A new South Korean film about a North Korean soldier’s daring escape across the demilitarized zone (DMZ) topped the local box office this week, but while its plot revolves around the plight of a DPRK citizen, the beating heart of the movie is a message to ROK society.

“Escape” centers on the character Lim Gyu-nam (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), a North Korean army sergeant who dreams of defecting to South Korea after secretly listening to ROK radio broadcasts while standing guard along the DMZ.