A Father’s Regret
Seok-woo, a fund manager based in Seoul, had allowed his career to dominate his life. Divorced and emotionally distant, he rarely found time for his young daughter, Su-an. On the eve of her birthday, Su-an made a simple request: to visit her mother, Na-young, in Busan. Seok-woo initially hesitated, but a video showing Su-an freezing mid-performance during her school recital moved him. Guilt weighed on him as he watched her try to sing “Aloha ʻOe” alone, her eyes constantly scanning the crowd for a father who never came. The next morning, determined to make amends, Seok-woo accompanied Su-an aboard KTX 101, heading south from Seoul to Busan.
An Ordinary Train Ride Turns Deadly
Among the train’s passengers were Sang-hwa, a burly, outspoken man, and his pregnant wife Seong-kyeong; COO Yon-suk, a man of status and selfish priorities; a baseball team with star player Yong-guk and his cheerful girlfriend Jin-hee; the elderly sisters In-gil and Jong-gil; and a nameless, disheveled homeless man hiding in a bathroom stall. Just as the train prepared for departure, a woman stumbled aboard unnoticed. She was infected.
Within moments, she turned. The first to fall was a train attendant. As panic and confusion spread, so did the infection. One by one, passengers succumbed, rapidly transforming into aggressive, reanimated zombies. A handful of survivors, including Seok-woo and Su-an, managed to barricade themselves in another car, frantically locking the doors.
A Nation in Collapse
Outside the speeding train, chaos had gripped the country. News reports and phone calls confirmed that a viral outbreak was sweeping across South Korea. At the next stop, Daejeon Station, the passengers hoped for military assistance—but the city had already fallen. Zombies overwhelmed the station, forcing the survivors to scramble back onto the train. In the mayhem, the group was splintered across multiple train cars. Seok-woo, Sang-hwa, and Yong-guk were separated from their loved ones.
A Grim Revelation and a Dire Mission
While regrouping, Seok-woo received a devastating call: his company’s actions were linked to the outbreak. The government, now grasping the scale of the threat, had established a quarantine zone near Busan. The conductor redirected the train. Seok-woo, Sang-hwa, and Yong-guk began a dangerous push through the train cars to reunite with Su-an, Seong-kyeong, and the others. They fought their way past countless infected, showing teamwork and sacrifice.
When they reached the main passenger car, they were met with resistance. Yon-suk and train attendant Ki-chul convinced the others to deny them entry, fearing contamination. Sang-hwa stayed behind to hold off the zombies, sacrificing himself. As he fell, the group managed to force the door open. In-gil was killed during the chaos.
Tragedy Within Safety
Once inside, the survivors were still not welcomed. Ordered into the vestibule by the same passengers who refused them moments before, they were left isolated. Jong-gil, grieving her sister’s death and disgusted by the group’s cowardice, silently opened the door to the infected. The result was immediate: the zombies rushed in, killing everyone in the main car. Only Yon-suk and Ki-chul managed to hide.
Derailment and Devastation
Approaching East Daegu Station, the group faced another obstacle. A train blockage forced them to disembark and search for a functioning locomotive. Yon-suk, driven purely by self-preservation, betrayed Ki-chul by shoving him into a group of zombies. A runaway locomotive derailed nearby, splitting the group. Seok-woo, Su-an, Seong-kyeong, and the homeless man became trapped beneath a toppled carriage surrounded by the undead.
Elsewhere, Jin-hee reunited with Yong-guk. But Yon-suk, again desperate to survive, pushed her into the path of an oncoming zombie. Yong-guk, devastated, chose to stay with Jin-hee as she turned, ultimately meeting his end at her hands.
The conductor managed to locate another locomotive and attempted to power it. In a final act of bravery, he tried to help the injured Yon-suk but was consumed by zombies in the process.
The Last Ride
Beneath the wreckage, Seok-woo carved out a narrow escape route. The homeless man, recognizing the urgency, sacrificed himself to buy time. Seok-woo, Su-an, and Seong-kyeong emerged and boarded the new locomotive.
As they sped away, zombies clung to the train’s rear. Seok-woo battled desperately to dislodge them. The final confrontation came when Yon-suk, now partially turned, begged for help. Seok-woo managed to cast him off the train, but not before being bitten himself.
Knowing his time was short, Seok-woo brought Su-an and Seong-kyeong into the engine room. He explained the controls and shared one last moment with his daughter. Before he lost himself to the infection, he stepped off the train, ending his life and ensuring the others’ safety.
The Last Stop
Further down the line, Su-an and Seong-kyeong were forced to stop the train at a blocked tunnel just outside Busan. Proceeding on foot, they walked through the darkness, unsure of what awaited them.
On the other side, snipers were stationed, ready to fire on any presumed infected. As the two approached, orders were given to shoot. But just before pulling the trigger, the soldiers heard a voice. Su-an began singing “Aloha ʻOe”—the song she never finished at her recital. Moved by the sound, the soldiers recognized their humanity and stood down.
The tunnel to Busan had not only become a corridor of survival, but a symbol of loss, redemption, and fragile hope.
