Smugglers (Smuggling / Smuggler / Milsoo / Milsu / 밀수)

THE MID-1970S KUNCHON

Can I believe? Believe in your heart?

It won't just be a passing cloud?

Can I believe? Believe in your eyes?

It won't just be the sun Behind the clouds?

Those words "I love you"

Sound so tender

Don't let the boat break down,

or fights break out,

or anyone gets hurt.

Just let us get a big haul.

Flatfish?

Flatfish!

Pull it up!

Hey, Jin-gu! Help her with that.

-I'll do it! Let me! -Over there, quick!

Hook it there!

Alright!

Wow, a flatfish!

You shit for brains!

What's your problem?

If you'd hooked it on right, I wouldn't have lost it.

Are you laughing?

It's gone. Just come up!

Let's move!

FEROCIOUS DRAGON

Look, these are all rotten.

What a waste.

It's useless.

They're all dead.

What do we do with these?

We won't earn anything.

Goddamn factories, someone should burn them down!

Then why don't you do it?

Stop wasting your time.

Let's just go get drunk.

I open my eyes one morning And feel strange

It's half past eleven

I'm so tired

Near the place where they built that chemical factory,

the sea is covered with dead fish, bellies facing up.

And they didn't even get a fine.

As for us,

we're just driving empty trucks back and forth to Seoul.

Can't even pay for the fuel.

So instead,

why don't you do that thing I told you about?

What thing?

The thing.

Diving for crates that were thrown in the sea.

A lot of our customers get rich in that line of work.

Pull them up without knowing what they are?

Why does that matter? Necessity knows no law.

Don't do what? Our government says not to do it.

How did that Japanese radio enter the country?

And that jar of Vaseline next to it?

Don't we need to earn a living?

Earn a living…

How far must a man go to earn a living?

Throw them over, quick!

One, two…

We're with the Kunchon Customs Office. We're inspecting imported goods.

Anything not declared is contraband. Even a grain of coffee!

IMPORT DECLARATION

All done!

Listen up, everyone!

This will be a piece of cake. Crates instead of abalone!

Is the sea always this rough?

How much will you make off this?

We do all the work, and the cash all goes up your butt?

I've got hemorrhoids, I can't do that.

Mugwort is good for hemorrhoids.

We're here. Get ready, everyone.

Let's do it!

They're coming!

Here they come!

Choonja…

are all the boxes there?

-Lift it up! -I got it, Dad!

They're coming up!

Hey Hammer, careful with those!

Go easy, don't break anything.

-Lift it! -Hurry it up!

Be careful with those! Don't break anything.

Quickly!

I'll take it. Let go.

-Jin-gu, how many boxes? -16!

-16? -Yes!

There are four left! Keep it up!

Here.

Good work, Toughie.

Is everyone on board? There are no more boxes below.

Exactly 20 boxes!

Let's move!

NAMDAEMUN MARKET

SMUGGLED GOODS ENTER THE LIVING ROOM

That boat which comes Every once in a while

What stories does it carry?

People coming

People going

A stirring in every heart

Oh boat, you leave dreams Behind at the wharf

You know the sadness Of the crying seagull

Tell me

Tell me

Oh boat departing from Yeonan Wharf

FEROCIOUS DRAGON SHIPPING

Soon we'll be drowning in cash.

Don't talk nonsense.

Bro, have you thought about that job I mentioned?

It's obviously a terrible idea.

Let's not raise the stakes.

Taking on too much can get you killed.

If you're finished, then go!

Brother!

You should consider my position too!

Jeez.

JONGRO TEA ROOM

-Hi Choonja. -Where's uncle?

He came early.

Boon…

Gold?

Gold bars?

Do you know how frustrated I must be to call you two here?

I've begged your father for months, but he keeps saying no.

My Seoul backers

will stop buying anything from Kunchon if we refuse one more time.

And I'm stuck in the middle…

Still, we need Dad's permission to go through with it.

Let's be honest.

I'm the one who gave the people of Kunchon a new lease on life.

I feel so unappreciated.

If we take this on,

what's our share?

Is gold smuggling a joke to you?

You know Dad's temper, how will you deal with him?

Such a country girl.

If no one goes blabbing, no one will know.

For now, don't say anything to Dad.

You don't trust me?

You need to get rich and follow me to Seoul.

Hands off me!

From what I've heard, the profits for gold are huge.

Gold?

What gold?

What?

What gold?

That gold.

-Want a gold brick in your head? -What now?

Don't interfere in our work, okay?

Nothing has been decided yet,

so just keep quiet and don't talk to anyone.

Yes.

-Hey! -Yes?

If you suck at your job, at least know when to shut up!

When you moved here you said you wanted to be a sailor.

Then jump on an ocean liner and go far out to sea!

Don't waste time on things you can't do!

-Don't intimidate the kid. -Why should I stop?

You're such a spaz!

I saw you take those foreign cigarettes!

-Foreign cigarettes? -I didn't take them, I…

Stop mumbling, will you?

Look,

go buy yourself some clothes instead.

-There's no need, please. -Just take it!

-I can't accept this! -You embarrass us!

Hey Choonja, wait up!

Why be so protective of him? You've got your own brother.

At least Jin-gu's got a dad. That poor kid's alone.

You're too soft on him, that's why he's so screwed up.

Stop adopting greasy-haired kids off the street.

-What about you? -My hair's clean, it's okay.

What?

Dad…

I've never cared about what others think,

but ever since I started this work,

I haven't had a good night's sleep.

Even if I struggle, I'll make my living fishing.

Uncle has already arranged the next shipment.

If you pull out now, he'll be in trouble.

Why did he tell you and not me?

He didn't tell me, I heard him tell Jin-sook.

He wanted to buy us noodles, so he took us to the city today.

I'll take care of it. For now, no more smuggling.

What's gotten into the old man?

He's been anxious all this time, saying he wants to quit.

But what do we do about this shipment?

Need to call uncle quickly and work things out.

But if they throw crates in the sea, your dad won't just leave them.

I don't think we should do this.

Do we have to go this far?

You've got a dad with a boat.

I've been cleaning houses since age 14, I've learned being poor is a sin.

If you're poor, you're guilty even when you're innocent.

I'll talk to uncle. Don't mention the gold to your dad.

And toughen up, will you?

Hey!

I'll tell Father this is the last time!

They're coming up!