After returning from years in America, Jinwoo (Andy Koh) steps off a bus in Seoul carrying a heavy burden. He’s Korean American, exempt from mandatory military service, but he’s come back to enlist anyway — not because he has to, but because he needs to. His father could not be happier with this decision — for him, it is the truest way a son can honor his homeland.
Back in the city, Jinwoo picks up where he left off with old friends. Among them is Minji, a childhood friend he never quite got over. Upon his return to Korea, he thought for sure she would have been married with children. But Jinwoo is at such a crossroads in his life that he is unable to act upon his feelings for her. He also runs into his best friend at a local pool hall. His best friend has already served and begins offering advice and a glimpse into life in the Korean military.
Jinwoo and Minji share a lighthearted moment on the streets of Seoul in Before the Call.
“His best friend has already served and begins offering advice and a glimpse into life in the Korean military.”
The idea for Before the Call, filmmaker James Choi says, began with a simple but haunting question: Why do we serve when we don’t have to? In South Korea, military service is mandatory for all young adult men. In the case of his protagonist, Jinwoo, he was given an out as a Korean American, but he chose to serve anyway.
Jinwoo’s primary motivation is not heroism — for him, it is a need to belong. Jinwoo feels lost in life. He returned from America with very little to show for it. Choi explores themes of identity, duty, sacrifice, and expectations.
For me, Before the Call is a reflective thought experiment — restrained, precise, and unexpectedly moving. It explores themes rather than telling a straightforward narrative. As the film progresses, Jinwoo’s reporting time approaches, thereby ratcheting up the consequences of his decision. Veering off the theme a bit, to me, this is Jinwoo choosing between a stagnant life and using service to jump-start his transition to authentic adulthood… not sure this is the right decision either.
"…Not because he has to, but because he needs to."
