The King

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER KIM Woo-taek

a WOOJOO FILM production

a HAN Jae-rim film

You know the smiling Hahoe masks of Andong?

Yes.

Know why it's smiling?

To symbolize humor in life?

Nope.

Let's smile? Be happy?

What's Andong famous for?

Spicy chicken?

Not food! A special product.

Hemp cloth?

Textile to make clothes?

- Right. - Hemp.

Hemp is made out of marijuana, you know?

The whole town is filled with marijuana fields.

Farmers would gather to smoke it and get high.

It wasn't illegal back then.

That's why the Hahoe mask is smiling.

Because they are high!

The whole town is!

I heard that too.

- Junkies all gather... - Yes?

For marijuana in September.

After the harvest, marijuana must be burnt in front of the local official.

All local officials fight for the spot to sniff it.

Shouldn't we go?

Let's go and sniff it!

Shall we?

- Be like the mask? - Yes!

- Get high? - Let's go!

I'll make a U-turn.

Go!

When I was six, mom couldn't stand dad and left.

She used to say...

If you do bad things, you'll go to hell.

Adults are always right.

I really wanted to live like a king.

Some say your life flashes past when you're about to die.

It's happening now.

CHO In-sung

JUNG Woo-sung

BAE Seong-woo RYU Jun-yeol

KIM Eui-sung KIM A-joong

WRITER DIRECTOR HAN Jae-rim

THE KING

The nation wishes President CHUN a successful tour to Burma...

Wow! Is this a color TV?

Yes. My dad bought it.

It's nice!

My dad was a crook.

When color TVs were rare, he went around to steal them.

He stole anything that was worthy. Like radios and rice cookers...

He'd sell the stolen goods to women at markets.

Bring my money!

Win 3 times your bet!

He was a crook living a trashy life.

Kids, know what this is? Chicken!

But he'd bring home some chicken...

and said I should learn to drink from him and tried to be a dad.

Seeing Si-yeon with a guy reminded him of mom running away...

Dad couldn't stand it.

Go!

Stop it!

But mom left because he cheated on her.

Who's the big guy here!

What did I learn from my troublemaking dad?

Nothing but fighting.

Life may seem easy for a top fighter in school...

but defending my title wasn't easy.

CHOI Du-il

Night school is nice. You get to go late.

A cop is at your place. What did your dad do this time?

How much will he pay off this time?

Mr. Prosecutor, I'm sorry!

Please forgive me!

How dare you!

Please, sir!

My dad was getting hit...

by a man he can easily defeat.

I'll lock you up!

Mr. Prosecutor, I can't go to prison now.

Prosecutor?

The man who's slapping my dad is a prosecutor.

That's real power.

Sentencing people for life...

or even death!

Dad is kneeling down because he is a prosecutor.

Fighting rules only in school.

Eventually, those nerds will own the real power.

That's when I decided to become a prosecutor.

If the upcoming 1988 Olympics goes well...

Korea will be marked as a developed country.

So study hard!

Don't wake him.

Who'd do the dirty jobs if everyone become prosecutors?

Will you? Let him sleep.

But a crook's son becoming a prosecutor was not easy.

I never studied in my life, so books made me fall asleep.

Is something wrong?

No.

Tell me!

I should study for my exams, but I want to dance.

Then study here!

Here?

They're reading comics. Why not books?

What on earth!

I couldn't study at a desk, but I could concentrate here!

I can't stand silence so I studied better with distractions.

They call it white noise.

I could focus better with some noise.

Really!

Seriously!

PARK Tae-su!

Your grades went up a lot.

From 53rd to 12th? You went up 40 places?

You tried real hard, huh? See for yourself.

Like your grades?

You tried really hard!

You fool!

You cheated? Don't you have a conscience?

I didn't cheat!

How dare you! Come here.

Damn it!

Who did you copy from?

Sorry for doubting you.

- See? I didn't cheat! - Right.

When I took the test alone and still did well...

he apologized and bought me food.

Exam Rank 1: PARK Tae-su

PARK Tae-su!

I got into Seoul University.

Aren't you protesting?

Since everybody does, I guess I should.

That won't change anything. Isn't it pathetic?

I wouldn't say that.

Why me!

Let go!

Yeon-sil!

Yeon-sil!

Yeon-sil!

Tae-su! I'm sorry!

She turned out to be the wanted protestor leader.

Then I got dragged into the army for helping her escape.

A Seoul University law student should know better!

Hometown!

Pardon?

Your hometown!

Dad warned me to never say that my hometown was Jeolla-do.

I'm from Seoul, sir!

It says Jeolla-do.

That's my father's hometown. I was born in Seoul.

If you're from Jeolla-do, they'll brand you as a commie.

Sol listened to him.

Thanks to that, I was placed in a laid back base.

I kept studying.

Until my discharge, I studied for the bar exam...

and went into examiners' housing afterwards.

People were stuck inside to study for years...

dreaming of a fancy life after passing the bar.

Evidence 1.

Cash used for illegal gambling and drug trade.

Evidence 2.

Weapons used for threats.

Someday I'll be a prosecutor spotlighted on TV.

We're pleased to root out the smugglers and...

I got lucky in passing the first round.

Then we're given two chances to pass the second round.

I took it once to get a feel for it, then kept studying.

Oh shit!

Excuse me!

PARK Tae-su

I passed!

Passing the second round meant I passed the bar.

No. 235, PARK Tae-su!

Why did you take the bar exam?

The third round is the interview.

Son of a bitch!

Unless I slap their face, I'll pass for sure.

Look!

Smile!

Look! The bus is here!

PARK Myung-hoon's son, Tae-su, Passed the 33rd Judicial Bar!

Tae-su!

After the bar...

we're trained for 2 years at the judicial training institute.

As soon as we went in, marriage brokers hounded us.

We got tempted with wealth and women beyond our dreams!

Sorry, I got stuck in traffic.

She was late too, but the man should be early!

So sorry.

This is PARK Tae-su, from Seoul University.

Isn't he handsome?

It was her.

I signaled!

- Still, you can't just cut in! - You crazy!

- Are you a gangster? - What if I am!

Try it! Hit me!

Geeze!