71: Into the Fire

The film is based on a true story of a group of 71 undertrained and

underarmed, outgunned student-soldiers of South Korea during the Korean War, who
were mostly killed on August 11, 1950, during the Battle of P'ohang-dong. For 11
hours, they defended P'ohang-dong girls' middle school, a strategic point for
safeguarding the Nakdong River, from an attack by overwhelming North
Koreanforces, the 766th Unit.
These 71 teenagers, most of whom had never shot a gun before, managed to hold
out against the advancing North Korean army for 11 hours. Their heroic defense of
the area was actually a turning point in the Korean War. 71: Into the Fire tells the
story of these student-soldiers over the course of that fateful day.
The first scene begins with Oh Jang-Beom in a battle inside Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province. He is ordered
to run around and deliver supplies to soldiers in need, and help with any injured soldiers that need evacuation. As
the city is later becoming overrun with North Korean troops, he is grabbed by one platoon commanders and pulled
behind a building to hide with him and his platoon. Waiting for a chance to escape, they move through the alleyways
where they run into North Korean soldiers attacking from both ends of the narrow alley. The South Korean platoon
stood toe-to-toe with the attacking Northern Soldiers, and all were killed except Jang-Beom.
Oh Jang-beom is later forced into becoming the leader of a student-soldier unit, simply because he is one of only
three of the students who has combat experience (his combat experience was ammunition running between stations
- not actual fighting) because every available soldier is needed at the Nakdong River. The rest of the student-soldiers
have not even fired a weapon.
One of the students is captured by the North Koreans while patrolling and is interrogated for information about the
schools' defenses.The Commander enters the tent where he is being interrogated, and gives the student a cup of
water and says that to earn the enemies trust, you must use compassion. Being a father, he sympathizes with the
student, and returns him to the school uninjured. When he arrives, he tells Oh Jang-Beom that in 2 hours from that
point, his North Korean troops will occupy this school, and that if Oh Jang-Beom flies a white flag above the school,
Park Mu-Rang would spare the lives of all the students. But they come to realize that they must work together to
defend their country. They bolster their defenses, under the command of Oh Jang-Beom.
The Communist Commander instructs his army to set up a line of defense 1 km from the school and wait for
the signal to attack then. Oh Jang-beom prepares his troops for an attack. At first, it seems the scales are tipped in
the favor of the students, but the North Korean forces are too many in number, and they overwhelm the students.
After the North Korean forces have taken most of the field of the school, Oh Jang-Beom orders the rest of the
students inside the building. At this point, a North Korean tank pulls up and begins to bombard the building,
destroying a good portion of the front, and killing multiple students in the process. Oh Jang-Beom and his friend
make their way into a classroom and rest and talk for a while, as they've probably realized they will most likely die.
They get of the roof, taking turns reloading the mounted machine gun, and watch each other's back. As North
Koreans seem to pour out of each entrance, the mounted machine gun jams, and Oh Jang-Beom is shot in his
shoulder, knocking him back.
The scene ends with Jang-Beom and the North Korean Commander who kill him.
100,000 South Korean students volunteered to fight in the war. This film was made as a commemoration of their
sacrifices and was released during the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.