Underdog 2019

Moongchi is abandoned in a North Korean forest

Moongchi is driven to a forest in North Korea and released, left to fend for himself. He waits for his owner to return, clinging to the hope of being retrieved. He tries to follow the owner's truck but cannot reach it.

Moongchi meets the stray pack

A pack of town strays—Gaeko, Jjangah, and two Chihuahua mates—encounters Moongchi and shares their own fears of abandonment. They feed him and explain that his owner is not coming back. Their moment is interrupted when a car parks nearby, leaving a scrawny crippled dog on the roadside.

Crippled dog brought into town by the strays

The stray pack carries the crippled dog into a human town, hoping to avoid trouble. Moongchi tries to keep pace but is overwhelmed by the unfamiliar surroundings. He and Bongji narrowly escape a dogcatcher and return to the strays' dilapidated building.

Dream of paradise and danger of homes

Inside their hideout, the dogs discuss harsh living conditions and the ever-present threat of dog-hunters. Gaeko recalls a distant paradise he remembers by scent, sparking a glimmer of hope. Jjangah dismisses the idea of homes and urges caution.

Restaurant visit and chase

The following day, the town strays visit a restaurant known to feed dogs. Moongchi mistakenly chases a human he believes is his owner, and they are quickly driven out of the restaurant. The dogs process the occurrence and move on.

Crippled dog's death and a painful burial

That night the crippled dog asks Moongchi to help her reach her parents before she collapses. The next morning she is found dead, and they bury her in the building's dirt yard with the other graves. Moongchi mourns and blames himself for not acting sooner.

Wild dogs emerge; prey shortage discussed

Moongchi witnesses a pack of wild dogs—Bami, Shirley, Edward, and Trevin—hunting a boar and returning to their den. They discuss the lack of prey due to human activity and note that the friendly restaurant owner was fired, leaving town strays unwelcome.

Attempt to bond with the wild dogs

Moongchi visits Trevin in the wild dogs' den, hoping to befriend them with a bone gift. He is told that town strays don’t belong with wild dogs and is sent back toward town. The boundary between the two groups hardens the moment.

Goat incident and captivity

Moongchi tries to impress the wild pack by driving goats from a nearby farm into the mountains, but Edward cautions that he risks everyone’s safety. The farmer calls animal control, and Moongchi and Trevin are captured and placed in a pound. Moongchi is fitted with a GPS tracking chip as they plot a future escape, and he dreams of reuniting with his owner.

Freedom comes and a new resolve

Moongchi recalls his puppy-mill past during a brief dream before waking to freedom. The wild dogs and the town strays free themselves from the pound, and the abandoned building they lived in is destroyed by human construction. The group realizes they need a new home and decides to follow Gaeko toward the paradise he remembers.

Crossing the highway; losses and a fresh hunt

The pack crosses a highway and loses Shirley and Edward to a car collision. Trevin breaks down from homesickness, but the group finds a safer field to rest and together they manage to hunt a deer. Bami shares a painful memory of her own puppy-mill childhood.

Dog-hunters close in; wildfire chaos

The hunters locate the group using Moongchi’s tracker and a wildfire erupts. Moongchi saves Jjangah from drowning as flames scorch some of them, and they meet friendly humans who rescue injured dogs. They confront the lead dog-hunter, who ends up trapped in a mine field, and Jjangah decides to stay with humans.

Crossing the DMZ for a sunny wilderness

At the edge of the Korean DMZ, the dogs glimpse a paradise on the other side. Gaeko reveals he was once a guard dog here. They manage to escape through the gate into the wilderness of South Korea, with Moongchi briefly left behind before joining the others as they disappear into the peaceful wild.