Netflix is currently streaming My Name Is Loh Kiwan, starring Song Joong-Ki and Choi Sung-Eun in lead roles. The storyline revolves around a North Korean defector who struggles to obtain refugee status in Belgium, where he meets a troubled woman who has no hope left in the world.
My Name Is Loh Kiwan begins with Joong-Ki’s character, Loh Kiwan, hiding his identity in China, where he lives with his mother. One day, the Chinese cops turn up at his mother’s workplace and interrogate her about him. To avoid being caught, the mother-son duo gets involved in a chase with the police that ends in a brutal way.
Loh Kiwan’s mother meets with an accident and dies. Without wasting much time, a relative helps him to leave the country and land in Belgium. There, his arduous journey to obtain refugee status begins. Although the movie features plenty of obstacles for Loh Kiwan, he finally finds a ray of hope in the end.
My Name Is Loh Kiwan recap & spoilers: Unfortunate events turn Song Joong-Ki’s life upside down
In Belgium, Song Joong-Ki’s Loh Kiwan struggles to survive. While waiting for the next date regarding his refugee status case, he becomes homeless in a cold new place. From sleeping in public toilets to selling used bottles for some coins, he goes through a rough patch. Things get even worse when, one day, some teenagers beat him up, and later, a woman steals his wallet.
Loh Kiwan files a complaint at a police station where he encounters the female thief. She is Marie (Choi Sung-Eun), a former Korean who has Belgian citizenship but is involved in some bad business. He tags along with her to get his wallet back as it is the only thing left of his mother with him.
Meanwhile, Marie is a dejected woman who has lost all hope after her mother’s death. She is a professional shooter but works for a gambler to pay off her debt. To get Kiwan’s wallet back, she reluctantly makes a deal with her boss, which pushes her into the world of drugs. However, Marie helps Loh Kiwan find a job at a meat factory.
Joong-Ki’s character makes a trusted friend/neighbor at the factory who agrees to help him at the court. He needs a witness who can tell the judge that he is a North Korean and not a fraud Chinese-Korean. Initially, she agrees to help him, but at the court, she lies. Hence, Loh Kiwan fails to get his refugee status. Amid this chaos, he finds himself drawn to Marie. When she makes a scene at her mother’s prayer ceremony, Loh Kiwan steps in to calm her. To get her out of the drug world, he consumes the product and nearly dies. Eventually, she quits for him, and the two find solace in each other’s company.
But their happiness does not last long when Marie’s former boss involves her in a shooting incident. Now, she has to leave the country.
My Name Is Loh Kiwan ending: Did Song Joong-Ki & Choi Sung-Eun end up together?
Towards My Name Is Loh Kiwan ending, Loh Kiwan’s (Song Jong-Ki) friend, who once betrayed him, finds evidence to help his case. As things look brighter on his side, a shooting incident involving Marie (Choi Sung-Eun) adds to his endless pain.
The only solution to save Marie is for her to flee to Amsterdam. While bidding farewell, the couple share an emotional and heartbreaking moment. However, Loh Kiwan promises her that they will be together in the future after he sorts out his refugee status case.
My Name Is Loh Kiwan ends with him sending a letter to Marie’s father. In it, he mentions that he has given up his Belgian citizenship and refugee status as they are holding him back to one place. In the final scene, he shows up in Amsterdam near a beach where Marie works. As their eyes meet, they run towards each other and hug tightly.
Overall, the Netflix K-drama film focuses on the struggle to survive as a North Korean defector in a foreign country. Although it has many sad and triggering moments, the movie has a happy ending for the characters.
