Illang: The Wolf Brigade

In 2024, disputes among China, Japan, and South Korea heighten regional tensions. Japan remilitarizes, and the United States and Russia move to secure their interests in East Asia. Fearing war, North and South Korea agree to reunify within five years as a survival strategy.

The South Korean government establishes the Special Unit to counter the rising anti-reunification movement and the Sect. The unit is equipped with futuristic powered exoskeletons and distinctive gas masks with glowing red lenses. Its mission is to crush the Sect and restore domestic stability.

A year after its formation, the Special Unit conducts a raid that misidentifies young schoolgirls as Sect terrorists. Fifteen girls are killed, triggering massive backlash and calls for reform. The incident casts a long shadow over the unit and its methods.

In the wake of public outrage, authorities require Special Unit soldiers to wear gas masks on deployments to protect their identities. The policy deepens a sense of secrecy around the unit and fuels ongoing criticism. The unit's legitimacy remains hotly contested.

The Public Security Department pushes to dissolve the Special Unit, prompting the creation of an internal deep-cover group named Illang. Illang operates from within to safeguard the unit and advance its interests. Lim Joong-kyung becomes a key figure within this hidden network.

In 2029, an anti-reunification protest at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul erupts into violence as Sect terrorists attack riot lines. Several officers and protesters die in the crossfire. The Special Unit is deployed to defeat the terrorists and prevent further chaos.

The Special Unit raids the Sect hideout in the storm sewers beneath Seoul. The terrorists refuse to surrender, leading to a fatal confrontation and the elimination of most of the terrorists. The operation showcases the unit's heavy firepower and urban warfare tactics.

During the raid, Lim Joong-kyung faces Lee Jae-hee, a young Sect courier. Jae-hee detonates a satchel charge instead of surrendering, killing herself and dealing a blow to the Special Unit. The moment leaves Lim shaken and more determined.

The fallout from the raid damages Lim's standing, and he is pulled from active duties for reevaluation. He is sent back to training under drill instructor Jang Jin-tae. The setback forces him to confront his role within the unit and his future path.

Public Security head Han Sang-woo informs Lim that the deceased courier has a sister, Yun-hee. Lim begins to piece together a web of personal and political entanglements that complicate his mission. The revelation deepens the shadowy game surrounding the Sect and the State.

Lim meets Yun-hee at Namsan Tower and learns she does not hold him responsible for her sister's death. They form a cautious, fragile bond as they navigate a dangerous landscape. Unbeknownst to them, Yun-hee is drawn into larger covert operations.

An Illang operative captures Yun-hee and interrogates her. She reveals that the Sect is funded by Public Security and that she was coerced into killing for them. The information reinforces Illang's resolve to protect Lim and the Special Unit.

Yun-hee is released to reach a trap set by Public Security at Namsan Tower, carrying a tracking device for undercover agents to arrest Lim. Lim senses the trap and moves quickly to protect Yun-hee as the plan unfolds. Tensions escalate as both sides maneuver.

Illang arrives to secure Yun-hee, who is revealed to be Kim Seo-hee, former commander of the Sect's women's unit. They equip Lim with a Special Unit exoskeleton and a machine gun to stand with them. The group takes Yun-hee to safety as a major clash with Public Security ensues.

Lim defeats the Public Security squads and Han in a lengthy shootout. He refuses Jang Jin-tae's order to execute Seo-hee and chooses to walk away from the conflict. Seo-hee and her brother board a train to leave Seoul, and Lim watches the train depart, signaling a tenuous ending.