Sang-hwa is the fourth protagonist in Train to Busan. He was born in Busan (hence the title of the film).
He is protrayed by Ma Dong-seok.
History[]
Sang-hwa is a strong and hardworking man, and he's deeply devoted to his wife, Seong-kyeong, who is expecting their first child. They happen to be on the same train to Busan as Seok-woo and his daughter, Su-an. Seong-kyeong needs to use the restroom, so Sang-hwa kindly asks Su-an to move to a different train car to give her some privacy. This small act shows how considerate he is, especially towards children.
Unfortunately, their journey takes a terrifying turn when a woman, who had secretly boarded the train, suddenly transforms into a zombie. This triggers a chaotic outbreak, spreading rapidly among the passengers. Sang-hwa, a man of action, bravely steps in to protect those around him. He engages in a fierce struggle with one of the infected, managing to temporarily contain the threat by locking the infected person in the train's restroom.
As the situation worsens, the surviving passengers gather in one of the train cars, trying to create a safe haven. In the panic, Seok-woo closes the door leaving Sang-hwa and Seong-kyeong outside. This understandably causes Sang-hwa to feel angry. He even tries to confront Seok-woo, but Seong-kyeong calms him down, reminding him that they need to work together to survive.
When the train makes an unscheduled stop at Daejeon Station, Sang-hwa and Seong-kyeong, along with the other passengers, cautiously step onto the platform, hoping for a rescue. However, they are met with a horrifying sight: a massive horde of infected people. They quickly retreat back to the train, but in the chaos, Sang-hwa gets separated from Seong-kyeong.
Determined to reunite with his wife and protect Su-an, Sang-hwa teams up with Seok-woo and a young baseball player named Yong-guk. Sang-hwa takes the lead, using his strength and resourcefulness to fight their way through the infected, devising clever strategies to navigate the dangerous situation. They finally find Seong-kyeong and Su-an, and together, they make a desperate dash back to the relative safety of the train cars.
As they try to enter Car 15, where the other passengers have barricaded themselves, they are met with fear and suspicion. The other passengers, terrified of infection, refuse to open the door. Sang-hwa and Seok-woo bravely hold back the horde of infected, giving the others time to force the door open. Sang-hwa gets bitten while holding the door, knowing he's running out of time, Sang-hwa makes a heartbreaking decision. He urges Seok-woo to leave and take care of Seong-kyeong and their unborn child. He even shares the name he's chosen: Yoon Su-yun.
With the infected breaking through the glass door of Car 14, Sang-hwa makes a final, heroic stand. He fights with all his might, holding back the infected long enough for the others to escape into Car 15. Tragically, he is overwhelmed and eventually succumbs to the infection. Later, the train derails, it's left unclear whether the infected Sang-hwa survived the crash.