Green Fish

Green Fish

Year: 1997

Runtime: 111 mins

Language: Korean

Director: Lee Chang-dong

Drama

Returning home and finding his town drastically changed, a former soldier falls in with gangsters.

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Timeline & Setting – Green Fish (1997)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Green Fish (1997). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1990s

Set in the early-to-mid 1990s Korea, the film captures a nation expanding economically and urbanizing quickly. Neighborhoods like Ilsan New Town sprout alongside remnants of older life, highlighting a transitional period in Korean society. The era’s tension between modernization and tradition shapes the characters’ choices and destinies.

Location

Ilsan, Seoul; Youngdeungpo, Seoul

The story unfolds predominantly in Ilsan, a Seoul suburb undergoing rapid modernization with high-rise apartments replacing traditional rural landscapes. Key scenes also move through Seoul’s Youngdeungpo area, nightclubs, trains, and a deserted building that serves as a stage for gang activity. The city’s changing face mirrors the characters’ struggles between old family ties and new urban pressures.

🏙️ Modernization 🏘️ Suburban life 🗺️ Urban upheaval

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:02

Main Characters – Green Fish (1997)

Meet the key characters of Green Fish (1997), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mak-dong (Han Suk-kyu)

A young man newly discharged from the military who returns to a changed Ilsan and dreams of reuniting his fractured family. He is initially naive and hopeful, drawn to Mi-ae and a promise of shared prosperity, but his loyalty to family and desire for a secure future push him into dangerous underworld circles. His resilience is tested by violence and manipulation, and his ultimate fate underscores the fragility of his aspirations.

🎯 Loyalty 💔 Vulnerability 🏙️ Family ties

Mi-ae (Shim Hye-jin)

A beautiful nightclub singer entangled with Bae Tae-gon and the criminal underworld. She embodies a blend of longing and pragmatism, offering both allure and a hard sense of realism. Her relationship with Mak-dong reveals a shared sense of hopelessness, while her choices complicate loyalties within the gang world.

💖 Love 🎭 Dual life 🕊️ Vulnerability

Bae Tae-gon (Moon Sung-keun)

The gang boss who rises through brutality to expand his empire. He refuses to be outmaneuvered, using fear and manipulation to maintain control. His clashes with rivals reveal the ruthlessness required to survive and ascend, and his dynamics with Mak-dong mark him as a pivotal force driving the tragedy.

🧨 Power 💰 Money ⚔️ Ruthlessness

Kim Yang-kil (Dong Bang-woo)

The former gang boss who returns from behind bars to challenge Bae Tae-gon’s hold on power. His presence exposes the fragility of the criminal order and the constant threat of retribution. His confrontations amplify the film’s themes of revenge and the instability of gangster hierarchies.

🔥 Rivalry 🗡️ Violence 🕵️ Revenge

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:02

Major Themes – Green Fish (1997)

Explore the central themes of Green Fish (1997), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏙️ Loyalty

Mak-dong’s commitment to family anchors the narrative, driving him to take dangerous steps to keep his loved ones together. His loyalty pushes him to endure violence and moral compromise in hopes of rebuilding a united household. Yet this devotion also traps him in a cycle of crime and danger, revealing the double-edged nature of loyalty. The tension between duty to kin and personal safety fuels the film’s moral conflict.

🌆 Urbanization

Rapid urban development reconfigures the landscape and social fabric, replacing fields with apartment blocks and reshaping opportunities for the poor and aspiring. The city becomes a living character, illustrating ambition, alienation, and the erosion of traditional community life. Neighborhoods like Ilsan illustrate how modernization can fracture family networks and intensify competition for scarce resources. This backdrop amplifies the protagonists’ vulnerability within a growing underworld.

⚔️ Violence & Dreams

Mak-dong’s dream of a harmonious family business clashes with the brutal realities of gang life and power struggles. The violence he witnesses and participates in—breaking fingers, standoffs, and a fatal stabbing—erodes his idealism and test of loyalty. Mi-ae’s complicated relationship with power and danger further unsettles his moral compass. The film culminates in a confrontation between dream and reality, ending with a crushed hope amid a merciless city.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:02

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Unlock the Full Story of Green Fish

Don't stop at just watching — explore Green Fish in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Green Fish is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Green Fish Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Green Fish, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Green Fish Summary

Green Fish Timeline

Track the full timeline of Green Fish with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Green Fish Timeline

Green Fish Spoiler-Free Summary

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Green Fish Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Green Fish

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