South Korean Film 2023

The Moon (South Korean Film)

The Moon poster

• Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Adventure
• Release Date: 2 August 2023
• Origin: South Korea
• KFilm: 2hrs 9min

Cast

• Sol Kyung Gu as Kim Jae Guk (Former  KASC Head)
• Do Kyung Soo as Hwang Seon Woo (Astronaout/former Army Special Forces SEAL)
• Kim Hee Ae as Yoon Moon Young / Jennifer Evans (Acting NASA Director/Kim Jae Guk’s ex wife)
• Park Byung Eun as Jeong Min Gyu (Current KASC Head)
• Jo Han Chul as Kim In Sik
• Choi Byung Mo as Oh Kyu Seok [Vice minister]
• Hong Seung Hee as Kang Han Byeol (Intern working for Kim Jae Guk)
• Choi Jung Woo – [President]
• Lee Sung Min as Hwang Gyu Tae [Sun Woo’s father]
• Kim Rae Won as Lee Sang Won (Mission Commander/Pilot)
• Lee Yi Kyung as Cho Yoon Jong (Astronaut/Pilot/Engineer)
• Lee Chun Moo – [Moon Young’s son]
• Jo Seung Yun – [Doctor in the news]
• Shim Young Eun – [Staff 2]

This drama does have some basis in known scientific discoveries and proposed future US, ESA et al lunar missions.

Following a tragic accident five years previously, where a South Korean rocket exploded just after take off, killing the three South Korean astronauts bound for the moon as part of an international lunar mission with the US, UK, Canada, Italy & the Middle East et al, the Korean Space Agency (KASC) is barred from future international space missions.

The South Korean government decided that the KASC could go it alone with the nation’s own moon mission. The South Korean mission is to land and explore & geologically survey the Lunar South Pole area near the moon’s dark side for water ice and useful minerals.

Three new astronauts are selected and intensely trained for 20 months. Two are test pilots, Lee Sang Won and Cho Yoon Jong. The youngest is Hwang Seon Woo, a former member of the S Korean SEAL special forces, judged to be very fit and cool under pressure. Also, his father, Hwang Gyu Tae, was a former KASC Flight Director, who committed suicide after the failure of the previous mission.  Was he selected as a token for this mission?

The US/NASA has an internationally crewed space station orbiting the moon called the Lunar Gateway

The Korean astronauts successfully launched and are near reaching the moon. However, a large solar flare affects communications of both the lunar missions and the space station. The S Korean spacecraft also experiences major damage to its solar panels. Two of the astronauts, the experience pilots have to go out and perform extravehicular activity (EVA) to make repairs. Both are killed by accidents, while the remaining nonpilot astronaut, who despite being a former SEAL panics and scream and cry as he is trapped inside the spacecraft unable to recue his comrade and fly the spacecraft.  This part does not really make sense.  Surely a SEAL is all strong and commanding?!!!.

Why did both the two only pilots have to perform the EVA?  In reality, only trained pilots would fly these crucial missions, or with more specialists, ensuring at least one or so pilots remained on board in case of an emergency requiring the craft to be maneuvered. The KASC could remotely control the craft from earth. However, in an emergency, communication (comms), etc breakdowns sufficient onboard pilots would be essential to take manual control as in the Apollo moon missions.

Kim Jae Guk, the former flight director,  who resigned after also feeling guilty about the previous failure & tragedy helped with the design & build of both spacecraft is requested to return to KASC & assist in bringing home the remaining Hwang Seon Woo, who cannot manually pilot the craft. The astronaut partly blames Kim Jae Guk for his father’s suicide.

Hwang Seon Woo decided to continue the mission as the spacecraft is generally still spaceworthy.  He undertakes the mission for his two dead comrades.

When communications are fully restored after the solar flare, detaching the lander containing the Hwang Seon Woo, from the Command Modul (CM), KASC remotely controls the landing descending down to the Shackleton Crater (a real crater named after the famous British explorer).  The Seon Woo performs an EVA in a moon rover vehicle and is aided by an AI-controlled drone guiding him around to explore. He collects a core of water ice & useful minerals proving such exists in the cold dark crater.

KASC contacts NASA to request assistance from the Gateway Orbiter. The FD ex-wife is acting Flight Director at NASA hoping for a full promotion). Contacted for help by her ex She wants to assist but is refused by her arrogant and condescending American bosses.

However, the flare solar flare triggered a meteor shower which threatens the lunar orbiting International Gateway Station and the area of  S Korean lander. After a hazardous journey dodging meteor strikes on the moon, the astronaut makes it back to the lander stowing the drone and ice sample. He does an emergency take-off and tries to dock with the Command Module and return to Earth. As the lander prepares to dock with the CM,  the ongoing meteor shower critically damages the CM and partially hits the lander. The astronaut under instruction from the flight director has to manually disengage to stop both craft from spinning out of control. The lander detaches but crashes back onto the moon and comms  are lost. Assuming the astronaut is dead the KASC announces the loss and the  F D returns with his assistant to their former work location, The  FSD ex-wife picks up a signal covertly acquired from the injured astronaut still alive in the badly damaged lander on the moon’s surface. She relays this signal to the FD and his assistant who find old radio equipment and fix it to contact the astronaut. The assistant records on her phone, the astronaut’s conversation and requests for help ‘May Day’. The FD hurriedly flies back to KASC with the news and full contact made with the astronaut. The NASA FD is arrested for illegally disclosing the signal but the  KASC FD assistant plays the astronaut’s pleas for help online thus forcing the US to get NASA to assist. A plan is made to use the crater rim slope where the lander is resting as a launch pad for the lander to take off. The take-off is successful but again as the lander approaches the Gateway Orbiter it is again hit by meteors and crashes.  The FD suggests that the astronaut retrieves the drone and strap it to his space suit and leave the crashing lander and do an EVA using the drone’s remaining thrust fuel to land on the moon’s surface. All seems lost when the astronaut who has successfully landed on the lunar surface although injure signals for help. The FD contacts his ex and requests help again.. the wife shuts herself in her office and makes a personal plea against orders to the Orbiter Crew’s different nationalities to come together as one astronaut with no politics and send their lander to rescue the astronaut. The Orbiter astronauts agree and rescue the astronaut.

The movie has excellent CGI of the moon, spacecraft and space. The storyline seemed stretched at times with an over-emotional lead  In reality astronauts are selected for the ability to remain calm & steady under extreme pressure. Also, it would seem hard to believe that  allies such as the US NASA etc would not make efforts to aid any stricken spacecraft or astronauts.

The movie is timely as with the current upsurge in returning astronauts to the moon in order to set up bases for further exploration. A real US and international Lunar Gateway space station to orbit the moon is planned

In reality, areas on the moon, deep craters, etc. in permanent deep shadows are thought to contain frozen water ice possibly deposited by comets over time and other minerals that could be used to build & maintain viable moon bases for further exploration.

Currently, as writing this blog, India’s Chandrayaan-3  moon mission’s rover is exploring an area at the lunar south pole’s surface for water ice, and minerals to sustain any future moon bases.