Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage

Gi-chul was murdered before the explosion because he had already obtained the crucial footage from Kwon Tae-ju breaking into the warehouse. The conspirators needed him dead to prevent the evidence from surfacing. The explosion was staged to make it look like an accident and destroy any remaining evidence linking Taesung Group to the crime.

Earlier, Gi-chul had successfully broken into the warehouse and obtained the footage, making him a liability to the conspiracy.

Gi-chul's phone contained footage of Kwon Tae-ju breaking into the warehouse before the explosion. This video directly implicated Taesung Group's CEO Jung Yi-hyang in the multi-million dollar scandal. The phone was the only remaining evidence after the explosion destroyed most other proof.

The fireman's suspicious act of stealing the phone at the scene hinted at its value to the conspirators.

Mina stole the money because she was desperate to help her friend So-hee, who was pregnant and needed an abortion. Since Gi-chul was dead and they had no other means of obtaining money, Mina took the stash believing it was the only way to save So-hee from a dangerous illegal pregnancy.

Earlier scenes established Mina's loyalty to So-hee and their precarious financial situation.

Nam was already on Taesung Group's payroll. He posed as an ally offering to clear Jo's name in exchange for the footage, but his real intention was to deliver Jo and Mina to the conspirators. This betrayal led to the ambush at the rendezvous point.

Nam's eagerness to obtain the footage and his willingness to make deals seemed suspicious from his first appearance.

Song Ji-won was a female police officer who died in the tragic Sewol Ferry disaster. Her father worked at Mina's workplace, which is how Jo first encountered him. This connection added emotional weight to Jo's investigation and highlighted how the corruption affected multiple victims.

The summary mentions Ji-won's death early, establishing her as a victim of the broader system.

Mina jumped because she was completely broken by the ordeal. After being tortured and threatened, and realizing Jo had only saved her by lying about the footage, she felt there was no hope left. The combination of trauma, despair, and having nothing left to live for drove her to suicide.

Mina's mood was described as shattered after the ambush, showing her mental state deteriorating.

Jo crafted a gun from non-metallic parts to bypass security at Taesung Group headquarters. After being discovered, subdued, and submerged in a tub to drown, he managed to escape, overpower the guards, and retrieve his weapon. He shot Kwon first, then fatally shot Jung Yi-hyang on stage before being shot by Kim Min-jae.

Jo's earlier call to Internal Affairs daring them to catch him showed he was planning something bold.

Jo survived his injuries but was charged with murder for killing Jung Yi-hyang and Kwon Tae-ju. An employee of Taesung Group testified about the company's involvement in destroying evidence, and Nam the prosecutor was also implicated. Jo's hallucinations of Mina smiling appear on the way to trial, showing his psychological state.

The ending shows Jo being taken to court, confirming the consequences of his violent actions.

The fireman was working for the conspiracy behind the warehouse explosion. He stole Gi-chul's phone to hand it over for forensic recovery, ensuring the evidence could be controlled or destroyed. When he became a loose end, he was killed in a restroom to silence him.

The fireman's suspicious behavior at the scene suggested he wasn't a genuine responder.

The abortionist mistook Jo for a pimp and offered to pay him for a night with Mina. This offended Jo's sense of dignity, and in a violent rage, he brutally beat the man. The scene highlights Jo's moral compromises and volatile nature throughout the film.

Jo's pattern of violence escalates as he becomes more desperate to survive.

After Jo killed Jung Yi-hyang and Kwon Tae-ju, an employee of Taesung Group stepped forward to testify about the company's role in destroying evidence and orchestrating the cover-up. This testimony, combined with the remaining footage, exposed the deep-rooted corruption within the corporation and the prosecutors they had bribed.

Throughout the film, evidence gradually pointed to Taesung Group's involvement in the original crime.