“That’s a cowardly excuse!” roars Kang In-chan, a Unit 684 member and one of Seol Kyung Gu’s most famous characters, which sets the scene for Silmido. Unit 684 were social outcasts and criminals trained as human weapons by the State to kill Kim Il Sung. The State wanted to terminate the unit when they were no longer of use, but they wouldn’t accept meaningless killing. The first half of the film is about the unit risking their lives in training, and the second half is about their tragic end whilst heading to Cheongwadae. As the film gained national attention, the story of Unit 684 reveals the truth that the State tried to bury for a long time. Silmido is the first Korean film to surpass 10 million viewers, and people started demanding the truth about the State violence, which proves the significant impact the film had, indicating that the State’s policy of confidentiality was a ‘cowardly excuse’ to avoid taking responsibility. (HUH Namwoong)