Kim Se-hwi’s “Following” (Original title: Geunyeoga Jugeossda) is a Korean-language mystery thriller film that follows a real estate agent who becomes obsessed with a social media influencer and begins stalking her. Later, a scandalous incident turns their lives upside down and makes them reflect upon their choices. Byun Yo-han stars as the realtor Gu Jeong-tae, whereas realtor Shin Hye-sun stars as social media influencer Han So-ra. Besides them, this K-drama stars Lee El, Yoon Byung-hee, Park Ye-ni, Ji Hyun-joon, Jang Sung Bum, Shim Dal-gi, Park E Hyun, Han So-ha, Lee Se-rang, and Park Myung-hoon.
Spoilers Ahead
Following (2024) Plot Summary & Korean Movie Synopsis:
Written & directed by Kim Se-hwi, “Following” (Geunyeoga Jugeossda) is a new Korean mystery thriller that revolves around the lives of a male realtor and a female social influencer caught up in a terrible scandal.
What happens in the K-drama ‘Following’?
The K-drama “Following” begins by following the life of Gu Jeong-tae (Byun Yo-han), a well-known real estate agent from Seoul. He has a strange hobby – he likes to observe people when they are unaware of him. Jeong-tae also sneaks into his clients’ apartments when they are away and betrays their trust. But he makes sure not to leave a trace of his presence and does any repair work if required. He also takes photos of their belongings, probably as memorabilia of his creepy adventures. One day, while having dinner in a convenience store, he notices Han So-ra, a social media influencer, sitting next to him.
While eating store-bought sausages, So-ra uploads a picture of a vegan salad on her online profile. Intrigued by that, he starts following her around the town and learns where she lives. He also stalks her social media to learn about her past and daily activities. Eventually, he discovers a way to sneak into her apartment. Soon after he does that, she shows up at his office as a client. She offers him the key to take care of her apartment. While she is away, Jeong-tae uses the key to enter and check on its condition. He looks for the necessary repair work and takes care of it. Meanwhile, he keeps stalking So-ra’s social media.
So-ra’s Death
One day, Jeong-tae shows up at So-ra’s apartment to find her on the couch lying in a pool of blood. Jeong-tae gets worried that the cops will think he killed her. So, he waits for prospective clients looking to move into So-ra’s apartment – to pretend that he found So-ra’s dead body with them. However, this time, she isn’t on the couch. In fact, the couch is clean, as if nothing had happened there. He returns to his usual routine while checking for any news of So-ra’s murder. At his office, he receives a red envelope with photos of So-ra’s dead body, her blood, and him entering her apartment. Then, he learns about a family tragedy and goes to attend it. While driving back, his car gets hit by an automated car.
At the police station, So-ra’s close friend tells the cops that So-ra has gone missing. So, Detective Oh Young-joo (Lee El) and her associate begin the investigation. They meet Jeong-tae to learn that he showed So-ra’s apartment to a newlywed couple. Detective Young-joo asks him to share the details about other visitors and takes So-ra’s apartment keys. Later, the detectives find blood in So-ra’s apartment. Therefore, Jeong-tae worries he will be accused of So-ra’s murder. On So-ra’s social media account, he discovers YouTuber Holugi (Park Ye-ni) is connected to So-ra.
Jeong-tae’s Investigation
Jeong-tae’s investigation into a probable culprit leads him to So-ra’s fan by the username – bewithyou1984. He learns about Lee Jong-hak (Yoon Byung-hee) and how he used to imitate everything So-ra did as a way to show his love for her. Besides, he kept commenting on almost all her posts, expecting her to reciprocate his feelings. Now, Jeong-tae suspects Jong-hak is behind So-ra’s disappearance. During his research, Jeong-tae finds a red envelope in Holugi’s apartment. Later, he breaks into Jong-hak’s apartment and gets suddenly attacked by two masked people.
After rescuing himself, Jeong-tae informs Detective Young-joo about the attack and accuses Jong-hak & Holugi of So-ra’s murder. Then, he goes to So-ra’s apartment with Young-joo to find Jong-hak’s dead body inside, besides other signs of destruction. There, Jeong-tae finds another red envelope. Meanwhile, detective Young-joo finds evidence implying Jeong-tae & Jong-hak knew each other. So, she tries to arrest Jeong-tae for Jong-hak’s murder. But he beats her and runs away. Later, the detectives find a video on Holugi’s channel where she accuses Jeong-tae of killing So-ra.
Who is responsible for So-ra’s disappearance?
Jeong-tae finds a weapon that can connect him to So-ra’s death. Furious by this discovery, he shows up at Holugi’s apartment and confronts her for what she did to him. After their conversation, he realizes the truth – Soo-ra faked her own death. In the past, she left her small town after her family abandoned her. She did anything & everything for money. Eventually, she decided to create a social media profile and earn money out of people’s sympathy for her. She lied about her lavish life and constantly shared fake posts to keep up with its mirage. During that time, she noticed Jeong-tae unashamedly following and stalking her.
That’s why So-ra orchestrated a scene of her death to implicate Jeong-tae. She sent him the photos in a red envelope and carefully planted evidence to make him look like a primary suspect, whether it was a weapon in his mother’s ashes or an edited photo showing him with Jong-hak. She also killed Jong-hak and implicated Jeong-tae in it. So, all this time, So-ra was alive and masterminding the plan.
Following (2024) Korean Movie Ending Explained:
The cops receive an anonymous call from So-ra that alerts them to reach a specific location. At the same time, So-ra makes sure Jeong-tae comes there to see her. She injures herself for visible signs of injuries and implicates Jeong-tae. But Jeong-tae manages to run away. Meanwhile, detective Young-joo learns about So-ra’s criminal history and asks her superiors’ permission to investigate further. But they expect Young-joo to only follow their orders. Soon after, Jeong-tae sends Young-joo a message to share his side of the story and requests her to trust him.
Young-joo brings So-ra back to her apartment. So-ra pretends to be an ideal victim. Afterward, So-ra meets Jeong-tae without knowing that he is recording their conversation. She admits to horrific crimes, from killing four dogs for money or her other victims to protect herself. Then, she tasers him. Before she can kill him, Young-joo arrives there with her team to stop her. Subsequently, the cops find the bodies of So-ra’s other victims. So, So-ra gets arrested along with Jeong-tae. A while later, Jeong-tae gets out of jail and meets Detective Young-joo to thank her for trusting him. Young-joo says she was only doing her job.
Who is the victim in ‘Following’?
At the end of “Following,” Jeong-tae meets Detective Young-joo to thank her. He thinks she will feel bad for him for what So-ra did to his life. Instead, Young-joo gives him a reality check. She makes him realize that he isn’t a victim in this story, further citing his history of stalking. On the other hand, So-ra is also not just a victim. Right before her arrest, she cried for innocence and claimed that she was a victim. Even though she suffered hardships and was stalked by creepy men, she killed and hurt others for her personal benefit. Besides, she used her online influence with fake details to gain a following, which ultimately led to her demise.
![Asking for It [2022] Review: An Extreme and Chaotic Representation of Female Vigilantism](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Asking-for-It-2021-768x432.png)