Before the Call

10/29/2025

Fulfilling one’s military obligations can be a daunting prospect, especially in times of open conflict. It places great strain on those called upon to serve, weighing heavily on their minds both personally and in terms of their civic duties. But, even with full awareness of those considerations, that knowledge may not make facing the obligation any easier, a conundrum addressed in writer-director James Choi’s “Before the Call” (“Bureum Jeone”). When Korean-American Jinwoo (Andy Koh) returns to his home in Seoul after a stay in the US, he’s faced with fulfilling his mandatory requirement for serving in the military. It comes at a time when tensions between the two Koreas have grown and the threat of wider global engagements has intensified. Needless to say, those conditions have given him p