Arirang; Gone, But Not Forgotten

Goodbye Earth episode 7 picks up where we left off, with Se-kyung and Mi-ryeong hanging out. The two ladies drink and talk about the end of the world. However, their talk takes a serious turn when Se-kyung reveals she knows that Mi-ryeong killed Jong-su. Dae-han interrupts the talk before Mi-ryeong can confirm or deny anything.

The next morning, Se-kyung goes for a run and visits Mi-ryeong. She doesn’t say much, but in a way, she subtly shows that Mi-ryeong’s secret is safe with her. Mi-ryeong looks like she is doing better and says she is leaving for home soon. Upon getting home, Se-kyung finds Yoon-sang archiving their lives. He took out old photos of them. Se-kyung is touched and is about to leave when Yoon-sang’s computer turns on and displays his latest email. Someone named Johnson is curious about Yoon-sang’s return to America and if he succeeds in convincing Se-kyung to join him. According to Johson, they need Yoon-sang to complete the technology process. 

Once again, the two ignore the elephant in the room and promise to talk about it later. Yoon-sang drops Se-kyung at the office and she quickly tells him he needs to return to America. It seems Se-kyung can’t stop thinking about the man they killed. She keeps calling In-ah who insists everything is done and they need to move on. They are in the clear and things should remain as such. 

At the church, Sung-jae tries to recall the last day they saw Father Baek. Sister Chae-hwan is sure she saw Father Baek praying in the evening the day the military took him away. He then met with the administrator, who was also missing. She believes Father Baek and the administrator were in cahoots. 

Elsewhere, Soo-geum meets with the CEO of  Toittech to secure a room in the bunker. The CEO shows him a picture he took with a few elitists to prove they have a plan to leave the country. 

On the other hand, Young-ok offers to donate some money to boost morale after the fire. The women come together to cook a few meals. Everyone is cautious not to mention anything about Young-ok’s son, as he is one of the elites rumoured to work with Father Baek. 

In the meantime, Yoon-sang talks to Sung-jae about his dilemma. He needs to focus on his research, as it is important and will save many lives. However, he can’t leave Se-kyung behind to die in the asteroid attack. He has a picture of how their future is supposed to be, and he can’t give it up yet. 

At the office, Se-kyung focuses on finding out more about the mysterious training centre. An answer comes in the form of Young-ji. The young girl had a breakdown after the children visited and played with her cat. The kids had a lot of questions. After they left, Young-ji received a call from her mother, which set her off. Jin-seo hurriedly calls Se-kyung, and Young-ji opens up about the training centre. She is hoping to save her little brother, Young-han, from the diabolical hands of their mom. It turns out Young-han and Jin-seo were friends, and Young-han gave him a pamphlet about the training centre before leaving. Jin-seo rushes home to look for the pamphlet.

In the meantime, things at the training centre remain the same. The kids practise under tight security. The only unusual thing is the visit by So-geum. The Toittech CEO introduces him to Jeong-ah and tries to help him secure a place in the bunker. At home, his wife is ready to call it quits if he gets into more trouble.

Soon, it is night, and Gye-hyang gets the kids ready for bed. So-min hopes that the asteroid might miss them or that the scientist got it wrong. She then reads Hae-chan’s letter and is heartbroken. It is clear the kids miss their mom. Even Oktokki is down, and his podcast lacks the usual oomph. 

After getting more information from Young-ji, Se-kyung hurries to tell In-ah. According to Young-ji, most families have to sell all their belongings and give the money to the training centre. Some kids are sold without their parents’ knowledge. The parents believe the children are safe, but in reality, the kids are working in brothels as sex workers. Unfortunately, In-ah says she has no jurisdiction and can’t help. Se-kyung suggests they invoke martial law. She insists someone named Manger Im, who worked ith Jong-su, is involved with the training centre.

 In-ah hesitates to act on the information, and Se-kyung frustratingly leaves. She promises to help Young-ji and plans to go to the training centre alone. Yoon-sang finds her, and she asks to take his car. She doesn’t explain much, but Yoon-sang is worried. Simultaneously, the kids return to Young-ji’s apartment and make a plan of their own. Young-ji calls her Manager Im, and says she is ready to come in and will bring a few friends. A few minutes later, a black car pulls up outside the apartment building and picks up the kids.

Before making the dreaded journey, Se-kyung drops by the military camp, forcing In-ah to help. Yon-sang also shows up as he is worried about his beloved. In-ah ropes in Hyun-tae, and the four leave on their mission. 

In the meantime, the kids arrive at the training centre and act interested. Young-ji finds Young-han and they pretend they want to give their friends a tour. Young-ji asks Manager Im to get Jeong-ah, and he leaves them for a while. They use this opportunity to get to the secret passage where Yoon-sang and Hyun-tae are waiting. Se-kyung already sneaked in and is busy looking for more information about what is happening at the training centre. She sees some kids being given drugs and tries to investigate further.

On the other hand, In-ah launches an open attack and comes in hot. She demands to inspect the property under martial law, citing reports of child abuse. She notifies the parents that some of their kids are being trafficked and demands to be shown where Father Baek is hiding. Most of the parents are in disbelief and choose to remain. Some willingly leave with their children. Due to the police presence, Jeong-ah holds Soo-geum on the property without his prior consent. Nonetheless, Soo-geum is happy to enjoy the high-class facilities. 

Soon, the kids make their way out but they are immediately followed by the  Toittech CEO. The greedy man took the opportunity to steal some gold. Another man pursues him and the kids. The episode ends with Se-kyung and In-ah stil wrapping things at the training centre when they hear gunshots. In-ah quickly orders her soldiers to check on those shots. She is certain they came from the direction of the transport car where Hyun-tae and Yoon-sang were supposed to pick up the kids.

The Episode Review

It is amazing that the world is ending, but people are busy committing crimes left, right and centre. They probably think it won’t matter much as the end is nigh. It is also fascinating to see how deeply brainwashed these cult members are. They overlook the evidence staring them right in the face and protecting a man like Father Baek. 

Even after learning what the training centre is doing to their kids, most of them chose to stay. It is sickening. A man like Soo-geum is happy to overlook why the training centre has an interest in his daughter because he is obsessed with surviving. We get that self -preservation is a reflex, but there is no excuse for these parents’ behaviours. 

On the other hand, we are curious about what led to the gunshots. Did Hyun-tae fire back in anxiety, and who was shot? Our curiosity is overwhelming. Let us jump into the next episode and find answers!