Tough as Iron 2013

In the gritty streets of Busan, Gang Cheol, a once-feared street enforcer now reformed, has traded in his rough reputation for a life of quiet purpose. His motivation lies with Soon-i, his mother struggling with dementia, whose well-being is paramount to him. As he navigates this new path, working as a dockworker and nurturing a budding romance with the carefree Soo-ji, from Seoul, life seems to be unfolding on a more tranquil trajectory. However, the specter of Soon-i’s deteriorating health rears its head in the form of kidney failure, necessitating an expensive transplant that Cheol cannot afford. The local crime lord, Sang-gon, sensing his desperation, extends a dubious offer: work for him and his brother Hwi-gon in exchange for financial assistance. Initially, Cheol is resolute in his refusal, but when his debt-burdened best friend Jong-soo defaults on his loan and hands over the deed to Cheol’s home as collateral, the reformed gangster is forced back into Busan’s criminal underbelly. With a heavy heart, he accepts Sang-gon’s terms, which come with a deadly demand: eliminate a visiting Japanese Yakuza boss, paving the way for Sang-gon’s rise within the Korean mafia ranks.