Yongary, Monster from the Deep

A family gathers in South Korea for the wedding of an astronaut, but he is recalled to duty to monitor a nuclear test in the Middle East. The abrupt departure casts a pall over the celebration as fear for the unknown grows. The distance between celebration and duty foreshadows the chaos to come.

The nuclear test triggers a powerful earthquake that soon shifts its epicenter toward Korea. Authorities initially withhold the information, waiting to confirm the threat before informing the public. As the tremors approach, the country braces for impact.

With the quake drawing nearer, officials declare martial law in the affected areas to keep order and coordinate evacuations. Emergency response units mobilize as the region prepares for a large-scale disaster. The government's secrecy continues to its people as fear grows.

In Panmunjom, the ground splits as the quake reveals a giant creature moving inside the earth. A photographer escapes the chaos and rushes to document what he sees, handing over his photographs to authorities before dying from his injuries in a crash caused by the tremors. The images confirm something beyond human comprehension and trigger the name Yongary.

Authorities name the creature Yongary, drawing on an old Korean fable about monsters connected to earthquakes. News outlets speculate about its origin and its appetite for seismic energy. The public begins to fear a monster that appears to be born from the earth itself.

As evacuation orders go out, the South Korean Army is dispatched to the Inwang area to confront Yongary, but the monster's power quickly overwhelms local defenses. The city is plunged into chaos as the creature tears through infrastructure. The effort to contain Yongary seems futile in the face of his rampage.

Il-Woo, a young scientist, resolves to travel to Seoul to search for a vulnerability in Yongary. His girlfriend Soona opposes the plan, while Soona and her younger brother Icho decide to pursue him to try to stop any dangerous escalation. The trio's intertwined motives propel them toward the heart of the crisis.

Yongary arrives in Seoul and unleashes a fresh wave of destruction across the city. In the chaos, Il-Woo and Soona lose track of Icho while searching for him, and the monster's rampage puts everyone on edge. The hunt for a weakness intensifies as the body count rises.

The military leans toward using guided missiles to stop Yongary, but authorities worry the strike could damage landmarks and worsen the crisis. With the nation's future at stake, they ultimately approve the risky weaponized response, despite reservations. The plan creates a moral and strategic stalemate as the clock ticks.

Icho escapes through the sewers to reach an oil refinery where Yongary is feeding. He confronts Yongary, and after reaching the main valve, turns it off, triggering a chaotic reaction that makes the creature itch and scratch. A quick, dangerous discovery hints at a possible physiological weakness that could be exploited.

Icho arrives to report what he learned, and Il-Woo shares his coded knowledge with the authorities, urging them not to power Yongary with missiles. He argues that the energy from the attack could fuel the creature rather than kill it, but his warning is brushed aside. The team presses on with the planned strike in defiance of science.

Il-Woo works on a chemical solution using ammonia precipitate to subdue Yongary. The plan combines chemical treatment with the missile strike in a risky bid to stop the creature. The scientist's hope grows as he prepares for the crucial confrontation.

Yongary is hit with both the ammonia treatment and missiles, but the creature only falls asleep briefly before Icho's light device triggers him to wake and resume rampage. The fight becomes a manic cycle as strategies collide with the monster's endurance. Yongary's resilience tests the limits of human ingenuity.

Il-Woo loads the finalized ammonia precipitate onto a helicopter and dumps it on Yongary in the Han River. The creature collapses and dies from blood loss after bleeding from his body. The city breathes a cautious sigh of relief, but the scientists know the price paid was high.

The following morning, Il-Woo is publicly commended for his role in defeating Yongary, but he credits Icho as the true hero for providing the crucial information about Yongary's eating habits. Icho remarks that Yongary was not evil by nature, but merely hungry, offering a sobering note about predator and prey. The crisis ends with a nuanced perspective on judgment and responsibility.