STRONG GIRL NAM-SOON
MONGOLIA
Meet last year's champion, Baatar!
And here is his opponent,
Tsetseg!
Fight!
-Tsetseg! -Tsetseg!
EPISODE 1 BIRTH OF THE STRONG GIRL
SEOUL, YEAR 2013
I wonder if Nam-soon
is doing well.
You lost her when she was at a tender age.
I'm to blame.
I shouldn't have taken her to Mongolia.
Who knew that'd be our last moment together?
But at least you have these photos of her
to keep her alive in your memory.
She can't stay as a memory. I must find her.
Speaking of which,
please write up a decent piece.
-She might be in Korea. -Of course.
Does your daughter have any distinctive characteristics?
She's strong.
Find the world's strongest girl.
CEO HWANG GEUM-JU
Ms. Hwang, I have an idea.
How about we host a strength contest for girls all over the world
between the ages of 12 and 15?
A prize pool of a billion won
will get people talking,
and we can expect a huge turnout.
Hey, Kim Nam-gil.
You may be a ditz, but you do have moments of brilliance.
This is why I keep you around.
Thank you.
What a spectacular idea.
She won't be hard to find if we limit it to girls of Asian descent.
Since she's your daughter, she'll be a Korean girl with dark hair.
Right.
She could've left Mongolia by now.
Why didn't I think of that?
She only needs to be alive somewhere in this world.
That's all I'm asking for.
If it can lead to finding my daughter,
I'd gladly give up all I have, down to my organs.
I'd even give my soul to whoever finds her.
If only that could be me.
You're dismissed.
Yes, ma'am.
Nam-soon.
We will now take a photo of this year's winner, Tsetseg.
Please look this way.
One, two, three.
She has a genetic trait that makes her extremely strong?
That's how her family is.
It's passed down among women.
Just how strong is she?
Her strength is immeasurable.
There's no knowing what'll happen if one tries to measure it.
All the women in her family
have incredible strength like you've never seen before.
I present you with an heirloom that has been passed down for generations.
It is the polearm that my ancestor wielded
while sparring with Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Yi Sun-sin?
During the exam he took to become a military official,
he sparred with my ancestor.
However,
Admiral Yi Sun-sin came out as the victor.
Of course.
The sly Admiral Yi Sun-sin chose to wield a wooden sword
while my ancestor
fought with this polearm
made of steel.
Because wood is light, you can create a longer blade.
But with steel…
you can't because it'd be too heavy.
In the end,
not being smart enough
cost my ancestor the fight with sly Yi Sun-sin.
In other words, the polearm didn't belong to Yi Sun-sin himself.
That's true.
Do you have any proof, whether official or unofficial,
to show that they sparred?
-You don't, do you? -No, I do not.
So?
You must
give me your utmost trust.
Look into my eyes.
Can't you sense the truth behind them?
Save it.
Anyway, you're claiming this is from the Joseon Dynasty.
An expert appraiser comes by my pawn shop every Wednesday.
Leave the item here.
We'll talk again after its appraisal.
Please!
I desperately need cash.
My wife's having her surgery tomorrow.
Could I get at least five million won for now?
Please. My poor wife!
Take the polearm with you
and bring it back on Wednesday.
Open the safe.
Open up the safe right now!
If you don't want to die, that is.
I bet you made up that story about Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Did you think it was true, dumbass?
What? "Dumbass"?
What did you just call me?
A dumbass?
You should be on your knees for the advance I gave you…
That hurts!
How dare you call me a dumbass?
Back in third grade, a classmate called me a dumbass
for not being able to memorize the times tables.
That brat's name was Heo Tae-yeong.
Ever since then, I've loathed anyone with that surname.
Meanwhile, your issue is this mouth that spits lies.
The same goes for this brain that cooked up a story about Yi Sun-sin.
What's wrong?
Is your foot stuck?
Where do I send you first? The hospital or the police station?
The dentist.
Why you…
Aren't you forgetting something?
Take him with you, you douchebag.
The women in her family are born with supernatural strength.
It has been passed down for over 500 years.
They now presume
that the superpower comes from an X chromosome anomaly.
So how did you end up marrying Ms. Hwang?
Back then,
she ran a hangover soup restaurant, not a pawnshop.
HWANG GEUM-JU'S SEONJI HANGOVER SOUP
Gather around.
One, two,
three, four…
Listen up.
Use this money to keep taking cabs until 3 p.m.
Make sure to get off before the meter hits 4,000 won.
The number of rides will determine your daily wage.
Keep telling the cab driver
that this restaurant serves the tastiest hangover soup.
-Go, Hwang Geum-ju's Seonji Hangover Soup! -Go, Hwang Geum-ju's Seonji Hangover Soup!
Go.
She has the ability to detect what will rake in money.
Every business she opens becomes a gold mine.
I was a bank teller at the time.
My job was to collect the daily cash generated
at Hwang Geum-ju's Seonji Hangover Soup.
Bong-go.
I've always wondered.
Which is it that you loved,
money or my big sister?
Back then,
my dream was to travel and take photos.
I was sick and tired of my job.
The smell of money disgusted me.
And that's when…
Marry me.
I must
give birth to a girl.
I have a bloodline to continue.
You need to put in the work.
I will.
That being said,
why not quit your job and be a stay-at-home dad?
Oh, my.
Be a househusband and let me provide for you.
I'll give you the good life.
I won't make false promises about treating you like a princess.
Still,
I will never do anything that'll wring tears from your eyes.
Your dream is to be a photographer, right?
I'll support you in fulfilling that dream.
My dear Bong-go,
you take the snaps
and I'll make the stacks.
Geum-ju!
Tonight,
I'm not letting you
go home.
The bed's in an odd place.
This isn't ideal either.
This is the spot.
It's more balanced.
I must've startled you.
There's something you need to know about me.
I'm…
quite strong.
It runs in the family.
Let me…
take charge tonight.
The women in this family seem to run wild at the age of 22.
They can't contain themselves.
Maybe it's a trait all the women in her family have.
Anyway, I got caught up in her ways
and gave her a son as well as a daughter.
And for giving her a daughter,
she showed her appreciation by getting me a designer watch.
Now for the highlight of the party.
It's time for the doljabi ceremony.
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY
Nam-in will choose his object first.
Nam-in, go ahead.
-Go on. -What will Nam-in choose?
He chose the rice cake. Give it up for Nam-in!
Next up is Nam-soon.
Which object will Nam-soon choose?
Guys, look this way. And go!
That's really high.
Nam-soon wasn't just my daughter.
She was also my muse.
That's why I took her to Mongolia
when I went there to take photos of the stars.
I wanted to capture some special moments with her.
But then…
Nam-soon!
And just like that,
-I lost Nam-soon. -Nam-soon!
Was that the event that triggered your divorce
from Ms. Hwang?
There was no other way to make up for my wrongdoing.
Where on earth could Nam-soon be?
Does she even remember that Nam-soon is her name?
Mom, Dad.
The invincible giant Tsetseg!
Our daughter sure is strong.
Mom, Dad, why am I so strong?
We don't know.
We couldn't find out where you came from.
I want to know who I am and where I'm from.
You were riding Ppappa when we first saw you.
You couldn't have been more than five or six years old.
A horse is coming this way.
Honey, take a better look.
A young child is on its back.
It's a little girl.
They're coming toward us.
And she's crying.
I'll go and take a look.
Papa.
Papa…
What's wrong, little one?
"Ppappa"? What does she mean?
Is that the horse's name?
-Look how pretty she is. -Papa.
-It's fate. -Papa.
This girl must be a gift from above.
This is what you were wearing when you first came to us.
MADE IN KOREA
THEY GIVE UP HIDING IN THE WASHING MACHINE
Get it some other time.
That's how it's usually done.
Hey, don't come out.
Hold on a second. I have something to say.
Wait. Don't come out!
How is it that those Korean men look so pretty like flowers?
They make me want to protect them. Korean men are my type.
I'm Gangnam style
Gangnam style
-I'm Gangnam style -Style
I'm Gangnam style
-Gangnam style… -I'm Gangnam style
-Gang Nam-soon! -Nam-soon!
Gang Nam-soon!
Nam-soon!
Gang Nam-soon.
I'm sure I'm from Korea.
My name is Gang Nam-soon.
I have to go to Korea.
To Korea?
Don't worry though.
I'm not leaving right away.
If I leave now, it will make it hard on the family.
I'll shepherd more sheep so I can earn money
and learn Korean first.
Giyeok.
Nieun.
Ga.
Na.
Da, ra, ma, ba, sa,
ah, ja, cha, ka, ta, pa, ha.
-Ga, na, da, ra, ma, ba, sa -Ga, na, da, ra, ma, ba, sa
-Ah, ja, cha, ka, ta, pa, ha -Ah, ja, cha, ka, ta, pa, ha
-There is so much I wish to say -There is so much I wish to say
-But the song is too short -But the song is too short
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…
Nam-soon.
I hope you're safe and well.
Hey, Dad.
You're all grown up now.
It's time you went to Korea.
Head to Korea before it's too late.
I'm worried about leaving you and Mom behind.
Don't worry about us. Just get married first.
Then leave with your husband. That way, I'll worry less.
Dad.
I'm going to marry a Korean man.
So you'll find both your roots and your other half there?
That's right.
I'm going to find the purest man in the world.
A man I wish to protect. I will find him no matter what…
-in Korea. -In Korea.
And now,
we'll commence the final event for the Tenth Annual Strength Contest.
Stage One! Ready!
Three,
two, one.
Very good.
Stage Two! Ready!
Three,
two, one.
Lastly, Stage Three! Ready!
40 KG
Five, four,
three, two, one.
No!
Congratulations to contestant number seven!
Nam-soon.
How impressive was that?
This is the first time in the ten-year history of this contest
that a contestant managed to carry a weight of 120 kg!
-Do you think she's your daughter? -No.
What makes you so sure?
I just am.
I'd recognize her in a heartbeat.
JUDGES
I'm from Yanbian.
What is your name?
It's Ri Hwa-ja.
Hwa-ja?
How about we talk in private?
So…
will I receive the prize money for winning the contest?
Of course.
THE SEARCH FOR THE STRONGEST WOMAN ON EARTH
1ST PLACE: 500 MILLION WON
Hwa-ja.
What's your blood type?
It's type B.
That's right.
My blood is type B and Mr. Gang's is type O.
When did you move to Yanbian?
I came on a boat from Mongolia
when I was five.
So you were five years old
when you were brought to Yanbian from Mongolia?
That's right.
Where have you been living all these years?
I stayed at an orphanage until 16
and have been living alone since.
What do you do for a living?
I didn't have much of an education and all I had was my strength,
so I worked as a laborer at construction sites in Yanbian.
You've been working in manual labor?
Yes, that's right.
But…
it seems I'm the only one eating.
The food's delicious.
I feel bad eating by myself.
Here.
Please have some,
Mother.
Hwa-ja.
I mean, Nam-soon.
How old…
are you now?
I'm 22.
Eat up.
It's me.
Come to Sanctus right away.
Mr. Gang,
I think…
we found our daughter.
Bring Nam-in, my mom, and Geum-dong as well.
We all have to eat dinner anyway.
Did they really find their daughter?
The blood type's a match,
but Mr. Gang isn't convinced.
A DNA test will quickly give them answers.
Because of the X chromosome anomaly that runs in the women of that family,
DNA tests never yield accurate results.
A test is virtually impossible.
How peculiar.
Who knew such a bloodline existed?
I truly hope they find their daughter.
I'm exhausted as it is.
Thanks to the decade-old Strength Contest,
the whole world knows about the search for Gang Nam-soon.
But the fact she hasn't shown up yet makes it pretty obvious.
She must be dead.
You know,
that girl today was super strong.
She held 120 kg worth of sandbags on her two arms
and stood strong.
Could that girl from Yanbian really be Gang Nam-soon?
She could be.
Just how strong are the women in this family?
It's never been revealed.
They don't want it published on paper.
LET'S MEET SOMEDAY
What should I do if boys fight over me?
I don't want a war, you know.
Ppappa.
You two are a couple, aren't you?
Let's go. It's time for dinner.
Let's eat.
Here you go.
Thanks.
Geum-dong,
shall I cut it for you?
I don't have the strength for this.
Here.
It's this way.
This is your room.
So do you really think she's Nam-soon?
I'm sure of it.
She's Nam-soon.
Hey, do some more digging!
Nam-soon's characteristics
and how you lost her were run in newspapers for ten years.
Remember what lengths you went to
when they said they'd stop writing about her?
You bought the newspaper.
HAVE YOU SEEN OUR DAUGHTER?
Anyone could fabricate a backstory
based on the information found in those newspapers.
How would you explain her strength?
Only a woman of our bloodline could be that strong.
What she showcased wasn't conclusive enough.
Maybe arm-wrestling with Mom--
Her age and blood type are the same.
Is it a coincidence she moved from Mongolia to Yanbian
at the age of five?
There's a small scar
on the sole of Nam-soon's foot.
When she was four, she jumped off the rooftop
and injured her foot on a branch.
I told you countless times to watch over the kids at home.
Why did you let her get hurt?
I didn't say anything because I knew you'd react this way.
It makes sense. Nam-soon loved being high up.
That's why she often jumped from rooftops.
She was like that. He's right.
Why didn't you tell me?
Our daughter was badly hurt.
What was the point?
You were busy making money,
and I had to do all the housework and look after the kids.
What difference would that have made?
My point exactly!
What was so hard about looking after two kids at home?
I'll say it since we're on the subject.
I told you not to take Nam-soon to Mongolia!
Why did you take her there?
Both Nam-soon and Nam-in needed me by their sides.
It's not like you ever spent time with them.
Did you know that Nam-soon eats the tops of strawberries?
Are you aware that Nam-in is addicted to carbs?
Bong-go, only a fool would miss that.
Why do you think he stuffs himself like a pig?
He lacks motherly love.
He craves affection.
He figured being fat would generate some attention.
Dad!
How could you? I'm right here, you know.
Nam-soon went missing!
Of course I wasn't in my right mind.
Still, feeding him nonstop is what made him this way.
This is on you, Mom.
Fine, I'm sorry. I fed him too much.
Why am I suddenly the focus of this conversation?
It's making me uncomfortable.
Enough!
It's irreversible now!
Whether that girl is Nam-soon or not should be our priority.
That's what matters now, all right?
Now, sit!
You too.
Gosh, all that yelling.
-My head's spinning. -She isn't Nam-soon.
How can you be so adamant that she isn't Nam-soon?
Call it my sharp intuition.
Sharp, my foot.
She doesn't look anything like Nam-soon as a kid.
She's had it rough!
The poor girl.
Nam-soon has clear eyes.
She gets her beautiful eyes from you.
Ex-brother-in-law,
are you still in love with Geum-ju?
-As if! -As if!
As if.
Whatever.
Anyway,
I'm accepting her as Nam-soon,
so that's that.
Hi,
my name is Gang Nam-soon.
Gang Nam-soon.
Where on earth is Gangnam, though?
It's not too late.
It's not too late…
to make things right.
I can't believe it.
She's Nam-soon.
She's my daughter Nam-soon.
Nam-soon.
Mother?
Nam-soon.
Nam-soon!
Let's eat.
The sound of both of my kids eating
is music to my ears.
Khorkhog?
Gosh, it's khorkhog. What's the occasion?
We sold all our sheep today.
Today's your last day in Mongolia.
Ppappa.
Ppappa?
Ppappa…
Ppappa?
Ppappa.
It's time to bid Ppappa farewell.
Ppappa waited until you were leaving for Korea.
Ppappa.
Ppappa…
GANGHAN POLICE PRECINCT
We will always be here, praying for you.
If things get tough, come back home at any time.
Mom.
This will help locate your birth mother.
How do you feel?
Please make her as pretty as you can.
Shall we try that place?
So tiny and cute.
Maybe the pink one?
Nam-soon.
Live your life however you want now
because this is all yours.
Let's go.
Haven't I made myself clear to you?
It's just not possible.
Please loan me the money just one more time.
We can't issue any more loans.
You've already visited us several times this week.
Pay back your previous loan first, and then we'll talk.
But…
-Ms. Hwang. -Ms. Park.
Please lend me ten million won.
I'll give you the rights to my street food vendors.
But how will you make a living without your business?
What's going on?
-Lend her the money. -But Ms. Hwang,
she liquidated every asset of hers during this past month.
-So give her the money. -Yes, ma'am.
Here.
Is this not the place?
Please step out.
Requesting seizure of a black sedan with the plate number Seoul M3490.
Who are you?
A cop?
As if.
Who the heck is that lady?
-Hey, newbie! -Welcome back.
I'm back.
Hwang Dae-cheol, Min Byeong-hun.
My goodness.
Good job, Hee-sik.
-I'm not the one who caught them. -Sir!
We have intel of a mule on board an 11 p.m. flight from Mongolia.
They'll be landing soon.
Contact the Incheon DIU.
Got it.
Young-tak and I will head to the airport.
Okay, let's go.
-We'll get going. -Good luck.
Hello.
Please fasten your seat belts.
We can't be sure how it's being transported.
It could be in the form of a snack or even a soft toy.
Anything can be drugs in disguise.
Plastic bottles, crayons,
tissue, stationery, candies, and other miscellaneous items,
including makeup, should be inspected.
Yes?
Got it.
They started the inspections.
We promise you a safe flight. Please enjoy your time.
Is safety your priority?
Sorry?
I, for one, prefer speed.
Hello, officers.
Here you go.
I'm Inspector Lee of the Incheon DIU. The plane lands in five minutes.
Got it. Five minutes.
This is the control tower.
An issue detected on the Air Mong flight arriving at 10:45 p.m.
The aircraft is about to land but isn't slowing down.
Nam-soon.
You must be exhausted. You should get some sleep.
I'm fine.
Is that me in those photos?
Yes.
It's definitely me.
Really?
Do you have any childhood photos?
Not anymore.
I only have them in my memories.
You must not have a driver's license.
Let's get you one.
I'll buy you a car.
As your mom, I'll give you everything you want.
But for now, let's get to bed.
I'm curious though.
Just how strong was I as a kid?
Come here.
For over 500 years,
the women in our family have been born with supernatural strength.
Out of all of them, you were the most unique.
There's a good chance you don't know your true potential.
Just how strong was I?
At the age of five,
you flipped a car.
But that wasn't all.
Is everything all right?
Not only were you strong,
but also you had great speed and jumping abilities.
What just happened?
My goodness.
SPECIAL THANKS TO KIM WON-HAE
STRONG GIRL NAM-SOON
I'm here.
Let's do this!
-Are you Mongolian? -I'm a Gangnam person.
Either way, these will be confiscated.
-Not this. -That's up to us to decide.
All con artists are nice to their marks.
Are you saying I was conned?
This isn't what I dreamed of.
Have you eaten? I looked for you all day.
My daughter is currently in Korea.
She's somewhere close. I can feel it.
Did you look into Hwa-ja?
She seemed to be cooking something up.
How should I deal with her?
Observe quietly.
Are you going to help me find my mom?
I keep my promises.
Could that cop's disguise be any lousier?
I know. Blame our budget.
Move your car!
No way. You move your car instead!
This won't end until we lock up
those high up in the food chain.
It becomes a new synthetic drug.
Even 1 g of this will instantly kill you.
I must protect it from crimes.
Why are you taking it upon yourself to disrupt the ecosystem?
There's a lot in this world that I must take care of.
Go here if you wish to change the world.
It only grants access to special people.
Subtitle translation by: Hye-lim Park