Byun Sung-hyun’s “Good News” (“Gut Nuiuseu,” 2025) follows a plane hijack incident from over five decades ago. Yet, its satire of bureaucratic ineptitude is so potent that some might consider it a present-day event happening somewhere around us. The film falls in the vein of “Dr. Strangelove,'” which portrayed the sheer absurdity of political boardrooms. Byun’s film uses a similar dark comedic tone to critique more than what meets the eye. So, while showing a botched hijack attempt by political activists, it underlines the glaring concerns about the authorities in charge of pacifying their voices without realizing or acknowledging their inherent flaws. The film also highlights the fabrication of reality by the supposed victors to present a narrative that suits their overarching motives. This comedic thriller, inspired by real events, is streaming on Netflix.
Spoilers Ahead
Good News (Gut Nuiuseu, 2025) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Good News” centres around an event in 1970 when the Red Army Faction boarded a plane in Japan to divert it to Pyongyang, North Korea, in an attempt to make their voices heard.
What happens in Good News on Netflix?
In 1970, a group of Red Army Faction members got on the plane from Haneda to Itazuke. They didn’t need to go through security screenings or metal detectors because these things had not been mandatory until then. In Byun Sung-hyun’s reenactment of this incident, Sho Kasamatsu plays the leader of the hijack group. Nairu Yamamoto plays one of his associates, Asuka. Shortly upon arrival, they hijack the plane and threaten captain Takahiro Kubo and first officer Seigo Maeda to divert it to the North Korean airspace. The pilots realize the members’ lack of knowledge about the plane and the destination, and use it to buy more time. As it happens, the ground base tries its best to pacify the situation.
Captain Takahiro lands the plane at a Japanese airport, claiming they need to refuel. The Japanese authorities in charge claim that they need approval from the US Armed Forces. They use that time to rescue the passengers, but to no avail. Instead of pacifying the situation, they escalate it since the group members threaten to kill passengers if their demands are not met. Since Japanese leaders fail in this regard, the onus falls on the South Korean forces. That’s when KCIA director Park Sang-hyeon (Ryoo Seung-bum) brings an enigmatic figure, dubbed Nobody (Sul Kyung-gu), to de-escalate the situation. As a Korean person, Nobody is not on board with helping the Japanese.
Yet, Park insists they help with this situation to protect their future ties with the US and not let the North have an upper hand in the economic matters they deem more important. As it happens, one of the hostages on the plane gets injured, leading some passengers to be evacuated. Yet, the plane remains on its way to the North, which puts Japan and South Korea in a bind since they don’t have provisions for such a landing.
How does Nobody help with the hijack?
Nobody brings Air Force lieutenant Seo Go-myung (Hong Kyung) to help with the situation. He was the only Korean individual on the US fighter jet that survived an attack in the North Korean airspace. So, Nobody seeks his expertise in the system, dubbed RAPCON, to contact the hijackers. He forces Lieutenant Seo to break an aviation law for this secret operation. Then, the team tries to persuade the Faction members against landing in North Korea with a threat of fighter jets, but the members claim they are willing to be sacrificed. So, the team plans on an alternate strategy: they make the plane land in a South Korean airport, pretending it is landing in Pyongyang.
Lieutenant Seo manages it by pretending to be a North Korean officer. After that happens, the operation is not simply about the safety of the hostages. It’s also about different authority figures trying to preserve their image. That’s why nearly everyone in charge uses this mission to present themselves as kind-hearted saviors, but promote it only when the decisions suit their agenda. Initially, Lieutenant Seo believes the operation will gain him fame and glory, but the dream vanishes as soon as the plane lands in Kimpo, South Korea. The authorities try to paint it as a North Korean paradise that the Faction members consider it to be, but the facade gets exposed soon, putting them in further danger.
Thus, KCIA director Park readies Lieutenant Seo as the scapegoat. Throughout this operation, Park accepts his involvement only when it shows him as a hero. Otherwise, he throws Seo under the bus, hoping he bears the brunt. So, when the faction leader asks to meet him (the person who tricked them into this landing) in person, he sends Seo instead.
Good News (Gut Nuiuseu, 2025) ‘Netflix’ Movie Ending Explained:
KCIA director Park compels Lieutenant Seo to enter the plane to pacify the hijackers. That’s when Seo bonds with the Faction’s leader over their love for a manga, dubbed ‘Ashita na Joe.’ It upsets Faction member, Asuka, who ends up stabbing the leader. Although this seems like an accident, it was a part of their mission. She stabs him at a spot where he won’t suffer too much and survive a day if the bleeding is kept under control. While the members see it as a part of their greater goal, the passengers get traumatized by the incident. So, they urge Seo to get them to the North as a last resort for survival. Otherwise, a suicide bomber on the plane will kill them all in the next 24 hours.
Unlike them, the Japanese boardroom members feel no remorse in sending the passengers to the North because it would save them from guilt and accountability. So, in a dire attempt to save everyone, Lieutenant Seo makes the hijackers appear less threatening in their eyes. The next morning, South Korea’s first lady (Jeon Do-yeon) arrives there at the request of boardroom officials. However, she is more concerned with portraying her chair in high regard, thus making an emotional plea to keep all the hostages safe without offering any constructive feedback as to how. So, the onus, once again, falls on Seo, who tries his best to convince the hijackers to let the remaining passengers leave.
What lies in Lieutenant Seo’s fate?
In the end, Seo convinces the hijacker’s leader not to die with a passionate plea involving their favorite manga character. Around this time, Nobody convinces the Japanese Deputy Minister (Takayuki Yamada) to sacrifice himself to protect the hostages. Once the hostages are rescued, the Faction members reach the North. After it all, every single involved nation resorts to positioning itself to suit its agenda. This is why Seo gets no credit for carrying out this operation of sacrificing himself more than once, since South Korea does not claim any involvement in these matters. So, he becomes the unsung hero of this operation while the deputy minister and the pilots end up taking the credit.
The ending is not merely about an innocent young officer’s betrayal at the hands of a powerful system or the erasure of his efforts. Rather, it sharpens the film’s critique of how truth itself is shaped and wielded. In those final moments, the story exposes how “truth” is often revealed not to reflect objective reality, but to serve a convenient agenda.
