Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA
Tags: tragedy, violence, murder

Plot synopsis:
Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the DMZ at a North Korean border house, before Sergeant Lee Soo-hyeok (Lee Byung-hun), a South Korean soldier on border duties, attempts to flee back to the South Korean side. The southern troops rescue him while the gunfire erupts and, two days later, the fragile relationship between the two Koreas depends on a special investigation conducted by Swiss Army Major Sophie E. Jean (Lee Young-ae) on behalf of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.As Sergeant Lee Soo-hyeok has confessed to the shootings, Sophie investigates why the two Koreas have contradicting accounts of events; Soo-hyeok's states he was knocked out and kidnapped while relieving himself and, waking tied up in the North Korean border house, secretly freed himself and shot three North Korean soldiers, leaving two dead. The North Korean survivor Sergeant Oh Kyeong-pil (Song Kang-ho) states that Soo-hyeok barged into the border house and shot everyone before retreating when the wounded Kyeong-pil returned fire.The autopsy report shows that one NK soldier, Jeong Woo-jin (Shin Ha-kyun), was shot eight times repeatedly, indicating a grudge was held; additionally, a single bullet is not accounted for. Over the course of the investigation, witness Private First Class Nam Sung-shik (Kim Tae-woo) attempts suicide by jumping out of the window of the interrogation room and a strange emotional reaction between Kyeong-pil and Soo-hyeok during a meeting causes Sophie to confirm her suspicions that the surviving soldiers and Woo-jin held a mutual friendship and were attempting to protect one another.Explained through flashbacks it is shown that Soo-hyeok was on patrol with other soldiers, only to get lost on the North Korean side and to partially trip a mine. Found by Kyeong-pil and Woo-jin, the two North Koreans deactivate the mine, which later prompts Soo-hyeok to throw written messages over the border to maintain contact with his two new friends. Eventually inviting Soo-hyeok across the border, the three become a group of friends that soon includes Sung-shik, with the four agreeing to leave politics out of their friendship so to remain loyal to their own respective countries.As tensions rise between the North and South, Soo-hyeok and Sung-shik return to the North through the Joint Security Area to say goodbye and celebrate Woo-jin's birthday, only to be discovered by a commanding officer from the North and resulting in a Mexican Standoff. Despite Woo-jin panicking and betraying his friends, Kyeong-pil convinces Woo-jin, Soo-hyeok and the officer to lower their weapons, only for Sung-shik to panic and shoot the commanding officer when he reaches for his radio; when Woo-jin draws his gun again, Sung-shik shoots him, and in a daze shoots his corpse several times. Earlier in their friendship when Soo-hyeok is joking around with his gun, Kyeong-pil asked Soo-hyeok if he'd ever had to kill a man like he's had to, implying that Soo-hyeok doesn't know what it's like. Kyeong-pil slaps Sung-shik out of his daze, takes the gun from him and kills the still-alive officer, then persuades Sung-shik and Woo-jin to flee with a false alibi of being kidnapped, before throwing away the evidence that he and Woo-jin were fraternizing with Southern soldiers. After shooting Kyeong-pil in the shoulder to complete the alibi, Soo-hyeok and Sung-shik flee across the border, with the former getting past unseen; as Soo-hyeok's wounded leg from the firefight prevents him from running, he is the only soldier seen and picked up by soldiers.Sophie is eventually removed from the case when it's discovered that her father, a former POW, had North Korean ties during the Korean War, thus technically making her a non-neutral. Before leaving, she attempts to informally learn of the true events first with Kyeong-pil and then Soo-hyeok. Having asked Kyeong-pil if he had a message for Soo-hyeok, Sophie gives Soo-hyeok the lighter he first gave to Kyeong-pil. Before saying goodbye and wishing him well, she reveals that Kyeong-pil told her that he saw Soo-hyeok's gun actually shot Woo-jin first during the chaos before Sung-shik shot him. On his way out, Soo-hyeok steals an officer's pistol and commits suicide out of guilt for Woo-jin's death and Sung-shik's suicide attempt.The film concludes with an American tourist's photograph of the joint security area that accidentally contains all four soldiers prior to the incident.

Review: Fusing a Hollywood-style 'who-dunnit' with an intellectually poignant essay on Korean geopolitics, 'Joint Security Area' ('JSA') offered a surprisingly moving twist to an otherwise engaging film.
'JSA' perceptively explored a modern day Korean psyche - that heartfelt desire for kinship and unity between the people of both Koreas.'Joint Security Area' is a timely film with a universal message - "Let not differences in race, religion or ideological allegiance blindside our judgement, especially in these violent and confusing times."
The smart Major finds lack of consistency in the statements of the survivors, and in spite of being pressed by her superior, she interviews South Koreans Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Byung-hun Lee) and private Nam Sung-shik (Tae-woo Kim), and the North Korean Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil (Kang-ho Song), disclosing a tragic story of friendship.
I don't know about that: When a country has been as divided as has Korea for the past half-century, a movie like this must have really knocked the socks off of a lot of South Koreans (I doubt it could be shown in the North).
A compelling and moving work in its own right, JSA makes something haunting and memorable out of a situation which, in outline, could easily have proved propagandist and dull.It takes place entirely at the Panmunjom, the Korea DMZ peace village where North and South Koreans face off under the terms of 50-year-old treaty, glaring at each other across a thin stretch of ground, huddled over spyglasses and rifle barrels, or staring each other down across a borderline.
In the more profound JSA, national division provides a starting point for an examination of the human condition, as soldiers on either side of the line discover what it is to establish warm, normal interaction - even at terrible cost."There are two kinds of people in this world - Commie bastards and the Commie bastards' enemies" says a South Korean officer to the Swiss investigator Major Sophie Jean (Yeong-ae Lee) at the start of Park's film.
Ultimately the 'Joint Security Area' becomes less a site of military stalemate than a place where emotional ties ought to provide their own justification and balance.The structure of Park's film is an intriguing one: a straightforward, and reasonably suspenseful investigation of an outrage frames a sequence of flashbacks and reminiscences, often presented in non-linear manner, fleshing out the main story.
The director's achievement lies in tying all this into a reasonably convincing whole, moving the audience from the coldness of a military tribunal to the warm realm of human feeling.There are several moments in JSA to savour, some of which occur within the no man's land between the two societies itself - a neutrality which seems to encourage a self reflection and recognition between main participants: the snowy, wordless encounter between two border patrols for instance, where tension is dissipated with a single cigarette; or the first encounter on a cold night between Sergeant Oh and Sergeant Lee, surrounded by mines, their breath freezing in an field.
The camera also plays a memorable part in the last scene of the film, as an ordinary snapshot is transversed by a slow pan, which pulls out of the composition a final, mute commentary of its own.Asked earlier why one of the soldiers had deserted his post just to relieve himself, the blithe answer comes back as: "People with constipation should seize the chance when it comes." It's a philosophy that informs a good deal of JSA.
The secret friendship seems to concentrate the whole Korean divide issue simply, but minor hostility still pops its head up now and again, nevertheless without needing any kind of over-dramatics the men all respect and begin to ultimately care for each ahead of all else As expected, the whole situation comes to a head, and their is some strong emotional moments but the education to anyone who watches this more than makes up for all else.I can't think of many more emotive subjects or films that I have seen this year.
Chan-wook Park's most politically-charged film tackles the very volatile tension that exists between the North and South Koreans.
Chan-wook Park's most politically-charged film tackles the very volatile tension that exists between the North and South Koreans.
In fact, the North Korean leader even requested a copy for his viewing pleasure -- perhaps to get his own look at what South Korea might be plotting, or maybe simply to be entertained with some great film-making.The movie combines a very likable Hollywood touch with compelling plot action, in contrast to some very personal moments and an amazing sense of suspense in this movie.
I was floored.The whole location of where the movie takes place -- in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea -- and the acute tension was certainly captured and sure made for great story-telling.
I saw this as the second half of a double bill and after the first five minutes of truly horrible english dialog I thought I was in for a rather lame movie going experience, but i was too be proven wrong.JSA is quite a good film, especially when it is looking back on the friendship of the North & South Korean border guards.
At the same time the practical difficulties in making friends across such a divide show that not only can the difficulties of two countries be accurately conveyed into the behavior of just four people, it also shows how vice-versa the actions of both Korea's, which inevitably lead to great drama, is at the same time a metaphor for the small tragedy that unfolds in the joint security area.
Showing sympathy for the North had long been taboo in South Korea, thus the movie broke new ground.That said, the character Sophie was totally unnecessary as I found her part to be a big nuisance.
The actress couldn't speak English and didn't look mixed, as her character was supposed to have learned Korean as a second language and had a Korean father and Swiss mother.There have been reports of soldiers of the two Koreas mingling over booze at times, so the story is not implausible.
The story is set as a murder mystery but that is only the framework to study the tense situation that North and South Koreans have to live with every day as their people are split in two with absolutely no communication between them.
With both nations on verge of war, the neutral countries send an investigating officer to look into the matter but the truth is far too simple & much more tragic, which makes a statement of its own.Expertly directed by Park Chan-wook, who makes his mark with a promise of greater things to come, the film plays its mystery part extremely well & effortlessly manages to keep its audience's attention transfixed on the screen.
Lee Yeong-ae also chips in with a good performance as the neutral officer overseeing this fragile case.On an overall scale, Joint Security Area is a gripping, heart-felt & highly tale that's uncovers its mystery in a calculated manner & is one of Korean cinema's finest films.
In fact neither side wants to talk about it.Lee Soo Hyuk is condemned by the Northern forces and protected by the South, with each party possessing such a strong bias a neutral investigation is commenced lead by Major Sophie Jean, a Swiss resident with Korean ties and a mastery of the language.In interviews and flashbacks the real story gradually unfolds, nothing is as simple – or funnily enough as complicated – as it first seems.It is not fair to the film to say much more, I will say that it takes time for the real events to unravel but it is worth the wait.
Being a Park Chan-Wook film it is well acted and immaculately paced, and JSA also contains some moments of great innocence and humanity.
In fact the final truth is far more 'boring' and human than anyone might guess from the serious tone of the first few minutes.The film is laid out in three chapters, the first shows the viewpoint of the investigators, the second the actual events from the soldier's point of view and the third the conclusion and ultimately the truth.JSA is never less than intriguing and even though it isn't as great as the Vengeance trilogy it possesses perhaps the strongest final frame in almost any film that I can recall.Final Rating – 8 / 10.
I won't go into massive detail but it is a excellent example of korean cinema led by massively likable song kang ho and while the murder element does take away from the film somewhat it leads to a immensely satisfying conclusion The story begins with murder and mystery with political overtones, yet at it's heart, it's a film about friendship.
People that are forced to take sides because of national interests meet and find out that they are not that different at all.The characters are clearly defined with great depth, the way it's filmed is just awesome and the story is an important lesson to us all.
If you walk out of the theater after watching this movie without being deeply moved, you probably don't have any feelings at all.Chan-wook is a master and with this film he confirms his place on the throne..
When "Joint Security Area" began, with non-descript military figures of various origins walking around and discussing dull events in different languages and accents, I was prepared for a tedious military/political thriller like "A Few Good Men".I should have trusted Park Chanwook.This is, after all, about the demilitarized zone in between the two Koreas, perhaps the only place on Earth where soldiers of either side come into relatively friendly contact with one another.This has to be one of the most fascinating contemporary topics, and the movie really comes alive when flashbacks of the soldiers interacting play out.
This is, thankfully, the majority of the run-time.If the movie has a failing, it's the framing story - showing a young woman investigating the mysterious shooting that resulted from the unusual north-meets-south dynamic - this part doesn't work so well on its own.
I think "Oldboy" was the first flick I ever saw by Chan-wook Park and it turned out to be a good entrance to the realm of Korean movies.
On top of that, we have a powerfully gripping drama reflecting the Korean people's ideal for unity, the importance of friendship/brotherhood plus an intricate storyline (you try and work out why there's 16 bullets!) you've got a real winner.The only let down was the slightly weak first few minutes of the film and a few horrible English speaking roles.
You will have to replay the ending a few times to understand the brilliance of the final scene.I must admit that my political views are very much like the tough South Korean Colonel (General?) in the beginning of the movie who despises "commies".
If you're not Korean, you'll enjoy the masterpiece as an emotional piece of cinema, if you are Korean or even know in detail about Korean history, you will remember it as a message from above.If you haven't seen it, and wanna know in one simple sentence what it's about-- just think of it as Romeo + Juliet, only with friendship instead of love, and two countries instead of two families pulling the relationship apart.Incredible film.
With only 30 people in the audience and no prep work at all - just a wonderful movie with a lot of things to say about the silliness of war and hostility between two countries that are in fact one nation.Go see it, you won't regret it, I hope Chan-wook Park goes on doing great stuff like this in the future.
It is most unlikely of a story - that of the friendship between North and South Korean soldiers stationed at the foremost military posts of their respective countries.
Overall the movie may seem over-glossed with espionage/hi-tech military politics, but by the end of the film, you would feel like you have been through a dark long tunnel and came out on a very bright and beautiful side.I must say the last scene of the movie is one of the best visual conclusions to the essence of a story in decades.Peace..
Eventually the whole story is told, and by the end of the show you are left in your seat saying "Ah......"While Joint Security Area showcases the hostilities between North and South Korea, and touches on the serious topic of friendship amid hatred, the movie manages to include humour as well.
After the Korea War,every South Korean people had learned all North Korean were a red monster..and they were always watching a chance to invade again...But things are changing........Korea ,the originally one nation,was separated by the world's big power countries and the difference of ideology..
A noteworthy South Korean movie that lacks political innuendos against North Korea.
If Oscar works universally , this is a no-question contender for acting, direction, photography, editing and heaps more.(yes people, i do mean it!).So, JSA revolves around the mystery that happens around the Line Perimeter that separates North and South of Korea, thus its called "Joint Security Area", the film starts with a chaotic gun blazings between the mentioned border, as a result Two of the North korean soldiers ends up worm chow, one wounded southie, the frame of the story recoils around the investigation of the neutral Swiss unit, sending one of their Military investigator; a Swedish grown Korean Major Sophie Lang.First i must to advise viewers for those who are not familiar of what happened between the North and the South (Korea) two countries that has been separated under two different ruling system, South being a Republic and the north being Communist(since the China alliance).In the process of peace keeping and the intention to unite, forms of violence has occured,making the vibe between these two neighbouring brothers a murky and hateful one, similarly to what happened with UK and Ireland.
"Joint Security Area" takes place entirely at the Panmunjom, Korea  DMZ peace village (a mockup thereof) at the 38th parallel border crossing where North and South Koreans face off with a 24x7x365 military presence engaged in a tense show of force held in check by a 50 year old treaty.
The film tells of the shooting to death of a North and a South Korean soldier which is investigated by a Korean-Swiss military woman.
Anyone who has been in places or situations like these will recognize the cigarette rituals and so on.I think the movie excellently describes the stupidity and rigidity of war and the military life - just like in the movie, all it ultimately leads to is friends killing each other for no good reason.The people who are complaining about the bad English in the movie obviously never heard Swiss and Swedish people speak English - none of the "foreigners" are supposed to be native English speakers, so it makes perfect sense for them to speak as they do!All in all, a visually beautiful movie with a nice but slightly over-obvious script, nice acting from the four main Korean characters, some very funny scenes that gives comic relief to fend off the impending doom of the inevitable end, and actually quite realistic, in my opinion.Now I am going to check out Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Old Boy!.
A South Korean soldier, Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok (Byung-hun Lee), takes responsibility for the killings, claiming he was kidnapped by the North, and that he shot the men as he attempted to escape.But as Sophie slowly unravels the truth, she learns that the reality is far more tragic and, in a series of flashbacks, we get to witness the events leading up to the shooting: Sgt. Lee straying into the Northern half of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and accidentally treading on a mine; his rescue by 'the enemy'two guards who work a stone's throw from Lee's own post, just on the other side of the border; and Lee's eventual friendship with his rescuers, which sees him crossing into the North at night to spend time with his new pals.After a while, Lee introduces his trusted workmate to his new 'brothers'.
Soon the truth will be know.The plot of this film, directed by Chan-wook Park before his great and famous "Vengeance trilogy", involve one of the most difficult themes for the two Koreas and a tragic and touching story about friendship set in an absurd thing called war.
The acting of the so-called neutral investigators were miserable, Yeong ae Lee as the major was disappointing, and her Swedish colleague is not worth mentioning.While lacking a bit of originality the movie still highlights the absurd border tension between the North and the South.The major problem was the lack of character development leading to nonexistent affiliation to their feelings resulting in an emotionless conclusion.Apart from this the direction was on point, as you would expect from Chan-wook Park, and the movie ends on a stunning note leaving you with a sweet aftertaste that the film doesn't truly deserves.The movie isn't bad, but if you're looking for yet another of Park's masterpiece, sadly this isn't one.Special mention for Song Kang-ho for his impeccable performance!.
Friendship Knows No War. Joint Security Area or J.S.A. is a great political movie about the friendship of soldiers patrolling the borders of North and South Korea.
This is one of my favorite movies despite some flaws.First, I'd like to point out for those who've watched this film after realizing it was made by the same director, Chan-wook Park (Oldboy).
Because of this film that Park Chan-Wook was able to do his Vengeance trilogy.In the Joint Security Area on the border of North and South Korea the rival states have a border dispute.
JSA is a remarkable story about an incident where two North Korean soldiers are killed in the DMZ, and the investigation that follows.
This is a great film of four guys (two from South Korea and two from North Korea) who become friends during very tense times.