Original subtitles

In 2017, someone took a candle to the streets.

50,000 people in the first week,

then 300,000 the following week, a million a week later.

[With my stupid friend lol] [This pic looks hot]

Frigid weather couldn't stop this movement, [1 million candles strong!]

and 16,852,360 people marched the streets in four months.

[Together in Hope]

This figure equates to a third of South Korea's total population.

It resulted an impeachment of the sitting president,

and the globally renowned (bleeped) corporation

publicly apologized for its suspected ties

to the presidential corruption.

These events became global news,

with some portraying it as a battleground of democracy,

and others likening it to a nation still at Civil War.

There were also areas of concern.

But there is something no media outlets in the world paid attention to:

"Who was the first to start the candlelight vigil?"

[This story is based on true events.]

[It is a reconstruction of events between 1992 and 2023 based on tips and testimonies.]

[In order to avoid legal issues such as defamation and infringement of honor,]

[characters and organizations' names have been changed, but the rest are all factual.]

The candlelight vigil call-for-action post first appeared online in 1992.

So, it was exactly 31 years ago.

Back then, it took a full minute to go online, and

once connected, the home phone line was useless.

Despite that, users of the travel BBS reached nearly 5,000.

This BBS grew so big thanks to the admin who had vast travel knowledge.

The admin's user name was "Deavil". [Admin: Deavil]

But no one knew he was a 16-year-old teen.

Are you gonna fool around on the computer all day?!

You little punk.

- Our phone line's busy all day! - I just turned it on!

Have you ever heard of "PC communication"?

It's a service in which users share information over phone lines.

This will become a paid service as early as next month.

Then one day,

a large economic journal bought up the entire free

internet network, and announced its monetization.

If we have to pay, I'm gonna cut off the computer.

Dammit!

You punk, where's your manners at the dinner table!

The largest shareholder of this journal was (bleeped) Group,

the leading company representing the Federation of Korean Industries.

FKI is a federation in which only the top 20 corporations are admitted,

and most of them owned media outlets to control the public opinion,

and for this reason, the politicians are in

their pockets like so many nickels and dimes.

From now on, I'll refer to (bleeped) Group as "Manjun".

In order to avoid a defamation suit, my hands are tied.

Anyway, no one in Korea could touch them. [Manjun to be Growth Platform For Economy]

But Deavil was confident that he could fight anyone and win,

even though he did not know his foe.

[Coughs]

Boy! Tear gas doesn't bother you?!

Back then, the symbol of protest was a Molotov cocktail.

- Boy, you're addicted to computers! - But he found something even more symbolic.

I'm gonna tell your dad and throw out that computer!

Just wait and watch. [Coughs]

This was the world's first candlelight vigil.

Excuse me, are you Deavil by any chance?

Yes.

But not many people gathered.

Internet at the time was much too slow.

[Keep Internet Free]

A month later, PC communication became a paid service,

and Deavil's BBS shut down for good.

Then 24 years later,

the one who raised the first candlelight was Mr. Lee Sung-cheol.

He was the organizer of the festival, [Candlelight Culture Festival]

and former admin of the BBS "Over the Mountains".

[Candlelight Culture Festival]

And the one who created the vigil website to gather people

was Lee Sung-cheol's brother, Lee Sung-wook.

Sung-wook was said to have been influenced heavily by his brother.

[Raise the Candlelight...]

In the end, a middle school student brought 16,852,360 people to the streets.

It's because the internet was fast enough.

[Manjun Issues Apology]

And the global powerhouse, Manjun, finally came forward publicly to apologize.

[Protest sounds]

I personally investigated these, putting my journalistic integrity on the line.

That's right, I'm a journalist.

And this story started with this man's tip.

[Sobbing]

Woosung Data was a mid-sized corp,

and it was the only vendor to compete for the next-gen Hi-Pass transponder.

- No problem? - No.

Are you ready?

Yes.

Exclusive rights worth $50M in annual revenue was on the line.

[Car engine sounds]

A week before the test,

the highway authority raised the operating speed to 150km/h for safety reasons,

but Woosung did not object.

- No problem? - All good.

Woosung's technology allowed speed of up to 300.

[Standby for Signal]

[Signal Detected] Test ready to go, test ready to go.

We're pretty confident about this, may we raise the speed to 250?

That's unnecessarily dangerous.

How about 200 then?

As you wish.

Let's go with 200! 200!

[Car engine sounds]

What? [Signal Undetected]

Signal failure!

What happened?

Frequency dropped off.

How so?

Let's just get some lunch.

What happened? Did you mess something?

Hello, sir!

May we try it again with lower speed?

Sure, do that.

[Dramatic music]

In the end, Woosung failed the test.

Is everything okay?

And a vendor without tech who did not qualify to compete

passed the test and won the contract six months later.

This photo was taken at the track.

Yes?

These guys were jamming our frequency.

They're holding something.

Do you have another photo?

I barely managed to get this!

I'm sure you feel wronged,

I'll investigate this further and give you a call later.

It took five years to develop this tech!

How could a vendor without any tech develop it in six months,

ask anyone around, this is impossible!

So, I'll look into it myself and give you a call.

That vendor is a Manjun subsidiary!

They stole my employees and my tech!

Manjun?

[Gyeongbu Expressway Hi-Pass Transponder Agreement]

As you know, it's harder to write an article about Manjun.

Have you talked to other journalists?

No.

No way.

I'm not saying I'll write the article, I just want to investigate...

I can't?

Why investigate something you won't write an article about?

- Did those tickets arrive? - If I find something, then I'll write.

Two tickets in the R section?

- Not S? - It's R.

It's because I met an informant, and he talked to other journalists already.

What if we sit on our asses and they get the scoop?

We'll miss the scoop. And this has potential for breaking news.

What are you blabbering about?

Did you even finish your last story?

That one is...

a bit too straight forward.

Then write it up straight.

And keep working hard, and become an editor-in-chief and write whatever.

Dismissed.

[Lim Sang-jin]

He's a journalist.

Yes.

Okay.

When one becomes a journalist, you see so many crazy stories.

But not all of them become articles.

An article is like a never-ending serialized novel.

They all seem like different stories, but have one common narrative and flow.

The basis of all stories is conflict.

Conflict with whom,

who is the hero, and who is the villian?

[Incoherent chatter]

The villian was the head official who shared data with.

Manjun contractors who interfered with Woosung's test and the competitor.

And the protagonist, Woosung's CEO, was left with a $4M debt.

[Foot steps]

[Dramatic music]

Have you ever leaked a secret that no one knows?

The thrill is exclusive to journalists.

The path of a journalist is dark and lonely.

But his courage changes the world.

[Small Corp Tech]

That is the mission of a journalist.

[Dramatic music]

[Shriek of Small Corp CEO After Spending $20M]

[Manjun's Rampant Exploitation!]

Who gave you permission to write this?

It was a scoop too good to miss...

I wanted to just post it online.

My praises really boosted your ego...

I investigated thoroughly and have evidence too.

- Real evidence? - Yes.

- Fact checked? - Yes.

Will you take the heat for it?

What do you mean?

Why? Scared?

No, I can take it.

This is exclusive.

No.

It's a special exclusive.

Mr. Park, the article is going to press in the morning.

No need to thank me.

I'm calling because other journalists will be calling you,

please ignore their calls.

No, no, just give them my name, and refuse interviews.

That's what you do.

Sir, you don't need to worry anymore.

Truly.

Our story will be plastered all over the country.

I understand, good night.

[Dramatic music]

[Phone Chimes]

[Shin Caught in Hotel Drug Party]

[Celeb Shin Yi-ho Arrested]

[Shin: "Will Pay for My Crimes."]

[Dramatic music]

You're lucky your story got buried by the celeb drug arrest.

Didn't expect this from you.

You messed up.

You and your frequency jammer...

Do these look like jamming equipment to you?

[Dramatic music]

They were apparently taking marketing photos!

You sure about this?

Why are you verifying that with me?

Go check those with your source.

If he changes his story now, you're in for a hell fire.

[Dramatic music]

[Sir, please answer my call.]

[Mr. Park?]

[Mr. Park?]

[Sobbing]

He was upbeat for a few days, saying the article will solve everything.

He said Manjun stole Woosung's propriety tech wholesale,

and said he felt a sense of injustice.

Have you heard anything about that?

- He was actually... - Yes?

He was on bad term with his employees.

He insinuated that we stole IP,

and said he'd do background checks...

And?

And?

Did he find the mole?

No, it was a different tech from the beginning.

He felt he was victimized.

[Crying]

Please stop crying!

I'm sorry...

[Crying]

[Dramatic music]

[You're a hack.]

[A small biz CEO reported a tip as a last-ditch effort...]

[Why did CEO who failed to win government contract commit suicide?]

[Fake News Leads to CEO's Suicide]

[Journalist Condemned for Leading Unstable Informant to Suicide]

[Hack AF.]

[He's selling fake news, he's a fantasy writer.]

[Hack's personal info dump]

[Name: Lim Sang-jin]

[Specialty: Fake news Attribute: Attention whore...]

[Dramatic music]

[Phone buzzing]

[Dramatic music]

You okay?

You're not at fault here, it's the desk's fault for not checking.

These people are smart they sued you instead of us.

What?

Manjun cared about him, I guess.

Don't worry, legal negotiated with them for correction.

I didn't do anything wrong then why correction?

Is your story bulletproof? Can you defend it from all sides?

That photo could've been fabricated!

How are we sure they didn't take it afterwards and send it to us?

Buddy.

Your story report got a man killed.

Please let me dig in further.

I'll get irrefutable evidence and write a follow-up.

They got dirt, I'm sure of it!

Take a sabbatical.

Sabbatical?

It's just for show, don't feel bad about it.

Take a leave of absence, prep properly, and come back with a follow-up.

[Journalist Lim Sang-jin]

[Die]

[I'm a journalist...] [Goodbye.]

[Hack]

[Social org demands punishment for reporter]

[Amoral journalist causes tragedy...]

[Manjun suing journalist] ["You wrote a novel instead?"]

[LOL The hack who killed a man?]

[He's got a punchable face.]

[Lawsuit!]

[Pooped out an article...]

[Impending lawsuit, suspension.]

[Boom!]

Hello there.

Hi!

- When did he get reinstated? - He got reinstated?

[Foot steps]

Visitor.

Please fill out this guest log, and your ID please.

[Guest Log]

[Incoherent chatter]

[Foot steps]

Yes.

[Door opens]

So, your 6-month sabbatical is up? [Editor-in-Chief Pyo Ha-jung]

Yes.

It's been 14 months.

But it's my predecessor who promised your reinstatement.

I didn't make that promise.

And you submitted a CV to another outlet recently.

Journalists have innately loose lips, there are no secrets.

You caused a big stink before your leave, can you explain what happened?

Yes, back then... it was a weird situation.

It actually wasn't a false report...

No? You must have felt wronged.

Why not a follow-up then? Did you try?

Um...no.

You didn't or couldn't?

Couldn't, ma'am.

Yeah, it's hard to write an article without a business card.

But I can't take in a journalist with a dirty rep.

At least while I'm here. You hear me?

[RE: Applying for City Desk - Lim Sang-jin]

[Your application has been rejected.]

[Manjun]

[Public Opinion Manipulation Process As Told by Manjun Troll Factory Staff]

[Douche bag]

[I'll fuck you up.]

Who the hell?

[Kang Ki-hyun]

[Hackroach]

[Malicious comments are Manjun's...]

[Malicious comments are Manjun's scheme to cover up their corruption.]

[Malicious comments are Manjun's scheme to cover up their corruption...]

[Cho Choon-go]

[Chung-ang U New Media Prof] [Yonsei U PoliSci BA, MA]

[I was deeply moved by my students' letters after the lecture...]

[Dramatic music]

[You read my message.]

[Dramatic music]

[Seoul, Sian-dong 235-11, Café New Zealand]

[Come and I'll tell you everything.]

[Up beat music]

[Do you have proof?]

[I do.]

[Up beat music]

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

My name is Lim Sang-jin.

Were you the one who sent me the message?

Do you use SNS?

Hello!

It was me.

I sent you that message.

Was it tough finding this place?

I'm sorry, there aren't any security cams nearby.

Would you like to drink?

Please take our orders.

Sorry for the theatrics, I thought you wouldn't come otherwise.

But he's a real journalism professor.

You got a death wish?

Didn't you find it weird that your article went viral?

Who reads articles like that nowadays?

It wasn't even interesting.

All the malicious comments were fake.

It just looked like it was a big deal to the media.

In reality, no one cared.

You brought me here to tell me that?

We were the first to create the manipulation tactic.

We manipulated the public opinion to stop you from reporting.

Your article wasn't false.

Woosung Data.

If you publish our story, we'll help you.

Why should I? Why would I do that?

I think you'll like our story.

[But in his eyes under the armor, darkness grew...]

[The Final Battle]

I was a writer who wrote online.

I was an amateur, but I kept writing.

Yo, come here!

Didn't hear?

I'm coming.

Look what's happening.

Yo, I'm not lying, can you hurry up?

Come on, man!

Shit...

-Hurry! -Hurry!

- Come on, man! - I'm coming!

Christ...

Get over here.

What?

- Come, come. - Why are you so slow? Get over here.

What? What is it this time?

All right, this chick has a ton of men, like really rich men.

It's not shown here...

but she's smoking hot.

Yeah?

The thing is, even if guys do everything and buy anything for her,

she will never date any of them, why?

That's how she keeps them under control.

And this photo here, this is her trying to get other girls jealous.

Write a caption that goes well with it.

Something sexy but also unlikeable,

blatant, yet subtle,

cool but not desperate,

in exactly two lines.

Are you simping?

Nope.

You so are, you're letting her take advantage of you?

- I said no. - Show us her face.

It's nothing like that, I paid a model for the shot.

What are you writing?

[I wanted to swim, and he brought me to the hotel pool.]

[Thought we were going to Ibiza when he picked me up.]

Damn, you really are a writer.

[...in a convertible.]

Re-post this on the video game forum you visit often.

What the shit? No way in hell.

[Coughs]

If I re-post something like this, I'll get banned.

I know, that's why I'm asking.

You said you got some clout.

That's why, this will get me the ban hammer.

You gotta do it to catfish.

Cat fishing isn't allowed.

Why are you throwing so many tantrums?

I will not catfish under any circumstance.

What will happen if you?

Are you hearing my words? or Are you dumb?

That photo costed me $300.

If that gets re-posted in 10 forums,

we get paid $3,000.

How the hell do you make $3,000 with that?

He's lying, you actually believe him?

You see that?

What is it?

That.

What?

Look at what?

So? What was it?

It was a new brand of cigarettes.

Advertising cigarettes is illegal.

So, cigarette companies resort to social media to show their logo.

To expose their logos naturally to everyone

they created judo, wrestling, boxing, and foot volleyball teams.

But who would watch sweaty athletes and think about cigarettes?

So, they wanted to start a new way of marketing.

With a sexy and sophisticated image. [Drama Queen needs her attention lol.]

Indirect and subtle. Beauty is also a capital.

[What's the Cigarette brand?]

And without breaking the law. [Showing off expensive shit.]

Do you think this is right?

Of course.

Don't you think there's so much money to be made?

[Is it a new brand?]

So, what's my cut?

My account is about to vanish.

Who takes risk without reward?

He went to get $3,000,

and came back with $4,000 for exceeding expectations.

Dude, we should do this properly for real.

It was just a one-time deal.

You said there's so much money to be made.

I didn't mean we should get in.

I said there's so much money to be made in this world.

But why did you quit your job?

He didn't quit, he was fired.

Fine, I got fired.

Let's give this a proper go, do it systematically.

It's not like you guys got better things to do.

- Going to waste all day? - Take it easy, man.

What the hell

Okay.

[User name Generator]

I'll be... [Generate]

PEpteK.

And you'll be...

ChAtTaTkat?

Kat?

Yeah, Kat.

And you're JjingForkKing.

FcukKing?

No, Fork.

JjingFuckKing.

That's a funny name.

We needed user names that can be pronounced, [Fuck...]

but ones that are hard to create with a combo of letters

and ones that will never overlap on any websites.

Why did you make user names in the first place?

To work freely.

We needed to stay anonymous, but retain minimal evidence.

That's why we did it like that.

So, you're PEpteK...

No, ChAtTaTkat.

A user name generator? Did you develop that?

Wait, I forgot to turn on my recorder.

Could you not record?

Why not?

I could be ID'd if my voice is analyzed.

Analyze your voice?

Journalists don't do that, we don't know how.

I know, I'm not worried about you.

Cops and other agencies can't recklessly request recording files.

There's a confidential informant protection law, so you don't need to worry.

I'm not talking about cops.

You think your story is very important, right?

All informants feel that way, they all suffered terrible injustice.

This world is full of so many surprising stories, but not all of them become articles.

Articles are like never-ending serialized novel.

I won't record then.

So just tell me your story.

After that, we got a call from a seasoned movie producer.

Apparently, everything he touched turned into shit, so he had a ton of debt.

My movie's budget is $4 million.

Does it sound a lot?

$4 million is--

It's a micro budget.

Right, micro.

Even small movies are made with $10 million.

And $2-3 million more for marketing.

Then they boast that so much money went into it, that's how they are budgeted.

Whenever they do that...

my movie only gets smaller.

I was told he was a pitiful man.

What little wish I have is,

I want my movie... to be watched by many people.

You came to the right place.

We're experts at that.

Is this by any chance illegal?

It's not.

Not sure if it's legal...

But it's not illegal.

Okay.

- Movie marketing? - Yeah.

That retard sobbed in front of me.

He did? Why did he sob?

Who the hell knows, retard.

- How much is he paying? - $40,000.

- $40,000? - Yeah.

- Forty-freaking-thousand? - Yeah.

Get lost, man, I ain't falling for that.

Why'd he pay you $40,000? He has no money, why would he do that?

You're so full of shit.

What do you know, this is a bargain.

They usually pay $2-3 million, so he's getting a good deal.

Give me that.

Won't?

Your tantrums have grown so much.

- For real? - 100%.

Why are you laughing?

You don't believe me.

Yeah?

Yo, you sleeping? We got a gig!

So, we went to watch Love Letter.

It was about a terminally ill woman, a sad, beautiful and...

Wow, this is boring as fuck!

Super long.

Dude, what do we do?

This should be fun.

No use talking to him.

He is crazy.

This is gonna be hard...

Why are you so serious?

[Dramatic music]

A big-budget movie was playing at the same time.

- That was incredible! - It was crazy!

So, I came up with a new idea.

[A Model Prosecutor]

I was poor, but I had a dream.

Where are you? Hurry up with the body.

I'm on my way.

I was willing to do anything to achieve that dream.

My dream was to put my name in this movie's end credit.

The one who dreams, and the one without a dream, who's crazier in this world?

Listen.

A body fell back there.

The set of A Model Prosecutor was absurd, and killed my spirit.

We're about to shoot.

I'm almost there, I'm close.

I was like the limbless body I carried on the set.

Dammit!

What are you doing?

Where are you?

Answer me.

Set! Ready! All-unit!

Ready! Action!

That's how I lost my dream.

No point coming now. Go back!

Just go home, moron!

And I have not been paid $3,400 in salary.

One minute.

Doesn't this feel a bit weak?

Who was that guy, what's his name, that actor?

Let's just say he bullied.

He's got a bad rep too.

No way, way too cheesy.

That's why it'll work, it won't be easy to make excuses.

No, it's good as is.

Be quiet, be quiet.

"I want to stop the pain."

Even in my dreams, this industry haunts me.

I don't even have the money for rent and phone bills.

I may have lost my dream, but I want my money.

"Please pay me $3,400 you owe."

Shit, that's so sad.

Okay, title.

"Heavily debated post from a private group for filmmakers."

Post this to movie forums.

No, no, no.

Instead of movie forums, how about political

forums that social justice warriors frequent?

Good, you're a genius.

Then change that movie set staff to...

film industry...

laborer, yeah that.

- Done? - Yeah, it's good.

Should we post?

- What are you doing? - What's up?

You don't just post it, gotta capture it and post the image.

- Why? - So that it'll be easily shared.

Eh? How did you know?

Those guys were so smart in that regard.

So, you spread wild rumors to bomb the competition?

Yes.

When it bombs, screens would be shared among small movies,

and that we'd be doing a good thing.

That actually worked?

That movie's about a rich heir

engaging in bullying and battling against a righteous prosecutor.

Pretending to be kind, and triumphing over evil.

But what if the filmmakers were bullies to begin with?

Wouldn't it make the audience uncomfortable to watch it?

That's what we thought. [This is a serious allegation.]

We weren't completely making stuff up. [Cancelled my tic.]

There were too many stories like that online.

My boys said it once,

"It's neither the whole truth, nor the whole lie.

So, they'll be scared to act rashly."

[Statement To Our Fans] Hey, it's up.

Yeah?

[Hello, this is Roll Pictures.]

[We would like to provide information regarding unpaid wages for film crew.]

They posted it as a statement?

They looked for the guy, and released it after realizing he doesn't exist.

Morons.

If they didn't do anything wrong, why bother apologizing?

Should I post this on a movie forum or send it to the media?

What difference does it make?

Post it on the forum, it'll go viral automatically.

Okay.

I can't believe it.

[Statement To Our Fans...]

[How to write an apology letter lol]

[Latest update on "that" movie]

[LOL didn't do anything wrong, but they'll still apologize?]

[There's a victim, but no perpetrator...]

[They went on and on, now off to jail.]

[Controversy over Unpaid Wages, Signaling Box Office Bomb?]

[Torrented it, no fun.]

[Death penalty for torrenting, look away for unpaid wages...]

[Screw this movie, spread the word.]

Guys, I think we're too good at this.

When we get paid, let's expand and do this for real.

What are you on about?

That's how you start a career, you don't know shit.

It'd be perfect to get a job with this.

I wish I could use this experience somewhere...

You gotta do something with your slave mentality.

Yeah, let's set this up properly, this is really fun.

What's with you too?

He's having fun after years of negative comments.

On that amateur writer site?

Shut up.

You're getting bullied over there like a celebrity.

Will you shut up?

How do you hold it all in?

Goddammit...

Dude, take us with you to the meeting to get paid.

Why?

[Incoherent chatter]

You said it was a bargain, maybe we'll get paid more.

[Incoherent chatter]

No way.

Hey, hey.

It wasn't $40,000, right?

- What a load of shit. - Spill it.

Tell me!

You're all crazy.

Where are you running?

[Indistinct chatter]

Let us come!

Is this real?

Serious, man?

Feel it.

So that story about the unpaid staff...

You made it all up?

Yes.

But I heard he's someone I know...

[Laughter]

Who could that be, sir?

We were originally going to just get the user ratings up,

I didn't like the method, so we changed it up.

This is one of the popular marketing methods.

A competitor was terrorized so that my film can benefit?

- Yes. - Yup.

Do you realize that you're making me feel incredibly humiliated right now?

My film too.

So you won't pay us.

How dare you barge in here and try to intimidate me?

If you don't pay us, we'll report you to the police.

[Scoffs]

I think you're the one bound for jail.

Go on, call the police, should I?

I just recorded this conversation.

I got evidence.

You're bound for jail one way or another, wanna get it over with?

[Spits]

[Dramatic music]

You said he's a pushover.

[Dramatic music]

How can you be sure that it failed over one baseless online rumor?

I saw it too, I thought it was going to fail regardless.

That was a rubbish film.

[Yeah? Victory of Small Story! [Interview With Founder of Tomato Film]

I'm not so sure about that.

It could've been a coincidence?

Well, maybe. [A Model Prosecutor, Drops in 2nd Week]

[Failure to Overcome Wage Controversy]

[Dramatic music]

[movie a model prosecutor]

[commenting part time job]

[Dramatic music]

[Public Opinion Manipulation Process As Told by Manjun Troll Factory Staff]

[Dramatic music]

[Full-time employee?]

[Dramatic music]

[Same place, tomorrow 8 p.m.]

[You believe me now?]

[Bring your friends.]

[That's going to be tough...]

[Why?]

[I'll tell you in person.]

[Dramatic music]

It looked like it wasn't a coincidence...

that A Model Prosecutor failed.

You'll write about us then?

How did you three first meet?

At a club when we were young.

What kind of a club?

A fan club for Nakajima Minoru, a Japanese manga artist.

It was a tiny one of a dozen or so members.

It probably doesn't exist anymore.

By the way, what's your real name?

You haven't told me any of your real names.

Do I have to tell you?

No articles can be written without verifying the informant's name.

What if I give you a fake name?

You guys didn't accuse my article of being fake, right?

No, that wasn't us.

Then why will you tell me?

You said you would help me first.

It was the first time that I thought we could actually go to jail.

[Foot steps]

So, I was thinking of quitting.

[Door opens]

[Foot steps]

[Ominous music]

[Foot steps]

Damn...

Yeah...

[Laughter]

You want me to do what?

What do you want?

That's a bit excessive.

It doesn't make any sense.

Understood.

Came by yourself?

Worked with a cigarette company before?

How much did you get paid?

$5,000, right?

It was supposed to be $3,000, but ended up getting more, so $5,000.

Not really.

How much did you get paid this time?

I don't know what you're talking about.

He agreed to $40,000.

He stiffed you.

[Scoffs]

Did you know that tobacco company is still using your method?

Because of your film industry unpaid wages

post, a congressional office is prepping a bill.

Do you know how much money it costs to prep something like that?

You know...

It's like this...

I don't think you should sell yourself short.

You have no clue how much money you helped move.

Don't you want to work and be treated fairly from now on?

He wasn't a cop?

No, he said the man looked like someone from an agency.

Like Fed.

Federation?

I've never met one, so, I'm not quite sure, but he said the man had that aura.

So what?

What's the job now?

No different than what we've been doing.

Who were they?

Don't know, he wouldn't say.

Money?

Is he gonna pay up?

He looked loaded.

How can we trust you?

What if he back stabs us like the last time?

No way.

He felt completely different.

And it looked like he was trying to test us.

What test?

He didn't literally say that. It just felt like that.

Then do they know about us?

Yeah, I think so.

Then this could be dangerous.

Let's do it.

Do it?

You said it's like a test.

And we'll get paid.

Hey, do you know what we've been doing?

A blockbuster failed because of us.

And someone else made millions off our work.

But we're ghosts.

And you said they know about us.

Someone finally recognized our work, and we just call it quits?

Huh?

Do it, no matter what.

But leave evidence at all costs.

Isn't that enough?

The new gig was unlike anything we've tackled before.

Who is she?

Her name is Lee Eun-chae.

She may look like an ordinary, social media-addicted college girl,

but she's not ordinary at all.

How so?

Her dad is social activist Lee Yong-chan, who holds a record for one-man protest.

A record? There's a record for protests?

Rain or shine, he's been protesting every day for over 9 months.

He's become quite a renowned social activist because of that.

Eun-chae was supposedly influenced heavily by her dad.

She became her major rep, joined the student council,

and engage in social service activities, and even the college president knew her.

Everyone knew she wanted to become the student president.

She was very active and popular at first,

but she became even more famous for her flame wars on the school forum.

[I'm Lee Eun-chae. [I wrote the post to...]

[Hah revealing your name here?]

[So, the climate crisis is my fault?]

[If you don't get it, study.]

[Pathetically ignorant...]

She wants attention.

She posts so much on Instagram, but no real friends.

She had one but they aren't close.

[Dramatic music]

Huh, that's the friend?

So, what do we do with her?

The student election is two months away.

So?

We'll have to bait her like crazy until then.

Let's start with raising her followers and likes.

No comments just yet.

Don't be so forward, be natural.

I'll buy 1,000 fake accounts.

With what money?

And let's do it for real this time. If this goes south, we're in trouble.

This is the limit.

[Dramatic music]

[Follow]

[Follower]

[Dramatic music]

[Found this old photo!] [Too many photos to post ;)]

We can start commenting now.

[Dramatic music]

We began to praise her. [I can't believe someone like you exists!]

[I'll cheer for you!]

[Beautiful inside and outside!]

[Holy cow... I admire you, so pretty.]

[How are you so beautiful?]

[Goddess...]

[Stunning and beautiful.]

[World is improving thanks to people like you.]

[How do you maintain such a warm heart?]

[You're becoming more beautiful.]

[Absolutely stunning.]

You are doing great work without any greed.

What kind of comment is this?

It's a compliment.

How the hell is that a compliment?

It's slang from a popular chick gossip site.

You pretended to be hard at work, and surfed the web instead?

I was researching.

Why are you researching on a gossip site?

Morons.

How else should I research? On the street?

I stopped writing altogether and waited for Eun-chae to respond.

[Dramatic music]

Damn, she really loves attention.

[Wow, thank you :)]

And she started responding not long after that. [I'm not perfect either]

[Thank you]

[Dramatic music]

[Thanks... :3]

[You're even more beautiful!]

[Am I? Thanks.]

[We can make it happen.]

[Let's save the Earth by stop using single-use items!]

[Let's work together towards a sustainable Earth.]

[Your cheeks are so cute.]

[May the shared warmth of those who stand with you resonate well...]

[You're so hotter in person.]

So many of you said I'm pretty.

I'm not, but thank you!

Thank you very much.

Jesus...

I'm so embarrassed.

[I admire you!!]

[Please go live again soon.]

[Korea U goddess.jpg.]

Plaster this with the title "Korea U goddess" everywhere.

Just link her social on different sites.

Isn't that a bit much and all too sudden?

What is?

What if she comes to know?

Guys, she'll never suspect.

She was raised by a single dad after their divorce,

and she's doing all these social stuff because she's begging for daddy's approval.

She's desperate for recognition, I bet she's too drunk with attention.

Now you are a psychoanalyst too.

I know girls like her too well.

Trust me and follow my lead.

[Welcome to bullshitschool.com]

[Dramatic music]

[Real beauty...]

[One of the hottest girls in Korea.]

[It looks AI-enhanced.]

[Wow she's so pretty.]

[She's sociable too.]

[Male students in her major would go ga-ga over her.]

[No matter what, she couldn't have me.]

[She's better off being an entertainer.]

[KU has all the national treasures.]

Then one day, someone struck the first match.

[It's disgusting how you pretend to be a saint.]

[Truth behind KU's Goddess]

[This chick always stirs up shit at my school lolol.]

[Her posts can't be understood with cognitive abilities.]

[Stop making yourself look stupid.]

[Her brain melted haha.]

[Korean chick = Useless AF]

[She's kinda pretty.]

[She needs a proper beating.]

[Gene pool needs cleaning.]

[Beauty is science.]

[I'm about to puke.]

[Dramatic music]

Shit, the vibe changes instantly.

Holy shit!

What the hell!

It's happening!

I told you it would work!

Look, what's happening.

What was the goal?

Stopping her from becoming the student president?

Ruin her political future altogether?

No, I bet she would've lost even if she tried.

Our target was never Lee Eun-chae.

We wanted Lee Yong-chan to stop his one-man protest.

Her dad.

[Closes door]

He was protesting against defamation laws.

When she was getting bullied, we wanted her to file defamation lawsuits.

To show that he'll use those laws when he's cornered,

that's what we wanted.

You know that factual defamation is different from defamation, right?

Of course.

But that's not important to people.

Then why didn't you go after him, wouldn't that be a sure thing?

Right.

But Lee Yong-chan had no online presence.

So, targeting his daughter was the only way.

[Thriller music]

[Stop boasting so much.]

[Girl, go easy.]

[Does she think she's a celeb?]

[Club music]

Hey.

Stop phubbing, it's too late for that.

[Dramatic music]

So, did she sue?

No.

She killed herself.

[Sombre music]

And Lee stopped his protest.

[Dramatic music]

Dude, why is she dead?

I told you this would happen.

I told you to go easy.

When did you?

Are you saying that she died because of us?

Why else would she be dead?

How do you know she died because of what we did?

Who the hell knows?

If this article goes out, it's going to get ugly. [My deepest condolences...]

Can you handle it?

You never thought to report this?

Report with what?

[Dramatic music]

Who hired you to do this?

[Dramatic music]

I didn't think you would succeed for real.

I only wanted to watch you operate.

How did you come up with this idea?

This may seem cheesy and insignificant, but

coming up with it isn't as easy as it looks.

This method should be copyrighted, no?

I know you had some close calls in the past.

Aren't you nervous working like this?

No, we're fine.

I'm offering you a job, a permanent employment.

Permanent employment?

You didn't even finish college.

And no real experience either, am I right?

Yes.

That's why I like you.

You're not like us bookworms.

This type of work requires animal instinct.

Know the psyche of the public and how to manipulate it.

That's how you change the world.

Tell the truth!

are you from the government or something?

[Laughter]

It's not like that.

We're much bigger.

He was a Manjun employee.

[Dramatic music]

Have you seen this post?

[Public Opinion Manipulation Process As Told by Manjun Troll Factory Staff]

This post is lit online. [Full-time employee?]

This is your evidence?

You don't believe anything you see online?

[Dramatic music]

In the name of keeping the media on a leash, we

bought media outlets because newspapers sold.

And with the internet coming online, we bought telecommunications.

Unethical, no?

Needs, wants.

We underestimated the world, but got sucker punched by a middle school student..

Back then...

we were scared, and worried...

over a single middle school kid.

God!

So, we created a new department.

Bookworms work super hard to learn.

They never repeat a mistake.

[150 full-time employees...] [Public Opinion Task Force]

It'll pique your curiosity to hear what we've tried in the past.

[Dramatic music]

[Incoherent chatter]

[College Girl With Bright Future, Commits Suicide Over Hateful Comments]

You back?

Did you come right back?

What did he say?

Will he pay us?

What did you say?

Are we getting paid?

Are you so blinded by money?

Goddamn trash...

You know this isn't just about money.

What is it about then?

I didn't know it'd turn out like this.

Judge yourself before judging others.

What's with you?

This happened because you looked down on the world.

See what you want to see, judge others,

you did that to hide the fact that you're insane.

You coward.

I didn't know it'd turn out like this.

That's why I'm talking to you right now.

I told you we shouldn't push so hard, that wasn't the right move.

Remember what you said?

An attention monger needing approval?

Isn't that you?

Freaking hell!

You talk as if I did this alone.

You did this too, asshole.

Retard...

[Foot steps]

[Pleasant music]

[Ominous music]

[Honking]

This is the man who approached us.

And everyone involved in your Woosung Data article are all employed by Manjun now.

Verify it yourself.

[Dramatic music]

Welcome.

Who are you...

- Good to go. - Okay.

[Dramatic music]

Fetch me Choi.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir!

[Car engine sounds]

You as well.

Good evening, sir.

It's been a while.

Wow, Lim, how have you been?

You're still as lively as ever.

I have to get my car, could we talk on the way?

- Okay. - What brings you here?

- I wanted to ask you something. - Me?

I should've called you before.

Do you work for Manjun now?

Oh, yes, I'm in the Manjun PR team.

You didn't know?

You didn't get reinstated...

That article I wrote about Manjun...

it was never a false article?

I'm on their payroll.

I finally realize how scary journalists are.

Did you get hired under the condition of dumping me?

Sir?

Explain yourself!

You are in the world of dreams.

What?

You are not fit to be a journalist.

Oops, you're not one.

[Door closes]

[Honking]

Hello?

I'm Changgyung Daily's Lim Sang-jin. Is this Mr. Nam Ki-hong?

A journalist?

I'd like a response concerning a public opinion manipulation tip.

Could we meet for a bit? I'll come to you.

[Dramatic music]

What's up?

Come over here.

Take a look at this.

What's this?

This is about us.

Did he post this?

[Phone chimes]

So, how much of this is real?

I don't know how much of it was real.

There's something he said,

"Truth mixed with lies feels more real than the real truth."

But why post this on a used home theater marketplace?

Most of its users are men in their 40s and up

with expensive hobbies and plenty of disposable income.

They're nuts about topics concerning political and economic issues.

Have you verified the informant's ID?

No, it's not verified.

Why are you so confident then?

No way, take it back.

I want to dig into this properly.

Please give me some support, I'm begging you.

You're more brazen than I heard.

It's a good story with a nice hook too.

But that alone makes you a novelist.

I have circumstantial evidence, and I'll fact check the heck out of it.

[Gasps]

Then supplement it.

Someone who just reads sensational news will love it.

Shit, how could he...

Dammit!

[Ominous music]

[Is the writer still alive?]

Hey.

Why did he post that?

He's trying to do us over, right? Do me over.

No...

He posted it before the fallout.

Before he came back.

He has never turned off his phone before.

Can't reach him?

No, I think something happened to him.

Shit...

[Dramatic music]

Didn't he say they know about us?

What do we do now?

Should we expose everything to the media?

You think those fuckers will take your word for it?

Let me use your PC.

[Dramatic music]

That's how we found you.

We knew there would be reporters screwed by Manjun.

This is my writer's forum ID.

I've never told this to anyone.

And my name is Lee Young-jun.

No one remembers my name because it is simple.

[Keyboard chimes]

[TRUE STORY.. Z from the Fantasy World Ep. 4]

[Level Up Reputation to Read]

[How to Level Up!!] [Create 10 posts...]

[chattatkat]

[Manjun]

[Manjun Hires Thugs to Disrupt Protest]

[They got paid to protest.]

[Is that still a protest then?]

[Sombre music]

[@GodMadeDrink]

[@GodMadeDrink]

[Check user comments: date, comment, account]

[Manjun Pledges Full Cooperation in College Admission Scandal Probe]

[@GodMadeDrink]

[@GodMadeDrink]

[Dramatic music]

No, I'm a journalist, Lim Sang-jin.

No, not PR, Public Opinion team.

No, you should check with HR directly, [Manjun Life Denies Wrongdoings]

I'm just trying to give you a chance to respond. [Manjun Leaker Indicted...]

Yes, please call me back.

Okay.

[Dramatic music]

Hello?

Where are you calling from?

Who is this?

This is Manjun Management Support.

Hello, there.

If it's okay, could I get your name and designation please?

Kim Jae-shin, department head.

Is that right?

I can't believe I got a call from an exec.

We sent you an official request for coverage, but didn't hear back...

Would it...

be possible to meet with Mr. Nam Ki-hong of the Public Opinion team?

Public Opinion team?

Yes, I've received an anonymous tip.

I've been told that there's an internal team that handles public opinion.

Is this true?

Your name is Lim Sang-jin, correct?

Yes.

Have you been reinstated?

Do you know me?

Hard times have not taught you a lesson it seems.

It's an online rumor.

We don't have such a department.

[Dramatic music]

[Editor-in-Chief Pyo: Let's publish.]

[Foot steps]

This is the talk of the town, Donga is prepping a special.

Donga? You sure about that?

I'm good friends with their editor.

Must be reliable then...

- What's going on? - Pardon?

Is it true that Manjun attempted to manipulate the public opinion?

I haven't verified that yet.

You'll go ahead with the article?

Bring everything that's verified.

There are some unverified things.

If we publish it like this, we're showing them our hands.

So, write whatever you verified.

Only we have the informant.

There's more to this story.

Please give me some more time,

I'll investigate thoroughly and blow this wide open.

Blow what open?

Are you trying to get revenge for the false article?

If we don't go ahead, others will.

You've been reinstated today.

Stop getting distracted, and write this article properly.

[Telephone chimes]

Yes, Mr. Lim.

- We're going to press. - Right now?

No, it'll go online first,

then front-page headlines in the morning.

Okay...

You don't sound excited at all.

No, it's just that our methods will be shown in full.

I am worried that there will be copycats.

We can't do anything about them.

Read the online edition,

and if there are any errors, get back to me within 30 minutes.

We can fix it until then.

When this goes out, we'll be doxxed, right?

[Dramatic music]

[Troll Factory is commonly known online...]

[as "Public Opinion Team"...]

[Lim Sang-jin]

[Congrats! You Leveled Up.]

[Opens door]

-Good morning. -Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Congratulations!

-Congratulations. -Thank you.

-Congrats. -Congrats.

Congrats on the front page.

- Congrats on first page. - Congrats.

Thank you.

-Good morning. -That was some good work.

[Manjun's Troll Factory Formed to Manipulate Public Opinion]

[1. Manjun's Troll Factory Formed to Manipulate Public Opinion]

[2. What is the Truth Behind Manjun's "Public Opinion" Team?]

[7. Who are Manjun's Troll Factory?]

[If true, this is insane.]

[This is quite surprising.]

[I knew it, Manjun will go to any lengths.]

[Incoherent chatter]

[Web Novel Challenge]

What's this?

[Web Novel Challenge]

[Dramatic music]

["That photo costed me $300."]

[Advertising cigarettes is illegal.]

["I'll be... PEpteK. [You'll be ChAtT..."]

["Are you... from the government?"]

["So, what's the job now?"]

["A fan club for Nakajima Minoru..."]

["I'm a film set staff."]

["Con a journalist?"]

[Posted date: 2022.02.08]

[Dramatic music[

What's this?

Some amateur writer accused you of plagiarizing their story.

Have you read it?

Manjun is spreading this rumor to screw me over!

I talked to their rep and he already knew what I was up to!

You said he gave you this user name without asking.

Is the informant in on this too?

Shit...

I told you to only write what was verified!

What will happen to you now?

Wait, ma'am! Wait! Listen!

[Dramatic music]

The number you've dialed does not exist.

Please check the number and call again later.

[Lee Young-jun]

The number you've dialed does not exist. Please check the no. and call again.

What?

It's published before.

Let me see.

This one's actually fun to read.

Look, user name generator...

What's this?

I think I made a huge mistake.

Oh God!

[Dramatic music]

[This isn't that hack's first rodeo.] [Lim Sang-jin got doxed.]

[Changgyung Daily LSJ]

[Lim Sang-jin]

[Third rate college] [Morally bankrupt tabloid]

[Fake News Leads to CEO's Suicide]

[Dramatic music]

[It doesn't feel all BS, but it turned into a conspiracy theory 'cos of that hack.]

[Ominous music]

We are overflowing with complaints.

What do you think we should do?

How are other outlets responding?

I get it!

I get it!

I get it now!

It's...

true that I've been had.

There.

See this?

This...

I was used to divert attention away from this.

Which means every word in this post is true.

This is a good thing, this verifies everything.

We're in this mess over a single conspiracy post?

They're good enough to do this.

Since posts that went viral can't be taken down, they used me to discredit this,

they're extremely cunning!

Lee Young-jun.

I mean, ChAtTaTkat.

We just need to find him.

I have a recording of his voice, can you get it analyzed?

It's not like you're an FBI agent. How can we conduct voice analysis?

I told you, this is a huge scam.

We can do a follow-up with ChAtTaTkat's response.

Please give me some support to dig into this.

Do you know how many lawsuits you're about to face?

Other outlets stopped the press on this.

This will screw our readership.

Have you verified them?

What?

Those who threatened lawsuits, are they all legitimate?

Those are all fake!

- Stop it, Lim! - Come on!

Look at the reality and live in it.

Forget it!

You don't need to take the heat alone, I'm also responsible for this.

What do we do first?

What we went over earlier, we have to go through that...

Did Manjun pay you too?

Lim, what the hell are you saying?

[Dramatic music]

You're no different.

All fake.

What did you say?

-Has he gone insane? -Lim!

-He's a piece of work! -This is your doing!

Where are you going?

What is he doing?

-What's up with him? -Has he lost his mind.

What the hell are you doing?

[Incoherent chatter]

-What does he think? -Where is he going?

[Serialized Novel... AYBABTU]

[Up beat music]

Was everything fabricated?

Truth mixed with lies feels more real than the real truth.

[Dramatic music]

There is no truth in the perfect lie, but if the truth is mixed with a lie,

a lie is mixed with the truth,

and if it's not a perfect lie, then it's the truth.

In other words, it's not all lies.

[Dramatic music]

I did not stop digging for the follow-up.

[Dramatic music]

The first clue in my investigation wasn't a problematic post or a web novel.

The user name that Lee told me was an online meme.

A Japanese game company poorly translated a line in their game,

and exported to the US.

In doing so, the final boss said a grammatically incorrect phrase,

which became an infamous meme.

This happened in North America in the early 2000s.

No wonder I didn't know.

It's supposed to mean, "We have taken all of your bases,"

[Robotic voices]

used to say that one had conquered their opponent.

[Minoru]

They intentionally approached me with a purpose. [This community is dormant]

[Changgyung Daily's Lim Sang-jin Fired for "Web Novel Plagiarism"]

I searched for traces in the archive and even dead files online again and again.

[Dramatic music]

I researched and investigated for over two years,

and I finally found the person who could who expose the Public Opinion Team.

[Closes door]

He was promoting Bitcoin mining farms on abandoned websites.

He was a Manjun employee, and a whistle blower.

He was afraid of being sued for factual defamation.

I'll be protected as an informant, right?

It doesn't matter...

but don't you need to record?

This was a courageous task.

Thank you for meeting me.

Not at all.

I wanted to meet you because I was curious about you.

So, you were friends with Lee Young-jun?

Yes...we were close before we got into this line of work.

But we got into a fight.

That's why I posted that.

Why did you fight?

You know...

I didn't like his attitude.

He was boasting as if he was doing some amazing work.

He was an attention seeker.

What a moron.

How much of my article was real?

Everything you wrote is fake.

He made all of them up.

The Public Opinion did something completely different.

And those guys he lived with...

they're all made up too.

He and I did everything together, just the two of us.

Only the two of us.

How did you first meet Lee?

How did you become close to him?

Nakajima Minoru...

Nakajima Minoru...

A fan club for this Japanese manga artist.

It was a tiny fan club of a dozen or so members.

It probably doesn't exist anymore.

It probably doesn't exist anymore.

Is "Lee Young-jun"...

his real name?

Yes, that's his real name.

Is this him?

[Dramatic music]

I'm not sure...

It could be him...

Or not...

Do you have another photo?

[Dramatic music]

ChAtTaTkat disappeared, leaving only a fake name behind.

I reached a long time back.

But I know a way to meet him.

I finished my follow-up, it was perfect.

[Changgyung Daily]

No outlets would publish my article, but it doesn't matter now.

I included all details of the history and my experience of online manipulation.

[Dramatic music]

[Here's the tea from a former reporter.]

[Screen Capture]

And I know a sure way to reveal my truth to the world.

[Post]

It doesn't matter if no one believes.

The path of a journalist is supposed to be dark and lonely.

[Dramatic music]

[Here's the tea from a former reporter]

Have you ever leaked a secret that only you know?

The thrill is exclusive to journalists.

[Here's the tea from a former reporter]

[View 0]

[View 1]

[View 78]

[View 560...]

[Troll Factory]

[End credit music]

[End credit music continues]