I watched 포화속으로 (71 : Into the Fire) based on the Pohang Girls Middle School battle on August 15th 1958 and although its a sad depiction of the battle its also very inspiring ; shows courage and bravery of the young student soldiers who fought for their country and didn’t submit!
They believed in fighting for the freedom of their country and they did, they fought valiantly till the end and their fighting is what saved their country from being forced to submit!!!
Basically the shows revolves around the events of August 5th-20th 1950 at Pohang Girls Middle School ; the army had assigned a group of student soldiers to protect the front of Pohang Girls Middle school to delay the North Korean forces from advancing to quickly and attacking an unprepared South Korean and UN troops ; time was needed in order to prepare a counterattack on the North Korean forces.
71 student soldiers managed to hold back the North Korean division army for 11 hours which actually allowed the UN troops to prepare a counterattack the resulted in them winning the Pohang-do battle.
포화속으로
What I love about this show is the characters are well played by T.O.P and Kwon Sang Woo – you see the most of them and although in the beginning all 71 of the student soldiers you can feel in the characters their immaturity, they haven’t experienced war yet ; they know what it is ; but they are still kids and don’t get how much they have to fight for their country and for what they believe!!
Oh Jang Bum is a student soldier who in the beginning of the movie is carrying a young man who is wounded to a medic truck and who later becomes the commander of all 71 of the student soldiers during the battle at Pohang Girls Middle School : he was chosen because he had the most combat experience, but he really had barely any just an ammunitions runner between station NO FIGHTING and the rest had no experience what-so-ever. Didn’t even know how to fire a gun and that’s what is truly inspiring ; their bravery when they really had no clue what they were doing!!!
Everyone else had to just sit and wait till they needed to fight, try their hardest even though thy were untrained!!!
Unsent letter from one of the student soldiers to his mother :
“Mother!
I have killed. I have killed ten men, with only a stone wall between us. Even at this moment, while I write, My ears are filled with terrifying roars.
. . .
Mother!
Why must there be war? I might die today. No, I will survive. I promise I will survive and return. Mother goodbye! goodbye! Ah, it is not goodbye, Because I will write again.
August 11, 1950
Unsent Letter of Hakdobyeong Lee U-geun, a Student Soldier
who Fell in the Pohang Battle”
This movie is very very heart wrenching but also very inspirational and a true example of courage and bravery from just a few untrained student soldiers who went far beyond the call of duty and sacrificed their lives for their country ; actually I have watched this show almost 15 times since the first time I watched it in February because I love it so much 🙂 everyone should watch it to get a feel of their courage and bravery, makes you think twice about what’s important to you!!!
***** its a must-watch and so far the best Korean movie I have ever watched*****
Totally recommend it ^^
PS : have some tissues handy ; I cried my eye-balls out it was so sad!!
Omg when I watched it I was bawling. This movie was SO sad!! Definitely well made~
So was I..!!! It was really sad but also an epic example of courage ~ brilliant movie 🙂
I agree! Have you seen that one movie called “Welcome to Dongmakgol”? That’s another great one! Definitely recommend! 🙂
No I haven’t seen it but thanks I will surely watch it when I have some time ^*^