Maps of Movies

Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (2004)

Where Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

A war film set across all of Korea, yet the only filming place found in print is a street set in Hapcheon and a closed station

Scenes and places

The excavation site at Dumillyong (1950)

In 2003, an army excavation team tells an old man, Lee Jin-seok, that remains matching his name have been found, though he is alive. He insists it is a mistake and goes to the mountain site himself, thinking of his lost brother.

Set in Dumillyong excavation site, Yanggu County — A Korean War battlefield where an army team digs up remains for a memorial site. Google Maps · Apple Maps

A mountain battlefield in Yanggu County, Gangwon, named in the dialogue as the battle of Dumillyong. The point is the county's representative point.

Shoeshine and noodles in Jongno (1950)

Jin-tae shines shoes to pay for his younger brother's schooling, and buys him a silver pen. The family and Jin-tae's fiancee Young-shin work at the noodle shop, and then the war reaches Seoul.

Set in Jongno, Seoul — The Lee family's street in Seoul, June 1950: a shoeshine stand and a noodle shop. Google Maps · Apple Maps

Jongno is a central Seoul district; the point is the district's representative point.

Conscription at Daegu Station (1950)

At Daegu Station, officers call out all men aged 18 to 30 to step forward. Jin-seok is only a student, but he is taken too, and Jin-tae chases after him.

Set in Daegu Station — A station where officials pick men between 18 and 30 off the platform, July 1950.

The script places the scene at Daegu in July 1950; no sourced coordinate for the story location was found.

The Pusan Perimeter front (1950)

The brothers are assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and fight at the Pusan Perimeter. Jin-tae is told that if he earns the highest medal his brother can be sent home, so he volunteers for dangerous missions.

Set in Pusan Perimeter (Nakdong River line) — The southern defensive line the brothers fight on after being conscripted.

A defensive line along the Nakdong River in the south-east; it is an area, not a single point.

The battle of Pyongyang (1950)

Fighting in the streets of Pyongyang, Jin-tae charges after an escaping enemy captain. His bravery brings his nomination for the medal, but his brother is horrified at what he has become.

Set in Pyongyang, October 1950 — The North Korean capital in October 1950, during the urban battle.

The script gives the date as October 1950; the city is the film's northernmost setting.

Filmed at Hapcheon Pyongyang street set, Gyeongnam — A Pyongyang street set was built in Hapcheon for the film; the point is the county's representative point, not the set itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The medal near the 38th parallel (1950)

Jin-tae is awarded the medal in front of the troops, then asks his superior to send his brother home. The army is retreating, and Jin-seok has left to find their mother.

Set in Jang-dan, near the 38th parallel — A rear position near the 38th parallel, December 1950, where the medal is awarded.

The script names Jang-dan near the 38th parallel as the place, December 1950; no coordinate was found.

Characters

• Lee Jin-tae — A shoeshiner who volunteers for deadly missions to earn a medal that could send his brother home.
• Lee Jin-seok — The younger brother, a student whose schooling the family worked for, dragged into the war with him.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was Pyongyang rebuilt for Taegukgi?
• Where was the Daegu Station conscription scene really filmed?