Narco-Saints (2022) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
1
THIS SERIES IS INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY
BUT CHARACTERS AND EVENTS
HAVE BEEN REIMAGINED FOR DRAMATIC PURPOSES
[dramatic music playing]
SURINAME BORDER
[birds squawking]
[man] Have you ever heard of Suriname?
My guess is you haven't.
It's a country in South America,
just above Brazil,
with a population of about 500,000 people.
Half of the country is covered in jungle,
and over half the population
is involved in the drug trade.
It's ethnically diverse and multilingual.
What's a Korean guy like me
doing in a place like this?
What I'm about to tell you
should answer that question.
You may find it hard to believe,
but everything I'm about to tell you
is true and actually happened to me.
Some parts are so far-fetched
you'll think I'm making it up.
And I wish I were.
But the only way you'll know for sure
is to hold on tight and listen.
[theme music playing]
[man] In 1968, the year I was born,
my father signed up
to fight in the Vietnam War.
For five long years,
he fought to survive in the jungle.
He came home when the American troops
withdrew, and the war finally ended.
DONGDUCHEON, KOREA
My father returned to us
tired and limping,
but mostly in one piece.
The day after he arrived,
he was right back out the door
looking for work.
And the only picture we had
where you can clearly see his face,
my father was holding a huge gun.
I always wondered why he'd gone away
to that far-off country,
and why he needed that gun,
but for some reason,
I was too scared to ask.
It would take me 30 years
to understand what drove my father to go.
When I got into middle school,
a teacher suggested I try judo.
And I took him up on it.
Being on the judo team meant I didn't
have to pay for school expenses or meals.
[indistinct shouting]
[trainer] Control the legs. Legs!
There you go.
[man] At 14, I started my training.
Kang Ingu!
[Ingu] And I lost my mother.
She was delivering yakult
at the crack of dawn
in the middle of winter,
and she collapsed.
It took three hours
for anyone to find her.
[all crying]
My brother, my sister, and I
all cried our hearts out,
but my father never shed a single tear.
He just kept pouring soju down his throat
between bite after bite
of fermented skate.
It was his favorite meal.
One of the few things in life
he ever enjoyed.
My father drove a cement truck
to make ends meet.
For six years,
he worked himself to the bone.
Twenty hours a day.
Until one night,
all those hours caught up to him.
[car honking]
- [glass shatters]
- [truck horn honks]
[gentle music playing]
At his funeral,
I finally understood why he'd never
been able to cry for our mother.
Whatever sadness he felt and tears he had
were buried under the harsh realities
of life and debt.
It was up to me to support the family.
During the day, I sold makgeolli
to hikers on Mount Soyosan.
Hi. Hi. Here you are, sir.
[joyous music playing]
[Ingu] At night,
I was a waiter in a karaoke bar.
[woman] Whoo! Whoo!
[waiter] Have a great night, sir.
[woman] I'm next!
[Ingu] It was hard work.
But thanks to those experiences,
I learned the life lessons
they don't teach you in school.
Thank you, sir.
I wish you good health and a long life.
PLEASE DON'T PARK HERE
[upbeat music playing]
[Ingu sighs]
[exhales]
[Ingu] Since I was out working so much,
the house was always a complete mess.
You were supposed
to do the dishes. Christ.
[Ingu] I knew I couldn't do it
all on my own,
so I started making calls
to some of the girls who used to like me.
Hey, how are you? This is Ingu.
Uh, I want to run something by you.
Um
Do you want to get married?
I swear I'm not drunk!
It took all my nerve to call you.
I'm dead serious.
Money?
I mean, money's something
that'll come along.
It's like our parents used to say,
"Work hard and save for the future."
Sure.
I mean it.
If we get married and save money,
eventually we might get a house.
What's with all these questions?
[inhales]
An apartment?
Hey, this isn't some sort
of business proposal.
You know what? Forget I ever called.
I can tell you're just in it for yourself.
[Ingu] Who knew so many girls
would be surprised by a phone proposal?
But finally, one girl said "yes,"
packed her bag, and moved in.
[upbeat music continues]
[Ingu] Oh.
[Ingu] This time,
I was the one who was surprised.
My wife definitely made
our lives more stable.
And once my brother and sister graduated
from high school, life eased up a bit.
Then we decided to have kids of our own.
And my son and daughter were born.
But with two more mouths to feed,
just getting by
wasn't going to cut it anymore.
So I learned to fix cars
and opened a garage right next
to the US Army Base in Dongducheon.
- [Ingu] Hi, how are you?
- Hi there.
- Good afternoon.
- [Ingu] Hey.
[Ingu] Thanks to a contact
through one of my judo buddies,
I made extra money delivering food
to the army base.
And so I learned to make nice
with the American grass.
- How are you?
- [soldier] Well, it's my man, Ingu.
You're looking particularly fit.
And healthy.
Because my garlic makes your blood clean.
[chuckles]
Well, that's bullshit.
But I'll admit, for the price,
your garlic is pretty damn good.
So, buy my onions too.
I'll give you a very, very good price.
Come for karaoke, and we'll talk. Okay?
[upbeat music continues]
[inaudible]
[Ingu] At the karaoke bar,
I kept moving my way up.
I eventually became manager.
And when I had enough money,
I bought the place.
- Whoa!
- Wow!
[Ingu] Finally, even though
I had to take out a loan to secure it,
we got a home of our own.
4TH GRADE - KOREAN FINAL EXAMS
KANG HYUNGJU 100/100
My son was smart and did well in school.
He motivated me to keep working.
- [daughter] Daddy!
- Hey.
Can you take me
to the karaoke with you soon?
I'm afraid not.
We've been over this before.
It's for American soldiers only.
[Ingu] I hoped the rest of my life
would be smooth sailing.
But I wasn't sure how much longer
I'd be able to keep up
the exhausting pace.
[exhales]
[gentle music playing]
Sometimes the weight of it all
was almost unbearable.
Why are you threatening her?
[woman chuckles]
[indistinct chatter]
[Ingu] I was living
just like my mother and father had.
They never had a chance
to take their kids out for a nice meal.
All they did was struggle
to make ends meet
until they got worn out and died.
[exhales]
What's the point of living
if you're barely surviving?
I didn't want my kids living their lives
the way I did. I wanted better for them.
Something had to change.
JOB OPENINGS
So what do we got?
Ingu!
[Ingu] Look who's here.
My first stop back from my travels
and that's all you can say?
You filthy bastard.
Didn't customs ask you
what the hell you have all over your hair?
What are you using? Fish paste?
Ingu, what the hell
would a punk mechanic know
about anything outside this shithole?
This, my friend,
is all the rage in Shinjuku right now.
Here. Souvenirs for the wife and kids.
Eungsoo,
I'm keeping these for the shop.
I'm always running out of rags.
- Thanks.
- Funny. You have no idea what's in there.
Good thing your wife has taste.
She'll take one look
and wonder how she got so lucky.
Now make yourself useful
and get these kinks out of my neck.
Sure.
- I'm always happy to help an old lady.
- What?
- Here. Like this?
- [grunts]
- Get out of Eungsoo's body, grandma!
- Okay! Shit! Hey, man!
- [Ingu] Give me my strength back!
- Stop!
- [Ingu] How does that feel? Better?
- Ow!
Samhap for you.
Let me know how you like it.
- Everything all right here, sir?
- A bit more soup, please.
[Eungsoo] After ninth grade,
when my dad passed away
and things got hard for us,
I couldn't afford school, so I quit.
You didn't quit.
They kicked you out.
Before you flunked out.
And then,
I went to work in the real world.
Ended up on boats working my ass off
for the last 20 years,
and still hardly able to feed my family.
It's the same for you. Isn't it?
We come from the same place,
we both done shit jobs, right?
That's how the world works, Eungsoo.
We were born into it.
Listen to you.
I recall when you had to quit judo.
You told me
you would do something different,
or your life would be shit.
Huh?
Now that you've been working
like an animal all these years,
what's changed?
I'm a homeowner with a family, dumbass.
Who you calling dumbass, huh?
The interest on the loan is killing you.
The bank owns your home, not you.
You know, we're gonna work ourselves
to death if things go on.
Just like our parents before us.
Dead. With nothing to show for it.
Why do I get the feeling
you're buttering me up?
Whatever it is, spit it out.
[Eungsoo clears throat]
The skate you're chewing so loudly,
it doesn't come from Korea.
It comes from Chile. Ninety percent of it.
But it gets labeled as local.
They charge a fortune for this bullshit.
Even the ones form Chile
are going for crazy prices these days.
I'm not following.
Why you talking about skate?
[inhales]
Ingu
If I told you
I could harvest skate for free
and bring it back here to sell
at local rates, what would you say?
Bull.
If it were that easy,
there'd be someone doing it.
Nothing comes free. You know that.
Why would someone give you skate for free?
It'd be like printing money.
I traveled to a place
where they just toss the skate they catch.
They don't like it.
And only I know. It's my secret.
Does "Suriname" ring any bells?
Suriname? Never heard of it.
I was hoping you would say that.
See, in 20 years of sailing,
I set foot there
for the first time this year.
Here. I'll show you. [inhales]
It's in South America north of Brazil.
Tiny. With half a million people.
The fishing waters all along the coast
are full of skate.
They catch them with the fish they want.
They don't like it because it's ugly
and smells so bad, so they just toss it.
I asked this guy,
the chief of the fishing village.
I asked if he'd let me have the skate.
He said yes. For a few cents each.
Do you know what we'd get
if we sold it here?
Is this for real?
Do you have to taste test
to see if it's chocolate or shit?
Come to Suriname with me and find out.
[Eungsoo] You gonna give it to me?
Okay. I'll take one for free then.
What for?
It's just a crazy idea Eungsoo had.
If it were in the United States, maybe,
but Suriname?
I never even heard of it until today.
That's why it works. Listen.
South America and Asia
are on opposite sides of the world.
Plenty of information
falls between the cracks.
Even nowadays.
That's why we got lucky with this.
Come on. This is our chance.
I know Eungsoo is a good guy
but how can you trust someone
with such lousy taste?
I don't trust his taste
any more than you do,
but he knows fishing.
I looked into it just to be sure
and he's on to something.
It's actually true. Really.
The Surinamese people
eat a lot of fish, but not skate.
I got this from Yongtaek
at the fish market today.
Take a look.
Have a seat. Come on.
Chilean skate usually goes
for 30,000 won a piece at wholesale. See?
But since there's been a lack of supply,
it's going to skyrocket.
If we bring in the skate
that we get for a few cents
and sell it at market here,
it'll change our lives.
[sighs]
It's too much.
You would be halfway around the world,
and the business would be gone.
Ingu, family needs to be together.
You need to come home
and have dinner with us.
This plan isn't for you.
We need to thank God
for the life we have, honey.
You know I'm thankful for it, Hyejin.
I want to show more thanks
by being successful.
If we can get this going,
10 billion won will be pocket change.
Money isn't everything, dear.
I'd rather be poor
than have our kids be without a dad.
[sighs]
How long can we live like this, though?
What do you mean by that?
[Ingu sighs]
[whimsical music playing]
[door opens, shuts]
One for you, one for you,
one for you, one for you.
Two hundred thousand.
All right. Must be a weak hand.
Seven hundred thousand.
[man] Oh, look at you.
Raising the stakes
to try and get a big win.
You think you can price us out?
Or are you trying to make
your yearly sales in one shot?
Whatever it is, the ante has just gone up
due to inflation.
The tax man cometh.
- Ready?
- Come on.
I don't like your system, Ingu.
You don't bet anything,
and you still get a huge cut.
You take money
for the house and the dealer.
You're the only one
who ends up winning here.
Hey, if you factor in rent
and employee salaries,
I barely cover expenses.
You believe this guy?
Just saying you were so quick
to jump on our cash is all.
We all know small change
can add up to a fortune eventually.
Next thing you know,
you'll say I hurt your feelings.
Shit.
[sucks teeth, inhales] I call.
[man 1] Too rich for me.
Let's see if I'm helping you
make your sales quota.
Show me. Come on.
Pair of aces, isn't it?
A pair of aces
wouldn't put this smile on my face.
Ah!
Very, very sorry.
Broadway straight.
- [man 2 sighs] Damn.
- [man 3] Whoa!
Wow, you made it all the way to Broadway.
That's tough to beat.
Hold on.
The queen has something to say.
- [chuckles]
- What is that?
I heard you had a slow day.
So I know this hurts.
I really thought you had him there.
Now you know why you got lucky enough
to beat a Broadway straight?
- Because you paid your taxes, sir.
- [man 3] Mm-hmm.
Model citizens always get rewarded.
I guess your taxes brought me luck.
For the tip jar. [chuckles]
[Ingu] I promise to use it wisely.
Thank you, sir.
- [man 1] Could I get some?
- Sure. When you win.
Sorry to interrupt.
We have a DEFCON three, sir.
Huh.
Deal the cards, would you?
I'll be right back. Dammit.
[Ingu sighs]
Excuse me.
[woman shrieks]
Okay.
Would you go wait outside, ladies?
Where the fuck do you think you're going?
- Hey. Go get her.
- [man] Huh?
Here! Get back here!
- Come here, come here, come here!
- Okay. I think we can let her go.
Wait outside, please.
Sir.
Let the ladies go freshen up.
We'll just have a seat.
Wow. You tough guys really went at it.
What a mess.
Now, I'm sure the ladies feel bad
about all this.
My apologies on their behalf.
I'll make it up to you. All right?
I'm sure we can agree that it's not good
to get angry after spending so much.
You'll get ulcers.
Here's what I'll do.
Tonight this bottle's on the house.
And the ladies time
will only be charged at half price.
The evening didn't go as you expected.
So with all of that put together,
1.2 million is fine.
You gotta be kidding. Huh?
You want me
to shut this place down for good?
I'll pay nothing.
You're the one who's gonna pay me!
What are you gonna do
about fucking up my evening?
[sighs] Seriously?
Gentleman,
are you really going to do this?
I hate calling the cops at this hour.
I really do.
Listen.
I'll take whatever you have on you, okay?
Whatever cash you have right now,
I'll take it, and we'll call it even.
[chuckles]
Ah, shit. [sucks teeth]
All I have
[sighs] is this.
POLICE OFFICER
CHOI CHEOLYONG
[chuckling]
You have a license
to be running this joint?
Any of those ladies of yours minors?
Come on.
Why do you always have to be so nice, huh?
Hey.
Until you opened your big mouth,
we were just gonna let it slide.
Asshole.
I don't care if you have a license or not.
As long as I'm at city hall,
you're closed for business.
[both men chuckling]
I should've known better.
I hope we can all try
and forget the whole thing.
I think this will cover
your taxi ride home.
Gentleman.
- [men chuckling]
- Ah, shit.
Hey, you fucker!
Come here.
You think you can just
- Keep your hands off me!
- Huh?
What? Come on!
You want a piece of me, asshole? Huh?
You think this is all about money, huh?
Do you?
You need to learn some respect,
you piece of shit!
[grunts]
- [man 2] What the fuck?
- [man 1 groans]
[man 2] Come on, man. Get up.
Crazy bastard! You're done!
Hey, get up. Are you okay?
Asshole!
[upbeat music playing]
JOHAN ADOLF PENGEL
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SURINAME
Hey, buddy!
- Welcome to Suriname! [chuckles]
- Ah!
[seagulls squawking]
[Eungsoo] They gained independence
from the Netherlands over 30 years ago.
There aren't a lot of people.
There's always some kind
of labor shortage.
That's why they let so many immigrants in.
Technically,
the official language here is Dutch,
but almost everyone speaks English.
There's also Chinese, Spanish,
a few other languages. It's very diverse.
Wow, Eungsoo. Memorize much?
- How long did that take you?
- [chuckles]
I was busy scouting while you took
your sweet time getting here.
Show some respect.
Hey.
You know during the Korean War
Suriname fought with the allied forces?
Why would they
have been involved in the war?
Eungsoo, are you done
playing tour guide now? Huh?
You need to stop wasting time on trivia,
and focus on the reason we're here.
Stick to what you know. Shipping and fish.
I have everything
taken care of with the chief,
so don't worry about the business.
I liquidated everything I had.
Sold all my businesses
to do this thing with a guy
who flunked out of school.
Do you even own a calculator?
I might've left school early,
but I have a head for numbers.
I know for a fact
I was better at math than you.
Are you drunk?
- Math was my strong suit.
- [chuckles]
I distinctly remember
you being dead last in the rankings.
- [Eungsoo sighs]
- Seven times eight?
Oh, come on, Ingu.
You don't know your times tables.
Admit it.
The jet lag is really getting to you,
isn't it?
Eungsoo, if you can't do the basics,
how do I trust your numbers?
I'll add later.
I have to keep my eyes on the road.
First of all, it's multiplication.
And second, it should be automatic.
Come on.
Driving's tricky here.
I can only focus on one thing at a time.
Do you mind?
You should be paying attention too, huh?
I don't believe you.
You don't know
what seven times eight is. [chuckles]
[door hinge creaks]
Look.
I got us one ton at a dollar per kilo.
I told you. I been busy.
Yeah. I take it back.
You have been busy, haven't you?
Excellent work, partner.
You got this for a dollar a kilo?
Oh no. Why are you opening that?
[sighs] It still smells like shit
even when it's frozen. [sniffs]
You want to know what I smell?
A ton of cash.
Mmm.
[rhythmic drums playing]
[Hyejin] It's safe there, right, honey?
- Are you eating well? What about church?
- Huh?
No worries on the safety at all.
And the food is amazing.
I think every country is represented.
It's like an international food festival.
I wish you could see it.
You didn't answer me about church.
You're going, aren't you?
I've been trying to go since I got here.
It's just the roads get washed out a lot.
Between the jungle and the weather,
sometimes it's impossible to get there.
I agreed to let you go
if you promised to go to church, remember?
There's actually a Korean church
where you are.
I want you to send a picture from there
this Sunday, so I know you made it, okay?
All right. I'll try to make it.
I'll send you a picture. Promise.
I really have to let you go,
or the phone bill's gonna be outrageous.
Bye.
Your wife nagging you?
Is she busting your balls?
She wants a picture of me at church.
Ah, sucker! [chuckles]
You told her you'd go
and she's holding you to it. [chuckles]
You say your prayers every night?
Lord, let your words reign
in our daily thoughts and lives.
[Eungsoo chuckles]
[fisherman 1 in Dutch] More ice. More!
You missed a few!
I want to see more!
I want a box that's already full.
[in English] Are you the owner
of this factory?
Good afternoon, sir.
I'm the CEO. Nice to meet you.
You want to run business here?
You're going to need my help.
So many thieves
and criminals in this city.
He might be one of them.
You're with the army? Okay, good!
The Suriname Allied Forces.
- [chuckles nervously]
- [chuckles]
[commander exhales]
We're starting our business,
so money's tight now.
When our fish sells in Korea,
we'll have money.
Then, we'll pay you.
You understand? Very simple.
[exhales]
Then pay us 2,000 a month.
Got it?
Bad idea. I don't think so.
On a good month,
if things go as planned
and we can sell our quota,
we'll give you 2,500 dollars.
[chuckles]
But, if it's a bad month,
if, for some reason,
the crap hits the fan,
you get 1,000 dollars.
Anyway, we can talk about standards
for good and bad months another time.
Got it?
[exhales]
This tastes really good.
It's a new flavor.
[smacks lips]
Is it Is it Colombian?
No, that's Korea's traditional coffee.
Really?
It's It's bitter, and sweet too.
Yeah, like a woman.
[chuckling]
I think we're gonna get along just fine.
[chuckles]
[sighs]
[tropical music playing]
Yeah. A little to the left.
Okay, okay. That's it.
That's it, right? Right there.
Since you enjoy our coffee,
these are for you.
No one's going to bother you now.
I promise.
- Thank you, sir.
- Hey!
[crinkles]
Dollars make sense.
We're good pals now.
Thank you.
[commander chuckles]
[car engine turns over]
Ugh. Let's go.
[Eungsoo] Hey, Ingu,
that was something else.
That karaoke bar
really taught you something. [chuckles]
Hey, now that you negotiated protection
with the commander of the army,
no one's gonna try messing with us, right?
Are you that naive?
You should know better than that.
Come on. Of all the people in the world,
you should never trust government workers.
They just sit around
waiting for bribes. You know.
Well, at least you didn't pull
your judo moves on this guy
and almost get sent to jail again.
- They taught you a good lesson. [chuckles]
- [mobile vibrating]
Hold on.
Yes, Mr. Shin. How are you, sir?
You got the shipment of skate?
Yes.
Sorry?
Five hundred more kilos by next week?
[whispers] Nah. Can't do it.
I don't think we can
get it to you by next week.
Demand is through the roof right now.
Really?
All right. I'll see what I can do.
I'll confirm soon.
There's a shipping schedule to consider.
If you can wait til the 23rd,
then I'm certain we can do it.
Yeah. Excellent, Mr. Shin.
Yeah, I will. Yeah.
I told you to say no.
We can't make deals that big on the fly.
I hardly get any sleep as it is.
Shin is offering us 8,000 more
for each kilo we can get him
by the 23rd, you lazy ass!
I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead,
you crazy son of a bitch.
[both chuckle]
Hey, get to work, guys. Come on!
Get that truck loaded up! Let's go!
Come on! What is this? Let's go!
No work, no money.
[upbeat music playing]
[all cheering]
How's your new school, son?
[boy] It's a bit harder
for me right now
because I have to catch up
to the other kids.
That'll pay off for you.
What's my saying about effort?
Don't take the easy road.
Take the right road no matter
- [Hyungju] How long you travel.
- [Ingu] That's right.
The fact that your classes are hard now,
only means that things will get easier.
Trust your dad on this.
- [upbeat music continues]
- [all cheering]
[woman screams]
Hyungju, I'll call you back later, okay?
Have Mom check your homework.
- [music halts]
- [indistinct chatter]
[Ingu] Hey, you okay?
- [Eungsoo] He did it.
- Who?
Oh!
- [scoffs] Come on.
- [Eungsoo groans]
[Ingu] Yes?
You're the guy who's shipping out
Suriname skate fish, huh?
So, you have to pay me.
[scoffs]
What? Who are you?
I made a deal with the soldiers.
[chuckles]
I am a businessman,
and I own the Suriname Sea.
It's it's all mine.
I want 5,000 dollars a month
for those fish you're taking.
Got it?
Is this another shakedown?
He's just a local thief.
Let's get out of here.
- [Eungsoo] Okay.
- Hey!
Where the fuck are you going?
The boss is talking to you.
- [thug grunts]
- [man] Oh shit!
[gun cocks]
Okay, okay. What do you want?
I told you.
You have to pay.
[grunts]
[Ingu groans]
[thug 2 in Chinese] Step on him! Die!
Die!
[Ingu and Eungsoo grunting]
[thug 2] Step on him!
[all grunting]
Stay still!
[Ingu and Eungsoo grunting]
[Ingu] Ah!
[Ingu exhales]
[Ingu groans]
[in English]
Bring me 5,000 dollars a month.
If you don't,
I'll fucking kill you.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You're a businessman?
I'm a businessman too.
Let's make deal. Huh?
If we give you 5,000 this month,
we're broke. Busted.
Then, we can't pay you next month,
and so on. That's bad business.
Bad for you and for me.
So
What I propose is better.
Give us a discount to get started.
Deal?
[Ingu grunts]
No discount!
Pay, or die.
[groans]
[Ingu grunts]
[Eungsoo] That's gotta hurt.
No offense, but he's
a much better negotiator than you are.
Hey, you don't know fuck all
about negotiating.
- [Eungsoo sighs]
- You never give up. No matter what.
[exhales]
[mobile vibrates]
[Eungsoo sighs]
IT MUST BE HARD OUT THERE FOR YOU.
THAT'S WHAT CHURCHES ARE FOR, RIGHT?
I'LL BE WAITING FOR THE PICTURES.
[sighs]
[Eungsoo] Ah shit.
[piano music playing]
[all singing in Korean]
There is a refuge here ♪
So all those who are in need ♪
Are welcome to come ♪
The land may change ♪
And the waters may rise ♪
To top even the highest mountains ♪
But I am not afraid ♪
May it ring out from this room ♪
Let's get this over with.
Hold on a second. Can you see the bruises?
Mm-hmm.
She'll be worried sick
if she sees those.
Let's do something like this instead.
[camera shutter clicks]
- Let's see.
- How's this?
It's too close.
We need to get more people in it.
- I'll bow.
- I'll go a little wider.
Try it again. Here.
[camera shutter clicks]
You look super pious in this one.
Yeah. Good. Thanks.
Ah.
Mmm.
As it was written
in the good book of Timothy,
for we brought nothing into this world,
and we can take nothing out of it.
[in Spanish]
"We take nothing when we depart it."
[in English] But if we have food
in our mouths and clothes on our backs,
we will be content with that.
[all] Amen.
The Lord has said,
that money is the root of all evil,
and that those who covet it
will have pierced themselves
with many sorrows.
- They will have a glimpse of hell.
- Let's get out of here.
[all] Amen.
Today, we have amongst our gathering
two of our brethren
who have traveled far to be here.
There. Near the doors.
[translator in Spanish]
"We have our brothers
who have come all the way here
to follow the words of Jesus."
[in English] We welcome you to our church
and invite you to introduce yourselves.
It's tradition.
Please give them a round of applause.
[translator in Spanish]
"Let's give them a round of applause!"
[all applauding]
Uh, hallelujah.
Uh
Hello, sisters and brothers.
I'm Kang Ingu from Dongducheon.
I run a seafood export.
Thank you for the warm welcome.
[all applauding]
We sell skate fish.
It's high in protein
and excellent for detox and digestion.
For you, brothers and sisters,
we offer discounts.
You can have all the skate you want
at our cost.
Please feel free to pop down
to our warehouse. Okay?
[all applauding]
Beautiful.
Thank you for those very thoughtful words.
And why don't we respond to them
with a warm hallelujah? Hallelujah!
[all] Hallelujah!
[all applauding]
[knocks on door]
[pastor] Come in.
[pastor exhales]
So you take the local skate we fish here,
and sell it at market in Korea? [chuckles]
That's a good use
of our resources. Brilliant.
[chuckles]
I have to say,
I don't like to discuss business here
in the house of God
Mm-mm.
No, no, no. Don't be shy. God loves fish.
One of my favorite proverbs is this,
"A man diligent in his work
will stand before kings."
"He will not stand before mean men."
If you are sincere in your work,
God will bless your endeavor.
[Ingu] Hmm.
- We try to make our Lord proud.
- [chuckles]
I feel there's something
I must ask you, though.
Are you troubled?
Is there hardship facing your business?
Your faces are
Oh, it's nothing.
Just the usual bumps and bruises
from being new on the scene.
It should all work itself out soon.
Ah, I see.
If you don't mind my asking, brother,
who's involved
in this bumping and bruising, huh?
Maybe we should tell him.
Might not be good to get him involved.
[chuckles] We have a deal
to buy local skate, you see?
And some Chinese guy beat us up
and said we owe him
because he owns the sea.
We already had a deal for protection
with the commander,
and now he says that only covers the land.
Everyone wants a piece of our business.
Uh, we shouldn't bother you
with our stories. Let's go.
Yeah.
Did this Chinese guy you mentioned
happen to have long hair?
And did he look like he might think
personal hygiene's a thing of the past?
Uh-huh. Do you know something about him?
[pastor sighs]
Yes.
Chen Zhen is head of a Chinese gang.
The type of man
who has no respect for human values.
The spawn of the devil
who kills for money.
Lord
is this too all part of your great plan?
Seeing as our Lord has sent
two brothers here from my homeland,
and allowed you
to share your burden with his servant,
I humbly understand God asked me
to join you in your journey.
[chuckles] It will test our spirit,
but God's will will prevail.
Pastor, if you can fix this,
I'll be glad to make
a significant donation.
Brother Kang,
money is of no concern to me
in this instance.
I hear the call of God
bringing those in need to my door.
[keypad clicking]
[Ingu sighs]
Yes, this is Pastor Jeon.
Get me the preacher.
I need to make a visit to Chinatown.
[sighs]
CHINATOWN, PARAMARIBO
[rhythmic drums beating]
- [horns honking]
- [clamoring]
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter in Chinese]
[woman in Chinese] Welcome.
[Jeon] Hmm.
[chuckles]
[inhales]
[groans, clicks teeth]
[in English] Idolatry is frowned upon
in my church highly,
but it's lunchtime.
Preacher, can you feed our guests?
With pleasure.
[in Chinese] Lay out some hot pots
and baijiu on each of the tables.
Yes, sir.
[Jeon clears throat]
[in English] Brother Kang.
- Thank you.
- [Jeon] Brother Park.
[Eungsoo] Here.
[Jeon chuckles]
[Chen] Who's making all this noise
in my territory?
Fucking fish man.
This asshole?
You brought the pastor here?
Hey, Pastor.
Why are you in my restaurant?
Come, Preacher.
I want to be understood
by this idol worshiper.
I understand, Pastor.
I'll make sure he gets the message.
[Jeon clears throat]
Suriname's waters belong to God.
All the skate in these waters
belong to God.
Brothers Kang and Park here,
were chosen by the grace of God
to come to our bountiful land
to harvest skate.
You do understand they're here for God.
If you interfere with these men
and their mission,
your actions will be judged by God
just as the Amalekites were.
With the wrath
of sharp spears and swords.
If you don't leave these guys alone,
you will be cut into tiny pieces.
[Chen scoffs]
[in Chinese] Byun Kitae.
[in English] You tell him.
We should all stick to the territories
we agreed to stick to.
If you run around with your Jesus talk
and try to do whatever you want
[sniffles]
This is what my God commands,
you low-class heathen.
[Jeon exhales]
Chen Zhen?
Today is the Sabbath.
I'll have you know it is God's den.
Let's solve this peacefully
for everyone's sake.
Particularly our brother's sake.
Does that sound good to you?
What do you say?
[chuckles]
Your God has come to my restaurant
on the Sabbath
to argue about a bunch of fish?
That's ridiculous.
See, my idols never take a day off.
Fucking hell!
[exhales]
[chuckles]
I'm gonna let you save face today, Pastor.
If your God needs fish that bad,
then I'll let 'em have it.
God's will be done, sir.
We got what we wanted.
For now.
The skate is all yours.
Since you came all the way to my turf,
I'll treat you to our finest wine.
Drink in good health.
[Chen exhales]
[in Chinese] Get the hot pots out.
[Jeon inhales]
[Eungsoo in English]
The pastor's well-connected.
Last Christmas, he donated tons of money
to build farms and factories around here.
No joke.
He's friends with all the politicians
and leaders in the country.
He knows everything
that goes on here in Suriname.
I heard his nickname's "The Governor."
I also heard other Koreans saying that
he could be the next president
if he wanted.
- What kind of bullshit is that?
- What?
Running a country isn't a joke.
Would you ever consider electing someone
from China or Mexico to be our president?
Huh?
Suriname is one giant melting pot.
The prime minister a few years back
actually was Chinese.
- Are you serious?
- Mm-hmm.
You know this for a fact?
Why would I make shit up
while we're enjoying our beer and profits?
Everyone in Koreatown said the same thing.
[exhales] Okay.
So that means the pastor
is a big fish in Suriname.
- We have to stay on the man's good side.
- Mmm.
You know the last batch of skate we got?
We take the nicest ones from the whole lot
and deliver it right to his door.
And the ginseng liquor you got
from your wife last week.
We send that over with the skate.
Not the liquor.
I'll need that to boost my energy.
My wife wants to try
for a second kid soon.
You can't afford the one you've got.
Diapers, baby food, the school tuition.
How will you pay for that? Huh?
The pastor can guarantee
our success here, Eungsoo.
We need the liquor.
Wow, you shit.
[sighs] I'm trying to cement things
and you bulk.
Hey, I didn't say for sure
I wouldn't do it.
You didn't say for sure you would either.
Just enjoy your precious ginseng liquor
and pop out as many kids as you want.
Go on,
but you're gonna kill the business, man.
Get your panties out of your ass.
I was just telling you
why my wife sent it.
And I always heard that church workers
aren't allowed to drink alcohol.
You don't remember him
enjoying the rice wine?
It's monks who aren't allowed
to enjoy anything.
Pastors are good to go.
Get your stuff straight.
[Eungsoo sighs]
What's it gonna take
for you to do it? Come on!
Hey, ginseng liquor is soul food
for most Koreans.
Everyone knows it's a good gift.
Hand it over.
I'll give it to him 'cause you're my pal.
- The math?
- Fifty-six.
Holy shit. You actually know it.
Good! You've been studying.
I always knew it.
Eight times seven then?
Sixty-four.
- Dumbass.
- [both chuckle]
[telephone ringing]
[Ingu groans]
[telephone continues ringing]
[sighs]
[telephone continues ringing]
- Hello?
- [man] Kang?
Is that you, Kang?
Captain Kim from the Dolphin!
Yes, how are you?
Are you in Korea already?
- Korea my ass!
- [Eungsoo groans]
I had to swing by Aruba
to pick up another container.
My ship got hit with an inspection.
They found cocaine
in your merchandise, Kang!
Did you say cocaine? With the skate?
Yeah, five days ago. I just got released.
You put that shit on my ship, asshole?
No, Captain. I don't smuggle drugs.
I would never do that.
When did this happen?
I'm trying to understand
how cocaine got in with our fish.
If you can start from the beginning, I'm
No, no, no. You've done enough.
I'm only calling to let you know
your shipment stayed in Aruba.
- You're on your own!
- [line ends]
Hello? Captain?
Did did I hear you right?
They found cocaine in our skate?
[sighs]
Yeah, and it's in Aruba.
Aruba is under Dutch jurisdiction.
Am I right?
No way! How did cocaine
get mixed up with our fish?
Let's find out.
Where are you going?
Eungsoo, we gotta move.
You go down to the office right away.
- Someone has to know something about this.
- Now?
Of course now. We have to get ahead.
- [Eungsoo] Okay.
- Get down there.
You're not coming along?
I think big trouble's coming our way.
I'll get a hold of the pastor
and see if he can sort this out.
Right. Good idea.
Speaking of the pastor, did you send
the skate and liquor like I asked?
Oh, sort of. I sent really fresh skate.
The ginseng liquor
could use a little more aging,
so I didn't send it yet.
Stupid idiot.
I already promised we'd send it over.
All right, I got it. I'll send it. Relax.
Now quit yelling
and let me get out of here.
Let's stay in touch.
I'll call you. Huh? Bye.
[door opens, shuts]
[keypad clicking]
PASTOR JEON YOHAN
[line ringing]
[Jeon] Good evening, Brother Kang.
Sorry to call so late, pastor.
It's important.
It's never too late for God.
Is something wrong, brother?
Things have taken a bad turn.
I didn't really know who else to call.
Eungsoo and I have run into more trouble.
[Jeon] Goodness.
How did all this happen?
You're right to call, brother.
Don't go anywhere for now.
I'll try to make a few phone calls.
I appreciate your help, Pastor.
I was panicking for a minute.
Oh, and I haven't forgotten
the liquor I promised.
You'll get it. Soon.
All right.
[line ends]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
[operator in Dutch] The person you want
to reach is outside of our service area.
Please leave a voice message.
[recorder beeps]
[in English]
Hey, Eungsoo. What'd you find out?
And why the hell aren't you answering?
[line ends]
- [sirens wailing]
- [tires screech]
[dramatic music playing]
[car doors open, shut]
[banging on door]
[banging on door]
May I help you?
Are you Mr. Kang Ingu from South Korea?
No, I'm Chinese.
Mr. Kang just went downtown.
He's not here.
Take your hat off.
KANG INGU
[cop 1] Go, go!
Stop right there!
Stop!
[cop 2 in Dutch] Freeze!
[in English] Stop!
[cop grunts]
- [Ingu grunts]
- [cop yells]
[siren wailing]
[cop 3 in Dutch] Freeze! Freeze!
- [cop in English] Freeze!
- [Ingu grunts]
[cop in Dutch] Stop! Hands up!
[in English] Turn around!
[dramatic music playing]
[music ends]
THIS SERIES IS INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY
BUT CHARACTERS AND EVENTS
HAVE BEEN REIMAGINED FOR DRAMATIC PURPOSES
[dramatic music playing]
SURINAME BORDER
[birds squawking]
[man] Have you ever heard of Suriname?
My guess is you haven't.
It's a country in South America,
just above Brazil,
with a population of about 500,000 people.
Half of the country is covered in jungle,
and over half the population
is involved in the drug trade.
It's ethnically diverse and multilingual.
What's a Korean guy like me
doing in a place like this?
What I'm about to tell you
should answer that question.
You may find it hard to believe,
but everything I'm about to tell you
is true and actually happened to me.
Some parts are so far-fetched
you'll think I'm making it up.
And I wish I were.
But the only way you'll know for sure
is to hold on tight and listen.
[theme music playing]
[man] In 1968, the year I was born,
my father signed up
to fight in the Vietnam War.
For five long years,
he fought to survive in the jungle.
He came home when the American troops
withdrew, and the war finally ended.
DONGDUCHEON, KOREA
My father returned to us
tired and limping,
but mostly in one piece.
The day after he arrived,
he was right back out the door
looking for work.
And the only picture we had
where you can clearly see his face,
my father was holding a huge gun.
I always wondered why he'd gone away
to that far-off country,
and why he needed that gun,
but for some reason,
I was too scared to ask.
It would take me 30 years
to understand what drove my father to go.
When I got into middle school,
a teacher suggested I try judo.
And I took him up on it.
Being on the judo team meant I didn't
have to pay for school expenses or meals.
[indistinct shouting]
[trainer] Control the legs. Legs!
There you go.
[man] At 14, I started my training.
Kang Ingu!
[Ingu] And I lost my mother.
She was delivering yakult
at the crack of dawn
in the middle of winter,
and she collapsed.
It took three hours
for anyone to find her.
[all crying]
My brother, my sister, and I
all cried our hearts out,
but my father never shed a single tear.
He just kept pouring soju down his throat
between bite after bite
of fermented skate.
It was his favorite meal.
One of the few things in life
he ever enjoyed.
My father drove a cement truck
to make ends meet.
For six years,
he worked himself to the bone.
Twenty hours a day.
Until one night,
all those hours caught up to him.
[car honking]
- [glass shatters]
- [truck horn honks]
[gentle music playing]
At his funeral,
I finally understood why he'd never
been able to cry for our mother.
Whatever sadness he felt and tears he had
were buried under the harsh realities
of life and debt.
It was up to me to support the family.
During the day, I sold makgeolli
to hikers on Mount Soyosan.
Hi. Hi. Here you are, sir.
[joyous music playing]
[Ingu] At night,
I was a waiter in a karaoke bar.
[woman] Whoo! Whoo!
[waiter] Have a great night, sir.
[woman] I'm next!
[Ingu] It was hard work.
But thanks to those experiences,
I learned the life lessons
they don't teach you in school.
Thank you, sir.
I wish you good health and a long life.
PLEASE DON'T PARK HERE
[upbeat music playing]
[Ingu sighs]
[exhales]
[Ingu] Since I was out working so much,
the house was always a complete mess.
You were supposed
to do the dishes. Christ.
[Ingu] I knew I couldn't do it
all on my own,
so I started making calls
to some of the girls who used to like me.
Hey, how are you? This is Ingu.
Uh, I want to run something by you.
Um
Do you want to get married?
I swear I'm not drunk!
It took all my nerve to call you.
I'm dead serious.
Money?
I mean, money's something
that'll come along.
It's like our parents used to say,
"Work hard and save for the future."
Sure.
I mean it.
If we get married and save money,
eventually we might get a house.
What's with all these questions?
[inhales]
An apartment?
Hey, this isn't some sort
of business proposal.
You know what? Forget I ever called.
I can tell you're just in it for yourself.
[Ingu] Who knew so many girls
would be surprised by a phone proposal?
But finally, one girl said "yes,"
packed her bag, and moved in.
[upbeat music continues]
[Ingu] Oh.
[Ingu] This time,
I was the one who was surprised.
My wife definitely made
our lives more stable.
And once my brother and sister graduated
from high school, life eased up a bit.
Then we decided to have kids of our own.
And my son and daughter were born.
But with two more mouths to feed,
just getting by
wasn't going to cut it anymore.
So I learned to fix cars
and opened a garage right next
to the US Army Base in Dongducheon.
- [Ingu] Hi, how are you?
- Hi there.
- Good afternoon.
- [Ingu] Hey.
[Ingu] Thanks to a contact
through one of my judo buddies,
I made extra money delivering food
to the army base.
And so I learned to make nice
with the American grass.
- How are you?
- [soldier] Well, it's my man, Ingu.
You're looking particularly fit.
And healthy.
Because my garlic makes your blood clean.
[chuckles]
Well, that's bullshit.
But I'll admit, for the price,
your garlic is pretty damn good.
So, buy my onions too.
I'll give you a very, very good price.
Come for karaoke, and we'll talk. Okay?
[upbeat music continues]
[inaudible]
[Ingu] At the karaoke bar,
I kept moving my way up.
I eventually became manager.
And when I had enough money,
I bought the place.
- Whoa!
- Wow!
[Ingu] Finally, even though
I had to take out a loan to secure it,
we got a home of our own.
4TH GRADE - KOREAN FINAL EXAMS
KANG HYUNGJU 100/100
My son was smart and did well in school.
He motivated me to keep working.
- [daughter] Daddy!
- Hey.
Can you take me
to the karaoke with you soon?
I'm afraid not.
We've been over this before.
It's for American soldiers only.
[Ingu] I hoped the rest of my life
would be smooth sailing.
But I wasn't sure how much longer
I'd be able to keep up
the exhausting pace.
[exhales]
[gentle music playing]
Sometimes the weight of it all
was almost unbearable.
Why are you threatening her?
[woman chuckles]
[indistinct chatter]
[Ingu] I was living
just like my mother and father had.
They never had a chance
to take their kids out for a nice meal.
All they did was struggle
to make ends meet
until they got worn out and died.
[exhales]
What's the point of living
if you're barely surviving?
I didn't want my kids living their lives
the way I did. I wanted better for them.
Something had to change.
JOB OPENINGS
So what do we got?
Ingu!
[Ingu] Look who's here.
My first stop back from my travels
and that's all you can say?
You filthy bastard.
Didn't customs ask you
what the hell you have all over your hair?
What are you using? Fish paste?
Ingu, what the hell
would a punk mechanic know
about anything outside this shithole?
This, my friend,
is all the rage in Shinjuku right now.
Here. Souvenirs for the wife and kids.
Eungsoo,
I'm keeping these for the shop.
I'm always running out of rags.
- Thanks.
- Funny. You have no idea what's in there.
Good thing your wife has taste.
She'll take one look
and wonder how she got so lucky.
Now make yourself useful
and get these kinks out of my neck.
Sure.
- I'm always happy to help an old lady.
- What?
- Here. Like this?
- [grunts]
- Get out of Eungsoo's body, grandma!
- Okay! Shit! Hey, man!
- [Ingu] Give me my strength back!
- Stop!
- [Ingu] How does that feel? Better?
- Ow!
Samhap for you.
Let me know how you like it.
- Everything all right here, sir?
- A bit more soup, please.
[Eungsoo] After ninth grade,
when my dad passed away
and things got hard for us,
I couldn't afford school, so I quit.
You didn't quit.
They kicked you out.
Before you flunked out.
And then,
I went to work in the real world.
Ended up on boats working my ass off
for the last 20 years,
and still hardly able to feed my family.
It's the same for you. Isn't it?
We come from the same place,
we both done shit jobs, right?
That's how the world works, Eungsoo.
We were born into it.
Listen to you.
I recall when you had to quit judo.
You told me
you would do something different,
or your life would be shit.
Huh?
Now that you've been working
like an animal all these years,
what's changed?
I'm a homeowner with a family, dumbass.
Who you calling dumbass, huh?
The interest on the loan is killing you.
The bank owns your home, not you.
You know, we're gonna work ourselves
to death if things go on.
Just like our parents before us.
Dead. With nothing to show for it.
Why do I get the feeling
you're buttering me up?
Whatever it is, spit it out.
[Eungsoo clears throat]
The skate you're chewing so loudly,
it doesn't come from Korea.
It comes from Chile. Ninety percent of it.
But it gets labeled as local.
They charge a fortune for this bullshit.
Even the ones form Chile
are going for crazy prices these days.
I'm not following.
Why you talking about skate?
[inhales]
Ingu
If I told you
I could harvest skate for free
and bring it back here to sell
at local rates, what would you say?
Bull.
If it were that easy,
there'd be someone doing it.
Nothing comes free. You know that.
Why would someone give you skate for free?
It'd be like printing money.
I traveled to a place
where they just toss the skate they catch.
They don't like it.
And only I know. It's my secret.
Does "Suriname" ring any bells?
Suriname? Never heard of it.
I was hoping you would say that.
See, in 20 years of sailing,
I set foot there
for the first time this year.
Here. I'll show you. [inhales]
It's in South America north of Brazil.
Tiny. With half a million people.
The fishing waters all along the coast
are full of skate.
They catch them with the fish they want.
They don't like it because it's ugly
and smells so bad, so they just toss it.
I asked this guy,
the chief of the fishing village.
I asked if he'd let me have the skate.
He said yes. For a few cents each.
Do you know what we'd get
if we sold it here?
Is this for real?
Do you have to taste test
to see if it's chocolate or shit?
Come to Suriname with me and find out.
[Eungsoo] You gonna give it to me?
Okay. I'll take one for free then.
What for?
It's just a crazy idea Eungsoo had.
If it were in the United States, maybe,
but Suriname?
I never even heard of it until today.
That's why it works. Listen.
South America and Asia
are on opposite sides of the world.
Plenty of information
falls between the cracks.
Even nowadays.
That's why we got lucky with this.
Come on. This is our chance.
I know Eungsoo is a good guy
but how can you trust someone
with such lousy taste?
I don't trust his taste
any more than you do,
but he knows fishing.
I looked into it just to be sure
and he's on to something.
It's actually true. Really.
The Surinamese people
eat a lot of fish, but not skate.
I got this from Yongtaek
at the fish market today.
Take a look.
Have a seat. Come on.
Chilean skate usually goes
for 30,000 won a piece at wholesale. See?
But since there's been a lack of supply,
it's going to skyrocket.
If we bring in the skate
that we get for a few cents
and sell it at market here,
it'll change our lives.
[sighs]
It's too much.
You would be halfway around the world,
and the business would be gone.
Ingu, family needs to be together.
You need to come home
and have dinner with us.
This plan isn't for you.
We need to thank God
for the life we have, honey.
You know I'm thankful for it, Hyejin.
I want to show more thanks
by being successful.
If we can get this going,
10 billion won will be pocket change.
Money isn't everything, dear.
I'd rather be poor
than have our kids be without a dad.
[sighs]
How long can we live like this, though?
What do you mean by that?
[Ingu sighs]
[whimsical music playing]
[door opens, shuts]
One for you, one for you,
one for you, one for you.
Two hundred thousand.
All right. Must be a weak hand.
Seven hundred thousand.
[man] Oh, look at you.
Raising the stakes
to try and get a big win.
You think you can price us out?
Or are you trying to make
your yearly sales in one shot?
Whatever it is, the ante has just gone up
due to inflation.
The tax man cometh.
- Ready?
- Come on.
I don't like your system, Ingu.
You don't bet anything,
and you still get a huge cut.
You take money
for the house and the dealer.
You're the only one
who ends up winning here.
Hey, if you factor in rent
and employee salaries,
I barely cover expenses.
You believe this guy?
Just saying you were so quick
to jump on our cash is all.
We all know small change
can add up to a fortune eventually.
Next thing you know,
you'll say I hurt your feelings.
Shit.
[sucks teeth, inhales] I call.
[man 1] Too rich for me.
Let's see if I'm helping you
make your sales quota.
Show me. Come on.
Pair of aces, isn't it?
A pair of aces
wouldn't put this smile on my face.
Ah!
Very, very sorry.
Broadway straight.
- [man 2 sighs] Damn.
- [man 3] Whoa!
Wow, you made it all the way to Broadway.
That's tough to beat.
Hold on.
The queen has something to say.
- [chuckles]
- What is that?
I heard you had a slow day.
So I know this hurts.
I really thought you had him there.
Now you know why you got lucky enough
to beat a Broadway straight?
- Because you paid your taxes, sir.
- [man 3] Mm-hmm.
Model citizens always get rewarded.
I guess your taxes brought me luck.
For the tip jar. [chuckles]
[Ingu] I promise to use it wisely.
Thank you, sir.
- [man 1] Could I get some?
- Sure. When you win.
Sorry to interrupt.
We have a DEFCON three, sir.
Huh.
Deal the cards, would you?
I'll be right back. Dammit.
[Ingu sighs]
Excuse me.
[woman shrieks]
Okay.
Would you go wait outside, ladies?
Where the fuck do you think you're going?
- Hey. Go get her.
- [man] Huh?
Here! Get back here!
- Come here, come here, come here!
- Okay. I think we can let her go.
Wait outside, please.
Sir.
Let the ladies go freshen up.
We'll just have a seat.
Wow. You tough guys really went at it.
What a mess.
Now, I'm sure the ladies feel bad
about all this.
My apologies on their behalf.
I'll make it up to you. All right?
I'm sure we can agree that it's not good
to get angry after spending so much.
You'll get ulcers.
Here's what I'll do.
Tonight this bottle's on the house.
And the ladies time
will only be charged at half price.
The evening didn't go as you expected.
So with all of that put together,
1.2 million is fine.
You gotta be kidding. Huh?
You want me
to shut this place down for good?
I'll pay nothing.
You're the one who's gonna pay me!
What are you gonna do
about fucking up my evening?
[sighs] Seriously?
Gentleman,
are you really going to do this?
I hate calling the cops at this hour.
I really do.
Listen.
I'll take whatever you have on you, okay?
Whatever cash you have right now,
I'll take it, and we'll call it even.
[chuckles]
Ah, shit. [sucks teeth]
All I have
[sighs] is this.
POLICE OFFICER
CHOI CHEOLYONG
[chuckling]
You have a license
to be running this joint?
Any of those ladies of yours minors?
Come on.
Why do you always have to be so nice, huh?
Hey.
Until you opened your big mouth,
we were just gonna let it slide.
Asshole.
I don't care if you have a license or not.
As long as I'm at city hall,
you're closed for business.
[both men chuckling]
I should've known better.
I hope we can all try
and forget the whole thing.
I think this will cover
your taxi ride home.
Gentleman.
- [men chuckling]
- Ah, shit.
Hey, you fucker!
Come here.
You think you can just
- Keep your hands off me!
- Huh?
What? Come on!
You want a piece of me, asshole? Huh?
You think this is all about money, huh?
Do you?
You need to learn some respect,
you piece of shit!
[grunts]
- [man 2] What the fuck?
- [man 1 groans]
[man 2] Come on, man. Get up.
Crazy bastard! You're done!
Hey, get up. Are you okay?
Asshole!
[upbeat music playing]
JOHAN ADOLF PENGEL
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SURINAME
Hey, buddy!
- Welcome to Suriname! [chuckles]
- Ah!
[seagulls squawking]
[Eungsoo] They gained independence
from the Netherlands over 30 years ago.
There aren't a lot of people.
There's always some kind
of labor shortage.
That's why they let so many immigrants in.
Technically,
the official language here is Dutch,
but almost everyone speaks English.
There's also Chinese, Spanish,
a few other languages. It's very diverse.
Wow, Eungsoo. Memorize much?
- How long did that take you?
- [chuckles]
I was busy scouting while you took
your sweet time getting here.
Show some respect.
Hey.
You know during the Korean War
Suriname fought with the allied forces?
Why would they
have been involved in the war?
Eungsoo, are you done
playing tour guide now? Huh?
You need to stop wasting time on trivia,
and focus on the reason we're here.
Stick to what you know. Shipping and fish.
I have everything
taken care of with the chief,
so don't worry about the business.
I liquidated everything I had.
Sold all my businesses
to do this thing with a guy
who flunked out of school.
Do you even own a calculator?
I might've left school early,
but I have a head for numbers.
I know for a fact
I was better at math than you.
Are you drunk?
- Math was my strong suit.
- [chuckles]
I distinctly remember
you being dead last in the rankings.
- [Eungsoo sighs]
- Seven times eight?
Oh, come on, Ingu.
You don't know your times tables.
Admit it.
The jet lag is really getting to you,
isn't it?
Eungsoo, if you can't do the basics,
how do I trust your numbers?
I'll add later.
I have to keep my eyes on the road.
First of all, it's multiplication.
And second, it should be automatic.
Come on.
Driving's tricky here.
I can only focus on one thing at a time.
Do you mind?
You should be paying attention too, huh?
I don't believe you.
You don't know
what seven times eight is. [chuckles]
[door hinge creaks]
Look.
I got us one ton at a dollar per kilo.
I told you. I been busy.
Yeah. I take it back.
You have been busy, haven't you?
Excellent work, partner.
You got this for a dollar a kilo?
Oh no. Why are you opening that?
[sighs] It still smells like shit
even when it's frozen. [sniffs]
You want to know what I smell?
A ton of cash.
Mmm.
[rhythmic drums playing]
[Hyejin] It's safe there, right, honey?
- Are you eating well? What about church?
- Huh?
No worries on the safety at all.
And the food is amazing.
I think every country is represented.
It's like an international food festival.
I wish you could see it.
You didn't answer me about church.
You're going, aren't you?
I've been trying to go since I got here.
It's just the roads get washed out a lot.
Between the jungle and the weather,
sometimes it's impossible to get there.
I agreed to let you go
if you promised to go to church, remember?
There's actually a Korean church
where you are.
I want you to send a picture from there
this Sunday, so I know you made it, okay?
All right. I'll try to make it.
I'll send you a picture. Promise.
I really have to let you go,
or the phone bill's gonna be outrageous.
Bye.
Your wife nagging you?
Is she busting your balls?
She wants a picture of me at church.
Ah, sucker! [chuckles]
You told her you'd go
and she's holding you to it. [chuckles]
You say your prayers every night?
Lord, let your words reign
in our daily thoughts and lives.
[Eungsoo chuckles]
[fisherman 1 in Dutch] More ice. More!
You missed a few!
I want to see more!
I want a box that's already full.
[in English] Are you the owner
of this factory?
Good afternoon, sir.
I'm the CEO. Nice to meet you.
You want to run business here?
You're going to need my help.
So many thieves
and criminals in this city.
He might be one of them.
You're with the army? Okay, good!
The Suriname Allied Forces.
- [chuckles nervously]
- [chuckles]
[commander exhales]
We're starting our business,
so money's tight now.
When our fish sells in Korea,
we'll have money.
Then, we'll pay you.
You understand? Very simple.
[exhales]
Then pay us 2,000 a month.
Got it?
Bad idea. I don't think so.
On a good month,
if things go as planned
and we can sell our quota,
we'll give you 2,500 dollars.
[chuckles]
But, if it's a bad month,
if, for some reason,
the crap hits the fan,
you get 1,000 dollars.
Anyway, we can talk about standards
for good and bad months another time.
Got it?
[exhales]
This tastes really good.
It's a new flavor.
[smacks lips]
Is it Is it Colombian?
No, that's Korea's traditional coffee.
Really?
It's It's bitter, and sweet too.
Yeah, like a woman.
[chuckling]
I think we're gonna get along just fine.
[chuckles]
[sighs]
[tropical music playing]
Yeah. A little to the left.
Okay, okay. That's it.
That's it, right? Right there.
Since you enjoy our coffee,
these are for you.
No one's going to bother you now.
I promise.
- Thank you, sir.
- Hey!
[crinkles]
Dollars make sense.
We're good pals now.
Thank you.
[commander chuckles]
[car engine turns over]
Ugh. Let's go.
[Eungsoo] Hey, Ingu,
that was something else.
That karaoke bar
really taught you something. [chuckles]
Hey, now that you negotiated protection
with the commander of the army,
no one's gonna try messing with us, right?
Are you that naive?
You should know better than that.
Come on. Of all the people in the world,
you should never trust government workers.
They just sit around
waiting for bribes. You know.
Well, at least you didn't pull
your judo moves on this guy
and almost get sent to jail again.
- They taught you a good lesson. [chuckles]
- [mobile vibrating]
Hold on.
Yes, Mr. Shin. How are you, sir?
You got the shipment of skate?
Yes.
Sorry?
Five hundred more kilos by next week?
[whispers] Nah. Can't do it.
I don't think we can
get it to you by next week.
Demand is through the roof right now.
Really?
All right. I'll see what I can do.
I'll confirm soon.
There's a shipping schedule to consider.
If you can wait til the 23rd,
then I'm certain we can do it.
Yeah. Excellent, Mr. Shin.
Yeah, I will. Yeah.
I told you to say no.
We can't make deals that big on the fly.
I hardly get any sleep as it is.
Shin is offering us 8,000 more
for each kilo we can get him
by the 23rd, you lazy ass!
I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead,
you crazy son of a bitch.
[both chuckle]
Hey, get to work, guys. Come on!
Get that truck loaded up! Let's go!
Come on! What is this? Let's go!
No work, no money.
[upbeat music playing]
[all cheering]
How's your new school, son?
[boy] It's a bit harder
for me right now
because I have to catch up
to the other kids.
That'll pay off for you.
What's my saying about effort?
Don't take the easy road.
Take the right road no matter
- [Hyungju] How long you travel.
- [Ingu] That's right.
The fact that your classes are hard now,
only means that things will get easier.
Trust your dad on this.
- [upbeat music continues]
- [all cheering]
[woman screams]
Hyungju, I'll call you back later, okay?
Have Mom check your homework.
- [music halts]
- [indistinct chatter]
[Ingu] Hey, you okay?
- [Eungsoo] He did it.
- Who?
Oh!
- [scoffs] Come on.
- [Eungsoo groans]
[Ingu] Yes?
You're the guy who's shipping out
Suriname skate fish, huh?
So, you have to pay me.
[scoffs]
What? Who are you?
I made a deal with the soldiers.
[chuckles]
I am a businessman,
and I own the Suriname Sea.
It's it's all mine.
I want 5,000 dollars a month
for those fish you're taking.
Got it?
Is this another shakedown?
He's just a local thief.
Let's get out of here.
- [Eungsoo] Okay.
- Hey!
Where the fuck are you going?
The boss is talking to you.
- [thug grunts]
- [man] Oh shit!
[gun cocks]
Okay, okay. What do you want?
I told you.
You have to pay.
[grunts]
[Ingu groans]
[thug 2 in Chinese] Step on him! Die!
Die!
[Ingu and Eungsoo grunting]
[thug 2] Step on him!
[all grunting]
Stay still!
[Ingu and Eungsoo grunting]
[Ingu] Ah!
[Ingu exhales]
[Ingu groans]
[in English]
Bring me 5,000 dollars a month.
If you don't,
I'll fucking kill you.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You're a businessman?
I'm a businessman too.
Let's make deal. Huh?
If we give you 5,000 this month,
we're broke. Busted.
Then, we can't pay you next month,
and so on. That's bad business.
Bad for you and for me.
So
What I propose is better.
Give us a discount to get started.
Deal?
[Ingu grunts]
No discount!
Pay, or die.
[groans]
[Ingu grunts]
[Eungsoo] That's gotta hurt.
No offense, but he's
a much better negotiator than you are.
Hey, you don't know fuck all
about negotiating.
- [Eungsoo sighs]
- You never give up. No matter what.
[exhales]
[mobile vibrates]
[Eungsoo sighs]
IT MUST BE HARD OUT THERE FOR YOU.
THAT'S WHAT CHURCHES ARE FOR, RIGHT?
I'LL BE WAITING FOR THE PICTURES.
[sighs]
[Eungsoo] Ah shit.
[piano music playing]
[all singing in Korean]
There is a refuge here ♪
So all those who are in need ♪
Are welcome to come ♪
The land may change ♪
And the waters may rise ♪
To top even the highest mountains ♪
But I am not afraid ♪
May it ring out from this room ♪
Let's get this over with.
Hold on a second. Can you see the bruises?
Mm-hmm.
She'll be worried sick
if she sees those.
Let's do something like this instead.
[camera shutter clicks]
- Let's see.
- How's this?
It's too close.
We need to get more people in it.
- I'll bow.
- I'll go a little wider.
Try it again. Here.
[camera shutter clicks]
You look super pious in this one.
Yeah. Good. Thanks.
Ah.
Mmm.
As it was written
in the good book of Timothy,
for we brought nothing into this world,
and we can take nothing out of it.
[in Spanish]
"We take nothing when we depart it."
[in English] But if we have food
in our mouths and clothes on our backs,
we will be content with that.
[all] Amen.
The Lord has said,
that money is the root of all evil,
and that those who covet it
will have pierced themselves
with many sorrows.
- They will have a glimpse of hell.
- Let's get out of here.
[all] Amen.
Today, we have amongst our gathering
two of our brethren
who have traveled far to be here.
There. Near the doors.
[translator in Spanish]
"We have our brothers
who have come all the way here
to follow the words of Jesus."
[in English] We welcome you to our church
and invite you to introduce yourselves.
It's tradition.
Please give them a round of applause.
[translator in Spanish]
"Let's give them a round of applause!"
[all applauding]
Uh, hallelujah.
Uh
Hello, sisters and brothers.
I'm Kang Ingu from Dongducheon.
I run a seafood export.
Thank you for the warm welcome.
[all applauding]
We sell skate fish.
It's high in protein
and excellent for detox and digestion.
For you, brothers and sisters,
we offer discounts.
You can have all the skate you want
at our cost.
Please feel free to pop down
to our warehouse. Okay?
[all applauding]
Beautiful.
Thank you for those very thoughtful words.
And why don't we respond to them
with a warm hallelujah? Hallelujah!
[all] Hallelujah!
[all applauding]
[knocks on door]
[pastor] Come in.
[pastor exhales]
So you take the local skate we fish here,
and sell it at market in Korea? [chuckles]
That's a good use
of our resources. Brilliant.
[chuckles]
I have to say,
I don't like to discuss business here
in the house of God
Mm-mm.
No, no, no. Don't be shy. God loves fish.
One of my favorite proverbs is this,
"A man diligent in his work
will stand before kings."
"He will not stand before mean men."
If you are sincere in your work,
God will bless your endeavor.
[Ingu] Hmm.
- We try to make our Lord proud.
- [chuckles]
I feel there's something
I must ask you, though.
Are you troubled?
Is there hardship facing your business?
Your faces are
Oh, it's nothing.
Just the usual bumps and bruises
from being new on the scene.
It should all work itself out soon.
Ah, I see.
If you don't mind my asking, brother,
who's involved
in this bumping and bruising, huh?
Maybe we should tell him.
Might not be good to get him involved.
[chuckles] We have a deal
to buy local skate, you see?
And some Chinese guy beat us up
and said we owe him
because he owns the sea.
We already had a deal for protection
with the commander,
and now he says that only covers the land.
Everyone wants a piece of our business.
Uh, we shouldn't bother you
with our stories. Let's go.
Yeah.
Did this Chinese guy you mentioned
happen to have long hair?
And did he look like he might think
personal hygiene's a thing of the past?
Uh-huh. Do you know something about him?
[pastor sighs]
Yes.
Chen Zhen is head of a Chinese gang.
The type of man
who has no respect for human values.
The spawn of the devil
who kills for money.
Lord
is this too all part of your great plan?
Seeing as our Lord has sent
two brothers here from my homeland,
and allowed you
to share your burden with his servant,
I humbly understand God asked me
to join you in your journey.
[chuckles] It will test our spirit,
but God's will will prevail.
Pastor, if you can fix this,
I'll be glad to make
a significant donation.
Brother Kang,
money is of no concern to me
in this instance.
I hear the call of God
bringing those in need to my door.
[keypad clicking]
[Ingu sighs]
Yes, this is Pastor Jeon.
Get me the preacher.
I need to make a visit to Chinatown.
[sighs]
CHINATOWN, PARAMARIBO
[rhythmic drums beating]
- [horns honking]
- [clamoring]
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter in Chinese]
[woman in Chinese] Welcome.
[Jeon] Hmm.
[chuckles]
[inhales]
[groans, clicks teeth]
[in English] Idolatry is frowned upon
in my church highly,
but it's lunchtime.
Preacher, can you feed our guests?
With pleasure.
[in Chinese] Lay out some hot pots
and baijiu on each of the tables.
Yes, sir.
[Jeon clears throat]
[in English] Brother Kang.
- Thank you.
- [Jeon] Brother Park.
[Eungsoo] Here.
[Jeon chuckles]
[Chen] Who's making all this noise
in my territory?
Fucking fish man.
This asshole?
You brought the pastor here?
Hey, Pastor.
Why are you in my restaurant?
Come, Preacher.
I want to be understood
by this idol worshiper.
I understand, Pastor.
I'll make sure he gets the message.
[Jeon clears throat]
Suriname's waters belong to God.
All the skate in these waters
belong to God.
Brothers Kang and Park here,
were chosen by the grace of God
to come to our bountiful land
to harvest skate.
You do understand they're here for God.
If you interfere with these men
and their mission,
your actions will be judged by God
just as the Amalekites were.
With the wrath
of sharp spears and swords.
If you don't leave these guys alone,
you will be cut into tiny pieces.
[Chen scoffs]
[in Chinese] Byun Kitae.
[in English] You tell him.
We should all stick to the territories
we agreed to stick to.
If you run around with your Jesus talk
and try to do whatever you want
[sniffles]
This is what my God commands,
you low-class heathen.
[Jeon exhales]
Chen Zhen?
Today is the Sabbath.
I'll have you know it is God's den.
Let's solve this peacefully
for everyone's sake.
Particularly our brother's sake.
Does that sound good to you?
What do you say?
[chuckles]
Your God has come to my restaurant
on the Sabbath
to argue about a bunch of fish?
That's ridiculous.
See, my idols never take a day off.
Fucking hell!
[exhales]
[chuckles]
I'm gonna let you save face today, Pastor.
If your God needs fish that bad,
then I'll let 'em have it.
God's will be done, sir.
We got what we wanted.
For now.
The skate is all yours.
Since you came all the way to my turf,
I'll treat you to our finest wine.
Drink in good health.
[Chen exhales]
[in Chinese] Get the hot pots out.
[Jeon inhales]
[Eungsoo in English]
The pastor's well-connected.
Last Christmas, he donated tons of money
to build farms and factories around here.
No joke.
He's friends with all the politicians
and leaders in the country.
He knows everything
that goes on here in Suriname.
I heard his nickname's "The Governor."
I also heard other Koreans saying that
he could be the next president
if he wanted.
- What kind of bullshit is that?
- What?
Running a country isn't a joke.
Would you ever consider electing someone
from China or Mexico to be our president?
Huh?
Suriname is one giant melting pot.
The prime minister a few years back
actually was Chinese.
- Are you serious?
- Mm-hmm.
You know this for a fact?
Why would I make shit up
while we're enjoying our beer and profits?
Everyone in Koreatown said the same thing.
[exhales] Okay.
So that means the pastor
is a big fish in Suriname.
- We have to stay on the man's good side.
- Mmm.
You know the last batch of skate we got?
We take the nicest ones from the whole lot
and deliver it right to his door.
And the ginseng liquor you got
from your wife last week.
We send that over with the skate.
Not the liquor.
I'll need that to boost my energy.
My wife wants to try
for a second kid soon.
You can't afford the one you've got.
Diapers, baby food, the school tuition.
How will you pay for that? Huh?
The pastor can guarantee
our success here, Eungsoo.
We need the liquor.
Wow, you shit.
[sighs] I'm trying to cement things
and you bulk.
Hey, I didn't say for sure
I wouldn't do it.
You didn't say for sure you would either.
Just enjoy your precious ginseng liquor
and pop out as many kids as you want.
Go on,
but you're gonna kill the business, man.
Get your panties out of your ass.
I was just telling you
why my wife sent it.
And I always heard that church workers
aren't allowed to drink alcohol.
You don't remember him
enjoying the rice wine?
It's monks who aren't allowed
to enjoy anything.
Pastors are good to go.
Get your stuff straight.
[Eungsoo sighs]
What's it gonna take
for you to do it? Come on!
Hey, ginseng liquor is soul food
for most Koreans.
Everyone knows it's a good gift.
Hand it over.
I'll give it to him 'cause you're my pal.
- The math?
- Fifty-six.
Holy shit. You actually know it.
Good! You've been studying.
I always knew it.
Eight times seven then?
Sixty-four.
- Dumbass.
- [both chuckle]
[telephone ringing]
[Ingu groans]
[telephone continues ringing]
[sighs]
[telephone continues ringing]
- Hello?
- [man] Kang?
Is that you, Kang?
Captain Kim from the Dolphin!
Yes, how are you?
Are you in Korea already?
- Korea my ass!
- [Eungsoo groans]
I had to swing by Aruba
to pick up another container.
My ship got hit with an inspection.
They found cocaine
in your merchandise, Kang!
Did you say cocaine? With the skate?
Yeah, five days ago. I just got released.
You put that shit on my ship, asshole?
No, Captain. I don't smuggle drugs.
I would never do that.
When did this happen?
I'm trying to understand
how cocaine got in with our fish.
If you can start from the beginning, I'm
No, no, no. You've done enough.
I'm only calling to let you know
your shipment stayed in Aruba.
- You're on your own!
- [line ends]
Hello? Captain?
Did did I hear you right?
They found cocaine in our skate?
[sighs]
Yeah, and it's in Aruba.
Aruba is under Dutch jurisdiction.
Am I right?
No way! How did cocaine
get mixed up with our fish?
Let's find out.
Where are you going?
Eungsoo, we gotta move.
You go down to the office right away.
- Someone has to know something about this.
- Now?
Of course now. We have to get ahead.
- [Eungsoo] Okay.
- Get down there.
You're not coming along?
I think big trouble's coming our way.
I'll get a hold of the pastor
and see if he can sort this out.
Right. Good idea.
Speaking of the pastor, did you send
the skate and liquor like I asked?
Oh, sort of. I sent really fresh skate.
The ginseng liquor
could use a little more aging,
so I didn't send it yet.
Stupid idiot.
I already promised we'd send it over.
All right, I got it. I'll send it. Relax.
Now quit yelling
and let me get out of here.
Let's stay in touch.
I'll call you. Huh? Bye.
[door opens, shuts]
[keypad clicking]
PASTOR JEON YOHAN
[line ringing]
[Jeon] Good evening, Brother Kang.
Sorry to call so late, pastor.
It's important.
It's never too late for God.
Is something wrong, brother?
Things have taken a bad turn.
I didn't really know who else to call.
Eungsoo and I have run into more trouble.
[Jeon] Goodness.
How did all this happen?
You're right to call, brother.
Don't go anywhere for now.
I'll try to make a few phone calls.
I appreciate your help, Pastor.
I was panicking for a minute.
Oh, and I haven't forgotten
the liquor I promised.
You'll get it. Soon.
All right.
[line ends]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
[operator in Dutch] The person you want
to reach is outside of our service area.
Please leave a voice message.
[recorder beeps]
[in English]
Hey, Eungsoo. What'd you find out?
And why the hell aren't you answering?
[line ends]
- [sirens wailing]
- [tires screech]
[dramatic music playing]
[car doors open, shut]
[banging on door]
[banging on door]
May I help you?
Are you Mr. Kang Ingu from South Korea?
No, I'm Chinese.
Mr. Kang just went downtown.
He's not here.
Take your hat off.
KANG INGU
[cop 1] Go, go!
Stop right there!
Stop!
[cop 2 in Dutch] Freeze!
[in English] Stop!
[cop grunts]
- [Ingu grunts]
- [cop yells]
[siren wailing]
[cop 3 in Dutch] Freeze! Freeze!
- [cop in English] Freeze!
- [Ingu grunts]
[cop in Dutch] Stop! Hands up!
[in English] Turn around!
[dramatic music playing]
[music ends]