▁religion , ▁which ▁runs ▁through ▁the ▁film , ▁as ▁Y ong ▁So o ▁hopes ▁that ▁his ▁son ▁comes ▁back ▁safely , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁football ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁way ▁in ▁connecting ▁the ▁North ▁Kore ans ▁to ▁the ▁outside ▁world . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁story ▁tells ▁of ▁a ▁North ▁Korean ▁father ▁and ▁husband ▁who ▁dec ides ▁to ▁il leg ally ▁cross ▁into ▁China ▁to ▁buy ▁medicine ▁for ▁his ▁pre gn ant ▁wife ▁who ▁is ▁suffering ▁from ▁t uber cul osis . ▁However , ▁once ▁he ▁cross es ▁into ▁China , ▁he ▁real ises ▁that ▁it ' s ▁not ▁as ▁easy ▁as ▁he ▁thought . ▁He ▁finds ▁himself ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁illegal ▁imm igr ant ▁under ▁the ▁constant ▁threat ▁of ▁being ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Chinese ▁authorities ▁and ▁deport ed ▁back ▁to ▁North ▁Korea . ▁He ▁eventually ▁finds ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁South ▁Korea ▁by ▁entering ▁the ▁German ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁China . ▁Meanwhile , ▁his ▁wife ▁has ▁already ▁died , ▁leaving ▁their ▁son ▁hom eless ▁and ▁wand ering ▁around ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁way ▁back ▁to ▁his ▁father . ▁Sc enes ▁switch ▁between ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁father ▁who ▁is ▁outside ▁North ▁Korea ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁medicine , ▁and ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁son , ▁who ▁ends ▁up ▁hom eless ▁and ▁tries ▁to ▁defect ▁also . ▁ ▁Cast ▁Cha ▁In - py o ▁as ▁Kim ▁Y ong - so o , ▁the ▁main ▁protagon ist ▁and ▁the ▁father . ▁Sin ▁My e ong - che ol ▁as ▁Kim ▁Jo on , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Kim ▁Y ong