The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream

The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream

Year: 1992

Runtime: 103 mins

Language: Korean

Director: Park Chan-wook

CrimeRomanceThriller

A gangster in Busan is caught having an affair with his boss’ mistress and the two run off with their organization’s money.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

Set in contemporary South Korea, the story unfolds across Busan and Seoul, with scenes in a seaside village, a nightclub, and a fashion runway. The era is defined by modern urban culture, media influence, and criminal networks. The timeline moves through a tense, real-time arc from an initial elopement to a fatal consequence.

Location

Busan, seaside village, Seoul

Busan is the gritty port city backdrop where Mu-hoon operates as a gangster. The seaside village offers a fragile hideout for the lovers, contrasting with Seoul's fast-paced urban life. The film moves between these places, highlighting the clash of crime, desire, and survival in coastal and metropolitan settings.

🌊 Seaside town 🏙️ Urban centers 🎬 Entertainment hubs

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:31

Main Characters – The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992)

Meet the key characters of The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mu-hoon (Lee Seung-chul)

A Busan gangster whose loyalty to love clashes with the demands of a ruthless boss. He is capable, impulsive, and driven by a desire to protect Eun-joo, even as he risks everything. His arc traces the tension between criminal pragmatism and romantic longing.

🧭 Gangster 💔 Lover 🗡️ Risk-taker

Eun-joo (Na Hyun-Hee)

The boss's mistress who becomes a focal point of the lovers' scheme. Emotionally scarred yet resilient, she navigates danger with a guarded, strategic mindset. Her choices trigger a chain of events that lead to tragedy and fame.

🎭 Femme fatale 💔 Survivor 🧭 Caught between worlds

Ha-young (Song Seung-hwan)

Mu-hoon's half-brother and a successful photographer in Seoul. He is drawn to Eun-joo's beauty and past, yet torn between family loyalty and his own ambitions. His arc explores ambition, art, and the costs of love.

🧭 Artist 📷 Photographer 💔 Brotherly protector

Man-cheol (Kim Dong-soo)

A wary gangster who betrays Mr Oh and becomes an informant. He serves as a crucial pivot in the plot, moving between fear, pride, and pragmatic allegiance. His complicity makes him both a captive and a catalyst.

🕵️‍♂️ Informant 🗡️ Betrayer 🧭 Survivor

Boss / Mr Oh (Lee Ki-yeol)

The ruthless crime boss who uses others as pieces in a high-stakes game. His demand for Mu-hoon's assassination test loyalty and triggers a fatal showdown. His power drives the underworld's dangerous dynamics.

🧨 Crime lord 💼 Power broker 🗡️ Manipulator

Soo-mi (Bang Eun-hee)

The boss's mistress who embodies desire and danger within the crime syndicate. She navigates a world of seduction and power plays, influencing decisions behind the scenes. Her role highlights the human costs of the criminal empire.

💋 Seductress 🕶️ Power broker 🗝️ Insider

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:31

Major Themes – The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992)

Explore the central themes of The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Love

Love drives Mu-hoon and Eun-joo into radical choices that blur moral boundaries. Their romance becomes a fragile lifeline amid crime, betrayal, and the lure of a better future. The relationship exposes how affection can both sustain and ruin those involved in dangerous schemes.

💀 Crime & Betrayal

A criminal world organized around Mr Oh's operation imposes deadly costs on all involved. Betrayals, arrests, and assassinations propel the plot and test loyalties to breaking point. The pursuit of money intensifies violence and leaks into every relationship.

🕰️ Consequences

Choices ripple through the lives of the characters, ending in tragedy and transformation. Mu-hoon's sacrifice and Eun-joo's rise to celebrity frame a bitter reckoning for the surviving brother Ha-young. The final moments reflect on memory, loss, and the price of obsession.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:31

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The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream Summary

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The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream Summary

The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream Timeline

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The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream Timeline

More About The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream

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More About The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream

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