“The Desperate Chase” is a 2024 film directed and written by Kim Jae-hoon. The film stars Park Sung-woong as Kim In-hae, Kwak Si-yang as Jo Soo-gwang, Yoon Kyung-ho as Zhu Lingfang, Park Hyo-ju as Yang Se-ra, and more. The movie follows the story of a short-tempered cop and a notorious scammer and con artist who join forces to bring down an international criminal and his drug empire.
The Desperate Chase (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Who are Jo Soo-gwang, Kim In-hae, and Zhu Lingfang?
Jo Soo-gwang is an honest but short-tempered detective who takes his job so seriously. If it were up to him, he’d wipe out all the criminals in the city in a day. But his strong-arm tactics and zero tolerance for criminals often land him in hot water, with headlines calling him out for rough handling and excessive force. On the flip side, there’s Kim In-hae, a notorious scam artist and master of disguise who’s been outsmarting the cops for years. Legend has it, that Kim In-hae once bought a pearl for $30 and sold it for $4 million to a wealthy businessman in Sokcho. He’s also posed as everything from an entrepreneur to a frail old man, selling fake paintings to museums and unsuspecting buyers alike.
The story doesn’t just revolve around Jo Soo-gwang and Kim In-hae—there’s a third player. Zhu Lingfang is a ruthless drug lord with operations across South Korea and China. He is known for flooding the streets with drugs and targeting young people. Zhu Lingfang has held a tight grip on South Korea’s drug market, eliminating anyone who tries to threaten his empire. Things get really interesting when fate pulls all three of them—Jo Soo-gwang, Kim In-hae, and Zhu Lingfang—to Jeju Island, each on their own personal agenda.
Why did Jo Soo-gwang, Kim In-hae & Zhu Lingfang Come to Jeju Island?
Zhu Lingfang arrives on Jeju Island to take over the local market to expand his drug empire and make it a hub for his new product, Fentanyl. The island’s market vendors are already struggling under his hostile takeover. While many have given in and sold their stalls, a few remain defiant. When money doesn’t sway these holdouts, Zhu Lingfang sends his men to rough them up, breaking their will with brute force. With his grip tightening on Jeju, Zhu Lingfang arranges meetings with key city officials, including the police chief and the mayor. This is when he makes his intentions clear that he plans to use Jeju’s bustling markets and connections to push his new drug across the region.
While Zhu Lingfang chose to come to Jeju, Jo Soo-gwang wasn’t given much of a choice. After his latest case ended with him roughing up a suspect, Jo Soo-gwang’s boss decided a transfer to Jeju Island might help him cool off a bit. Some say the calm, sunny climate might actually help him control that temper. Jo Soo-gwang tries everything to avoid the transfer even going as far as to show off the “cute” t-shirts he’s started wearing to remind himself to stay calm, but nothing works.
When he arrives in Jeju, his reputation precedes him, and nobody wants to partner with the hotheaded cop known for causing more trouble than he solves. As for Kim In-hae, the con artist, maybe he is in Jeju looking for another big score. This time, he’s posing as Raymond Kim, a wealthy Korean-American businessman supposedly dealing in diamonds and rare gems. Word somehow reaches the police that Kim In-hae is on Jeju Island. Soon, the whole force goes on high alert to track him down before he slips through their fingers again.
How is Kim In-hae Related With Mrs Yoo?
Zhu Lingfang knows that taking control of Jeju’s market won’t be easy as long as Mrs. Yoo, the market leader, keeps rallying people against him. So, he sends his assassin to eliminate her but Man Bok saves her. It is revealed that all this while Kim In-hae has been living with Mrs. Yoo posing as an old man.
Kim In-hae is Mrs. Yoo’s grandson whom she raised as her own alongside several other orphans. In-hae lost his parents young but found a family in Mrs. Yoo, who loved him like a son. When the attack on Mrs. Yoo is carried out, Kim In-hae is able to save her. At the house, Jo Soo-gwang finds a hidden trap door teeming with a stash of high-tech gadgets and fake passports, confirming that Kim In-hae has been living with Mrs. Yoo, disguised as an old man.
Why do Kim In-hae and Jo Soo-gwang Agree to Work Together?
Jo Soo-gwang eventually tracks down Kim In-hae. But instead of arresting him, he decides to tie him up and demands answers about what he is doing in Jeju. Kim In-hae reveals that he’s actually there to stop the Black Organization, Zhu Lingfang’s notorious criminal empire. After dominating the drug markets in Hong Kong and Taipei, Zhu Lingfang has his sights on Jeju Island and is forcing local store owners out to take over Uni Market.
Mrs. Yoo, however, was the one person standing in his way, so Zhu Lingfang sent his assassin to silence her. Kim In-hae reveals that he returned to Jeju under the alias Man Bok to protect the Uni Market in Mrs. Yoo’s honor as he owed her everything for raising him like family when he was an orphan. Once everything is cleared, Jo Soo-gwang and Kim In-hae join forces to take Zhu Lingfang down and bring justice to the people of Jeju Island.
The Desperate Chase (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Is Zhu Lingfang Arrested for His Crimes?
Kim In-hae learns from Dr. Yang that she’s holding onto some serious evidence on Zhu Lingfang—video footage that could either get him deported or, better yet, put behind bars. Dr. Yang’s been collecting this proof for a while, knowing Zhu Lingfang will eventually double-cross her and make her his scapegoat. But since she won’t just hand it over to the police or Kim In-hae, they’re left with no choice but to steal it. Jo Soo-gwang and Kim In-hae hatch a planned heist.
While Su Jin and a few locals stir up chaos in Yang’s salon, Kim In-hae and Jo Soo-gwang break into her vault to grab the hard drive However, when Yang catches wind of their break-in, she decides to play along and offers up the evidence, but with one condition that once Zhu Lingfang’s out of the picture, she wants full control of the Omerta Clinic.
Knowing his time is almost up, Zhu Lingfang tries to make a run for it, planning to escape the island by boat but that plan quickly sinks. Desperate, he even tries to bribe Jo Soo-gwang with a hefty wad of cash. However, all it does is fuel Jo Soo-gwang’s fury, making him more dogged than ever to bring Zhu Lingfang to justice.
What Becomes of Jo Soo-gwang & Kim In-hae in the End?
Once the dust settles, Kim In-hae is cuffed and taken away, since he’s still a wanted con artist with quite the rap sheet. Yet, his sly smile as he’s led to the police car hints he doesn’t plan to stay locked up for long. It is also revealed that Kim In-hae has even stolen Zhu Lingfang’s picture frame, which held misprinted bills worth 20 million dollars! When Zhu Lingfang finds out, he goes livid and orders his lawyer to track down the bills, though everyone knows he’s never getting them back.
In addition, corrupt officials, including Dr. Yang and the chief of police, are also arrested for their involvement in Zhu Lingfang’s drug ring. As for Jo Soo-gwang, he decides Jeju Island is not so bad after all and chooses to stay.
