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

Trace every key event in The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Love and theft sparks a perilous romance

Mu-hoon, a Busan gangster, falls in love with Eun-ju, the mistress of his boss Mr Oh. Together they steal a large sum of Mr Oh's money and elope to a seaside village. Mu-hoon even proposes to Eun-ju, sealing their dangerous pact.

Immediately after elopement Seaside village
2

Pursuit begins as the couple's escape ends in violence

Mr Oh's men catch up with them. Mu-hoon escapes out of a window with the money, but Eun-ju is slashed across the face with a knife and taken away. The couple's dream of a quiet life dissolves as danger closes in.

Soon after elopement Seaside village
3

One year later: a reunion sparks a new lead

Mu-hoon visits his half-brother Ha-young, a successful photographer in Seoul, and recognizes Eun-ju in Ha-young's photos, singing on stage at a nightclub. They head to the club, but spot Man-cheol, one of Mr Oh's gangsters, watching the door. The sight of him makes their reunion feel perilous.

One year later Seoul, Nightclub
4

Eun-ju is kept prisoner; the past returns

Ha-young goes inside to find Eun-ju, who warns that her life was spared only to entrap Mu-hoon. Eun-ju is kept as a prisoner in her apartment by Man-cheol, the enforcer who betrayed Mr Oh.

Same day as reunion Eun-ju's apartment, Seoul
5

A plan to meet in the dark cinema

Ha-young suggests that the lovers meet in the dark of a local cinema, but Eun-ju remains under surveillance. The plan underscores how fragile their hope remains as danger closes in.

Later that day Local cinema
6

Mu-hoon frees Eun-ju from captivity

Mu-hoon breaks into Eun-ju's apartment and frees her; Man-cheol admits he betrayed Mr Oh and is punished by being given the warden job guarding Eun-ju. Mu-hoon tells Man-cheol to report to Mr Oh that he's willing to return the money and make amends.

Shortly after the escape Eun-ju's apartment
7

The assassination bargain and the failed escape

Mu-hoon meets with Mr Oh and is told to assassinate the key witness to save their lives. He asks for time to consider, but secretly retrieves the money from his mother's house and plans to run away with Eun-ju.

After freeing Eun-ju Mr Oh's office; Mu-hoon's mother's house
8

Eun-ju hides and retools her image

Mr Oh's men keep searching for Eun-ju; she hides at Ha-young's apartment and studio and begins modelling. She undergoes plastic surgery to hide her facial scar and accepts a contract to appear on a major televised runway show on Christmas Eve.

Weeks leading to Christmas Eve Ha-young's apartment and modeling agency
9

Ha-young's growing feelings and the timing of danger

Ha-young realizes he is falling for Eun-ju but suppresses his feelings to protect his brother's interests. Their bond deepens as they share mutual interests in fashion, music, and film.

During the modelling pursuit Seoul
10

The plan falters as the ad campaign begins

Mu-hoon discovers too late that Eun-ju will blow their cover on the day her ad campaign launches. Mr Oh's men break into Ha-young's apartment and beat him up; Mu-hoon rushes to the hospital, but another gangster waits for him. The stakes escalate as their plans threaten to unravel.

On the day of the ad campaign launch Ha-young's apartment; hospital
11

The hit, chaos, and a fatal betrayal

The hit unfolds in a court parking garage: Mu-hoon and Man-cheol fight their way through the cops escorting him. Mu-hoon pulls out a knife and reluctantly prepares to kill Man-cheol, but an officer intervenes and a struggle ensues. Mu-hoon is shot in the stomach, escapes the building, and collapses as he reaches Mr Oh's waiting car, where he kills Mr Oh before being projjected out with the boss’s body.

Day of the hit Court parking garage; Mr Oh's car
12

Eun-ju's confession and Mu-hoon's death

Ha-young drives Mu-hoon to an animal hospital, where Eun-ju arrives and confesses that she was the one who alerted the police about Man-cheol. She blames herself for the chain of events that destroyed both men. Mu-hoon dies soon after, with Eun-ju by his side.

Right after the hit Animal hospital
13

A year later: fame, isolation, and a broken gaze

Ha-young has quit photography and Eun-ju has become a major celebrity. He visits an empty cinema to watch her and reaches toward her projection, only for the screen to stop and the lights to rise on his distraught face.

One year later Empty cinema

Last Updated: October 07, 2025 at 09:49

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