The Yellow Sea 2011

In the northeastern Chinese city of Yanji, located in Yanbian Prefecture, a man named Gu-nam (portrayed by Ha Jung-woo) struggles to make ends meet as a taxi driver. Outside of his long hours behind the wheel, he frequents local gambling halls, where his financial problems are exacerbated by mounting debts. His wife has traveled to work in South Korea with the promise of sending money back, but Gu-nam is left in torment, plagued by nightmares filled with suspicion of her infidelity. His situation worsens when he loses his job and the debt collectors seize most of his severance pay.

In a desperate bid for relief, local gangster Myun Jung-hak (played by Kim Yoon-seok) presents Gu-nam with a perilous proposition: he must travel to South Korea to eliminate a businessman in exchange for CN¥57,000 (approximately US$10,000). Driven by thoughts of his young daughter, Gu-nam takes a leap of faith, embarking on a treacherous journey that involves both train rides and a rickety fishing boat, carrying only US$500 for his expenses.

Upon reaching South Korea, Gu-nam meticulously tracks his target for several days while simultaneously searching for his missing wife. However, as the hours and days drag on, his circumstances spiral out of control. When the moment arrives for him to fulfill his deadly mission, an unforeseen series of events throws his plans into chaos, leading him to frantically seek an escape.

Meanwhile, law enforcement, the South Korean mob, and the ethnic Korean Chinese mafia are all on the hunt for Gu-nam. This engaging action thriller, directed by Na Hong-jin, is reminiscent of his previous work, The Chaser, where Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yoon-seok starred in reversed roles—Ha as the villain and Kim as the hero—adding a fascinating twist to their latest collaboration. In this high-stakes narrative, the lines between survival and morality blur as Gu-nam fights to navigate the deadly landscape he finds himself in.