Netflix’s new K-drama, “Trigger,” plunges viewers into a terrifying alternate South Korea where illegal guns suddenly flood the streets, forcing two men with tragic pasts to confront the escalating violence.
A Nation on the Brink
The series explores a fictional Korea where strict gun laws are ignored, allowing black-market firearms to become terrifyingly common. This sets the stage for a conflict between two men, Lee Do and Moon Baek, whose lives were both shattered by gun violence but took very different paths.
One seeks to dismantle the very system that failed him, while the other strives to uphold what remains of order. Their intertwined fates drive the high-stakes narrative.
Moon Baek: The Architect of Chaos
Moon Baek, played by Kim Young Kwang, is the show’s primary antagonist. We learn he has only six months to live. As a child, he was trafficked from Korea for his organs but was later rescued and raised by a powerful black-market arms group called the International Rifle Union (IRU).
Returning to Korea as an adult, Moon Baek leverages his connections to unleash chaos. His grim plan involves distributing firearms to people pushed to their limits – bullied workers, struggling citizens – believing they already have a “trigger” in their hearts, just waiting for a reason to be pulled.
Lee Do: The Reluctant Hero
On the opposite side is Lee Do (Kim Nam Gil), a former military man who, despite his background, isn’t a fan of gun culture. He carries the heavy burden of a past trauma: his mother and brother were murdered during a robbery when he was a child.
Unlike Baek, Lee Do found a father figure in Captain Jo, who raised him with love and taught him to stay on the right path. As the country descends into record levels of violence, Lee Do does everything to stop it, initially avoiding guns. However, as shootings escalate, he is forced to pick one up again.
A Devastating Loss
Moon Baek grows intrigued by Lee Do’s efforts to thwart his plans and attempts to get closer by feigning assistance. Lee Do, however, sees through his deception. After escaping police, Baek targets Captain Jo, Do’s beloved mentor.
When Captain Jo’s daughter is driven to suicide by a scam, he seeks revenge with a gun. Lee Do stops him, reminding him that revenge won’t ease his pain. But Baek, the true mastermind, intervenes, shooting both Jo and Do. Captain Jo dies, leaving Lee Do to wake up to a country consumed by madness.
The Climax: A Choice for Peace
Time jumps forward, revealing a nation terrified. People are buying guns for self-protection, and the president considers martial law. Baek organizes a “Free Guns” rally, intending to turn the city into a warzone by driving a truck full of weapons into a crowd and deploying smoke bombs.
Baek’s ultimate goal is for Lee Do to shoot him, believing this act would spark widespread chaos. But Lee Do refuses. Instead of pulling the trigger, he challenges Baek’s logic, asking if revenge truly brings peace. Baek disappears into the smoke, claiming he only provided the tools, leaving the choice to others.
The Aftermath: Hope and Uncertainty
In the pandemonium, Lee Do finds a crying boy clutching a gun. He drops his own weapon and embraces the child. This powerful moment is captured live, broadcast across the nation, and serves as a wake-up call.
Inspired by Lee Do’s act of peace, people begin turning in their guns, including a nurse who was about to retaliate against her bullies. Moon Baek is later found shot, likely by his own hand, and left in a coma. His condition is critical, and foreign IRU members plot their next move, with a mysterious woman entering his hospital room, hinting at unfinished business.
Lee Do survives and adopts the boy he saved. He continues to live by Captain Jo’s values of protection over punishment, finding solace in simple acts like picking up his new son from school, hoping to pass on the peace he fought so hard to achieve.
- Moon Baek is left in a coma after being shot, possibly by himself.
- Lee Do survives, adopts the boy he saved, and continues to advocate for peace.
- The image of Lee Do embracing the boy becomes a symbol that helps halt the widespread gun violence.
- The IRU’s plans and Moon Baek’s ultimate fate remain ambiguous, suggesting ongoing threats.
“Trigger” ultimately concludes on a note of cautious optimism, highlighting the profound impact one person’s choice for peace can have amidst overwhelming chaos.
