Seok-woo is a fund manager and the main protagonist of Train to Busan.
He is portrayed by Gong Yoo.
History[]
Seok-woo is a successful but emotionally distant fund manager, whose obsession with work has made him neglect his young daughter, Su-an. His lack of attention is made painfully clear when he gives her a Nintendo Wii for her birthday—without realizing that he had already given her the exact same gift on Korea’s Children’s Day. The disappointment on Su-an’s face is obvious, but rather than making a scene, she quietly asks him for one thing she truly wants: to take her to Busan to see her mother. At first, Seok-woo hesitates, brushing off the request as an inconvenience, but after some thought, he finally agrees, though not without reluctance.
He and his daughter board the KTX train bound for Busan, and it is during this journey that Seok-woo’s priorities begin to shift. Though he starts off as indifferent, he quickly realizes just how much Su-an means to him as the chaos on the train escalates. He stays close to her as they approach Daejeon, determined to keep her safe no matter what. However, Seok-woo still holds onto his old beliefs, insisting that Su-an should think only about herself if they want to survive. When the passengers start splitting up at Daejeon Station, Seok-woo makes a decision that reflects this selfish mindset—he chooses to take the east exit with Su-an rather than the main exit, where most passengers are heading. A homeless man decides to follow them instead of staying with the crowd, having overheard that those arriving at Daejeon would be placed under quarantine. Seok-woo, however, remains steadfast in his self-centered view of survival, telling Su-an once again that it is every person for themselves.
Su-an, deeply disappointed by her father’s attitude, cannot hold back her feelings any longer. With sadness in her voice, she tells him that he only cares about himself and that it was this very selfishness that caused her mother to leave him. The words hit Seok-woo harder than he expects, but before he can say anything in response, he leaves Su-an in a safe spot while he looks for help. Meanwhile, at the station, the homeless man spots a soldier and runs toward him, desperately calling out for assistance—only to realize, too late, that the man is infected. The soldier immediately attacks, and in an instant, the station erupts into chaos as more infected emerge. Seok-woo turns back in horror, only to see that Su-an is in danger. A zombie is closing in on her fast. He races toward her, but just as the zombie is about to strike, a burly man named Sang-hwa suddenly appears and slams his elbow into the zombie, saving Su-an in the nick of time.
In the mayhem, Seok-woo is separated from his daughter and forced to flee in a different direction. He soon finds himself alongside Sang-hwa and a young baseball player named Yong-guk. Realizing that they all have loved ones to protect, they form an uneasy alliance, working together to fight their way through the zombies and reunite with Su-an, In-gil, the homeless man, Seong-kyeong (Sang-hwa’s pregnant wife), and Jin-hee (a girl close to Yong-guk). However, just when they think they have a chance at safety, they are faced with another problem. Yong-suk, a selfish and powerful businessman, has taken control of one of the train cars. Fearing that the newcomers may be infected, he orders the other passengers to block the door, refusing to let them in.
The decision proves fatal, as it forces the group to fight against an overwhelming horde of zombies for far too long. Despite their efforts, Sang-hwa and In-gil are unable to escape. Sang-hwa bravely holds back the zombies for as long as he can, giving Seok-woo and the others a chance to force their way into the car. Overcome with rage, Seok-woo punches Yong-suk in the face, furious at his cowardice. However, even after making it inside, they find no welcome—rather than being relieved to see fellow survivors, the passengers treat them with suspicion and fear. Ultimately, they are cast out and forced to relocate to the front of the train, left to fend for themselves.
As if it can't get any worse, Seok-woo receives a devastating call from his associate, Kim. He learns that his very own company is partially responsible for the virus that has turned the country into a nightmare. The realization is overwhelming, and for the first time in years, he breaks down, crying. But there is little time to process his guilt. Moments later, the train comes to an abrupt stop at East Daegu Station, and the conductor announces that he will be switching locomotives in an attempt to keep the train running toward Busan. Seeing an opportunity for survival, Seok-woo, Su-an, and the others leave the car and head toward the new locomotive.
However, tragedy strikes again. As they make their way forward, a violent collision causes one of the train cars to tip over, trapping Seok-woo, Su-an, Seong-kyeong, and the homeless man underneath it. Worse yet, the car itself is packed with zombies, and the glass holding them back is on the verge of shattering. Thinking quickly, Seok-woo finds an opening and takes Su-an and Seong-kyeong to safety, the glass finally gives way. Without hesitation, the homeless man sacrifices himself, using his own body to hold the zombies back just long enough for the others to escape.
The remaining three survivors rush toward the conductor’s locomotive, the last hope they have of making it to Busan alive. They manage to climb aboard, but as the train moves forward, another disaster unfolds—hordes of zombies begin clinging onto the locomotive, slowing it down. Seok-woo, determined to shake them off, stomps and kicks at their hands, doing everything in his power to prevent them from pulling the train to a halt. After a long struggle, the zombies finally begin to lose their grip, falling one by one onto the tracks. Just as they think they are safe, they notice a final threat approaching—the infected version of Yong-suk.
Still clinging to the last remnants of his humanity, Yong-suk cries out for help, claiming that he doesn’t want to die. But his infection is too far gone. As he turns fully into a zombie, he lunges at the group, and Seok-woo barely manages to stop him before he can harm Seong-kyeong or Su-an. In the struggle, however, Seok-woo is bitten. Knowing that he has only minutes before he turns, he acts quickly. He throws Yong-suk off the train and locks Su-an and Seong-kyeong inside the cabin, explaining to Seong-kyeong how to stop the locomotive when they reach Busan. Then, kneeling down, he looks into his daughter’s tearful eyes and tells her that no matter what happens, she must stay with Seong-kyeong. He reassures her, promising that Busan will be safe.
Su-an, however, refuses to let him go. She clings to his hand, sobbing, begging him not to leave her. But Seok-woo knows that there is no other way. He gently releases her fingers and steps back, closing the door behind him. As he walks to the back of the train, the virus begins to take over him. In the last minutes of his life he thinks about Su-an's birth - about the day when he first picked her up. A bittersweet smile appears on his lips and then, before the infection can strip him of his humanity, he takes one last step off the edge of the train and falls off.
Trivia[]
- He was the last person that got infected as a zombie in the film.
- The reason why Seok-woo jumped off the locomotive is because he didn't want to infect Su-an and Seong-kyeong.
- After he fell from the train, he is most likely near east Busan's train tracks as a zombie.
- Seok-woo's ex-wife was never seen during the movie once, especially in the last moments of the memories at the end.
- 5 years later and another 4 years later, he is played by the same actor who played The Recruiter in Squid Game.