Escape (2024) Plot Summary
Escape aka Talju is a 2024 South Korean movie helmed by Kwon Sung-hui, co-creator of Narco-Saints and stars Lim Je-hoon and Koo Kyo-hwan in lead roles. Set in North Korea, it follows Sergeant Lim Kyu-nam who has been serving in the military for the last 10 years and has no future once he is discharged. Following his mother’s death a year ago, he plans to escape via the DMZ and defect to South Korea.
But when his plans are thwarted by an overeager deserter, his childhood friend, Major Lee Hyun-sang comes to his rescue. Not only does he turn Kyu-nam’s reputation from a deserter to a hero, but he also promotes him to a commander’s aide. However, this does not stop Kyu-nam who is still hellbent on defecting even if it means burning ties with Hyun-sang.
Does Hyun-sang know that Kyu-nam made the map to escape?
At the beginning of the film, Kyu-nam spends a year creating a map that charts all the mines on the DMZ. When the deserter, Kim Dong-hyuk steals his escape kit and is caught, it is part of the evidence. Kyu-nam’s escape kit includes the map and his father’s pen that he uses to make the map.
When Hyun-sang arrives, he instantly recognises the pen. He gives it back to Kyu-nam and tells him to be careful. So, we can deduce that he knew Kyu-nam was the one who made the map and meant to defect. Their past connection is also why Hyun-sang hesitates when he has a clear shot at Kyu-nam at the DMZ camp.
Why does Kyu-nam give away his location to the pursuit unit?
Initially, when Kyu-nam and Dong-hyuk are caught by the nomads, the former tries to placate them and use any means to get on their good side, even if it means lying to them. However, he does seem to be caring as we see him help rescue Dong-hyuk. When the pursuit unit corners the nomads, Kyu-nam shoots in the air to create a distraction. In exchange, when the pursuit unit chases the two soldiers, the nomads come to their rescue and provide cover fire.
What’s the deal with Song Kang’s cameo?
Hyun-sang takes Kyu-nam to a banquet where he is honoured for catching the deserter. There, everyone fawns over Hyun-sang including his father-in-law who is a commander. However, he is on edge whenever he spots Min Seon-u (Song Kang). They seem to know each other as Seon-u reveals that Hyun-sang can play the piano much to his chagrin. Hyun-sang forcefully insists that he has forgotten everything which also includes their memories together.
When Hyun-sang plays the piano, Seon-u seems to be immersed in it. The theory that they may have been lovers is strengthened when we see that Min Seon-u’s contact in Hyun-sang’s phone is saved as “The b*stard I loved” in Russian. Seon-u calls to reminisce about their days in Russia and we see a flashback to him watching Hyun-sang play the piano in St. Petersburg.
Why does Dong-hyuk look for his mom’s necklace at the fence?
At the beginning of the movie, when Dong-hyuk is trying to escape, he gets electrocuted by the fence and falls. That’s when he loses the necklace he has bought as a gift for his mother who has already defected and is in South Korea.
Dong-hyuk and Kyu-nam once again go via the DMZ camp to follow the map’s escape route. But Dong-hyuk delays by searching for the necklace near the fence as that is the only thing he can ever give his mother. He finds it but in return, he is shot in the back.
Knowing that he will slow down Kyu-nam, he asks him to give the necklace to his mother. That’s when Hyun-sang shoots Dong-hyuk in the head. At the end of the movie, when Kyu-nam defects, he gives the necklace to Dong-hyuk’s mother. When she asks about her son, he claims that Dong-hyuk’s living a happy life.
How is Kyu-nam able to cross the DMZ?
Hyun-sang destroys Kyu-nam’s compass and all hope seems to be lost as he doesn’t know what direction he should take. But fortunately, Kyu-nam’s radio is tuned to a South Korean station and it gets clearer the more he heads towards the south. Once he reaches the no man’s land, he is faced with another obstacle as the rain has shifted the mines, which means he cannot follow his map anymore to evade them.
He uses luck and muscle memory to blindly run towards freedom. The pursuit unit also ends up helping him unwittingly as they shoot at him but end up shooting at the mines in front of him, allowing him to evade those. He reaches the South Korean border where he luckily steps on an inactive mine.
Why does Hyun-sang shoot Kyu-nam at the end?
When Kyu-nam begs Hyun-sang to let him live his life, it seems that the latter is considering it. He lets Kyu-nam reach the border telephone booth and even announce his defection. However, Hyun-sang changes his mind and shoots the booth as well as Kyu-nam in the leg. Kyu-nam explains that North Korea will never give them the luxury to fail which also applies to Hyun-sang despite being a major.
He vouches for Kyu-nam initially and so ends up taking responsibility when Kyu-nam and Dong-hyuk escape. His commander who also happens to be his father-in-law is furious with him and orders him to stop the defectors at any cost. However, he doesn’t want to kill Kyu-nam as we see him tear up and hesitate when they are inches away from the border.
In the end, he doesn’t take the kill shot as the South Korean soldiers show up. After Kyu-nam defects, we see his book on the explorer, Amundsen was gifted to him by Hyun-sang. The note written on it also says that he should fear a meaningless life, not death. This suggests that Hyun-sang let Kyu-nam defect in the end so he could live a meaningful life.
At the end of the movie, we see that Kyu-nam is travelling while working with an NGO. In the epilogue, he writes a letter to the radio station. He shares that he has always wanted to achieve something even if it is small and that makes him happy. He dedicates a song to Amundsen and asks everyone to be happy. We can also interpret it as Kyu-nam dedicating the song to Hyun-sang and asking him to be happy.