In Bong Joon Ho’s “The Host,” a colossal monster emerges from chemical pollution, echoing a real incident.
The Han River is a water source for 10 million citizens of Seoul and 20 million metropolitan residents. In fact, compared to rivers flowing through other major cities abroad, the Han River is very wide and large.
The U.S. military unit that simply poured formaldehyde into this very large and wide river. They told a Korean soldier who objected that the river is so vast that the chemicals would be diluted and it would be fine.
Years later, a man standing on a Han River bridge, trying to make a final decision, discovers a large form in the water below. This story is the beginning of the film “The Host” directed by Bong Joon Ho.
In reality, this story was inspired by a toxic chemical discharge incident from a U.S. military unit into the Han River. Due to the assumption that the vastness of the Han River would mitigate any problems, the birth of the ‘monster’ occurred due to the chemicals being thoughtlessly discharged, leading to a tragic tale for a family.
This movie introduced director Bong Joon Ho to the world.
Go Ah Sung, who had dreams of working at a major company, gets a job as a ‘female employee’. Despite her abilities, she and her colleagues, dressed in separate uniforms, are given a chance for a ‘deputy’ promotion. It involves getting a high TOEIC score in line with global business practices.
However, while diligently preparing for the TOEIC exam, she notices something else. During a field inspection with rookie deputy Cho Hyun Chul, she witnesses the release of phenol-laden wastewater into a river.
She tries to tell the deputy, but her concerns are brushed aside. She starts investigating the incident with her TOEIC class colleagues. Eventually, they uncover the unauthorized discharge of phenol, which could harm the health of local residents, and thwart the conspiracy of a foreign fund trying to sell a company at a low value using this incident as an excuse.
Based on the real incident involving D Corporation releasing over 300 tons of phenol into the Nakdong River in the 1990s, the movie “Samjin Company English Class” was made.
The disaster film ‘Pandora’, released in 2016, reimagines the Fukushima nuclear disaster in a Korean context. It deals with an unprecedented earthquake hitting the Korean Peninsula and the chaos resulting from issues in the dormant Hanbyeol Nuclear Power Plant.
President Kim Myung Min, who believes the truth about the possibility of a nuclear meltdown and radiation leaks should be disclosed to the public along with countermeasures, has his authority stripped by Prime Minister Lee Kyung Young, who wants to conceal the truth from the public and international community.
The incident continues as nuclear fuel inside the reactor continues to redivide. If not stopped, it could lead to a global catastrophe. While using seawater right next to the plant could solve the problem, the decision to use freshwater, due to the fear that using seawater would permanently deactivate the reactor, leads to a shortage and worsening situation.
Following the First Lady’s advice, President Kim regains his power, orders seawater injection, and directs an operation to prevent a second explosion. However, the military command considers entering a space filled with radiation an execution, not an operation.
Ultimately, workers exposed to radiation during the first incident volunteer to enter again. Among them is Jae Hyuk (Kim Nam Gil), who lost his father and brother due to radiation exposure.
In a situation requiring both explosion and sealing operations, at least one person must survive. Jae Hyuk, the only one skilled in handling explosives, chooses to stay behind. After leaving a message on camera in the sealed reactor, he presses the detonation button.
The scenario leading up to the second incident closely follows the Fukushima disaster. The decision to delay seawater injection in an effort to save costs worsens the situation.
More water is poured in to cool the reactor and fuel rods, resulting in the need for a sacrifice and leading to a distinctly Korean melodrama.
Source: Daum.
