The Way to School

In 1948, the Korean peninsula is divided by the 38th parallel after its liberation from Japanese occupation. The North and the South are each occupied by Soviet and American forces; the two separate Korean armies, driven by tragic hatred, locked in a face off along the line of the 38th parallel. 9-year-old boy, Mandeuk, lives in a mountain village in the North, with his mute mother and mischievous younger sister. Each day, Mandeuk braves crossing the 38th parallel to go to school, eluding the eyes of the Soviet and American patrols along the way. One day, Mandeuk helps Soonyoung＇s family to enter the South. Soon after, Soonyoung and Mandeuk become classmates and friends. As Mandeuk and Soonyoung are on their way below the 38th parallel, they become lost and mixed up in a battle between North and South. Luckily, Mandeuk＇s acquaintance, a northern security guard, Bumgoo, helps them escape. Bumgoo asks Mandeuk to deliver a letter to his beloved, Sookja, who lives in a village south of the 38th parallel. As they carry out their secret mission to bring the two separated lovers together, Mandeuk and Soonyoung also begin to feel the flutters of first love. But, as tensions grow, it becomes more challenging to journey across the 38th parallel. Finally, on the last day of school, Mandeuk promises Soonyoung that he will send a paper boat downstream as a sign that he has arrived safely home. However, Mandeuk is caught in the crossfire.