Broker

The story unfolds in a contemporary South Korean cityscape. It centers on current social issues like illicit baby adoption networks, investigations by police, and a mother’s struggle with her choices. The narrative timeline spans a few years, including a three-year jump that frames the found-family ending.

Set in a contemporary South Korean urban landscape, the film moves between a church, a hand laundry, a baby box, and city streets. It juxtaposes ordinary neighborhood life with the dark underbelly of the baby adoption market. The settings—from a nursery to a ferris wheel and transit centers—highlight the tension between legitimacy and crime.

🤝 Found Family

A core thread is the emergence of a chosen family from outcasts and criminals. Sang-hyeon, Dong-soo, and So-young drift toward protecting Woo-sung, even as their means are illegal. The road trip and the ferry ride symbolize trust forming beyond blood ties. The ending hints at a fragile but enduring bond among the group as they pursue Woo-sung’s future.

💔 Abandonment & Adoption

The film centers on the impact of abandoning children and the pursuit of new guardians. The baby box, the sale of infants, and So-young’s dilemma reveal moral complexity rather than clear-cut guilt. Woo-sung’s fate drives the characters’ choices and tests their humanity. The narrative probes what it means to “found” a family under painful circumstances.

🕵️‍♀️ Justice & Morality

Detective Soo-jin and her partner Lee pursue the brokers, weaving sting operations into the plot. The line between legal justice and personal mercy becomes blurred as deals are proposed and renegotiated. So-young contemplates surrender, while Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo face consequences. The film questions whether moral ends justify illegal means.