.
Let's go.
It's heavy, man. Take it.
LET'S GO
INTO THE FIRE
If we die while fighting, at least we won't be hungry any more.
Capt. Kang is on his way.
We just have to hold out for an hour.
Let's band together and fight!
- Fight! - Fight!
Capt. Kang asked us before.
Are student soldiers, soldiers or not!
- Student soldiers. - Are soldiers!
- Student soldiers! - Are soldiers!
Free the nation! Hurray for the North!
- Hurray! - Hurray!
Can we help, sir?
Drive!
RIFLES AMMUNITION
Push!
It's out!
Good job, comrades.
But where are you comrades headed?
It's done, Captain.
Fire.
- What's wrong? - I did it like they said.
Call and ask!
This is Cuckoo! Come in Nest!
Nest! Come in!
We did what you said, but the bomb didn't fly out.
Sir?
Chang-woo! Second chief!
- They said, kick it. - Kick it, then!
- Hey! - Move!
Move!
- Stop! - Stop!
What was that?
What are you aiming at? Are you trying to kill us?
- Do it right! - Don't worry. I'm a math whiz.
Watch out!
Move!
Commander!
Medics!
Fire!
They return mercy with bombs!
Damn bastards.
Fire!
Kill every one of them!
Rip off every one of their heads!
You said they were just students! Not soldiers!
- Then how can the students fire mortars! - Get down!
2nd platoon! Into the classrooms, now!
- The proud vanguard of this war! - Yes, sir!
Let's report our victory to General Kim ll-sung!
Charge!
Fire!
2nd platoon!
- Fire! - Fire!
Won-hyuk!
Cuckoo! Come in! Cuckoo!
Cuckoo!
Die you bastards!
Get down! Everyone inside!
Get back!
Go in, now!
Throw it!
Get back!
Get back, everyone!
Oh Jang-beom! It's not over yet!
You and me have got to finish our fight!
Gap-jo!
Take this!
- Take in the weapons! - Follow me! Hurry!
Hurry up!
The tanks! Hurry!
- The tanks are here! - The tanks are here!
- Hurry! - Hurry!
Hurry up!
Hurry!
Get down!
This way!
Go home.
I have no one to go home to,
They're all dead,
If I had gone to school, I bet I would've done better than you.
You're not a student?
We were so damn poor, I never got to even go near a school.
But now...
Look at me.
I'm a student soldier.
You look good.
Of course you are a student.
- Let's go! - Let's get them!
Come on!
Look out!
You... fight way better than me.
You're brave!
Go! Hurry!
Go!
Shit! Let's get them!
I put the weapons on the rooftop!
- I'll be right up! - See you there!
Hurry! Up!
Take the petrol bombs!
No!
Jang-beom!
Stop! Stop!
You! Why ain't you going home!
What about you! Not going to school?
Not today! Don't feel like it!
Comrade Park! Comrade!
Look! The enemy's backup troops are here!
You're a traitor!
Retreat!
Hey, comrade!
I told you people get killed because of their tongues.
1st platoon!
Set up a line of defence!
Jang-beom! 7 o'clock!
Jang-beom! Load this!
Come on, you bastards! Sons of bitches!
Hey, comrade!
I hoped this adverse event wouldn't happen.
But what can we do.
You were born in South Korea,
and I was born in the North.
Your sufferings are over comrade Oh Jang-beom.
Son of a bitch!
I'm so sorry.
First you press power, then set the frequency.
Then you turn the volume up to hear.
- What's this again? - The frequency.
No, it's the power button!
Math whiz! Come here!
- Thank you, sir. - Sure.
- You're in the way! Sit down! - Sit down!
Ready?
One!
Two!
Three!
This story was based on the 71 student soldiers
who fought in the battle at Pohang Girls Middle School on August 11th, 1950.
The student soldiers kept the North Koreans back for 11 hours,
They played a key role in the Korean and allied forces' counterattacks,
They said not to shoot until we were given the order,
but countless North Korean soldiers charged in like a tidal wave.
Seeing that, we got scared and started shooting!
They seized everywhere up to Pohang Girls' Middle School.
Bombs flew in from behind.
They fired at us with machine guns up front.
They squeezed in on us.
They came up to 30 metres,
firing machine guns,
throwing grenades.
Explosions went off all around in a bloody battle.
It hurts more not to be with them.
I come here every year thinking about them.
My friends who went before me.
I wonder if I'll meet them in the afterlife.
I'm here thinking and talking about them,
but it hurts to know they're all gone.