Swing Kids

A year into the Korean War, South Korea’s Geoje Island has become home to an American-run prison camp, housing everyone from tap dancing officers to rebellious North Korean soldiers. When the commanding officer of the camp orders Sergeant Jackson (Jared Grimes) to form a dance troupe and prepare a Christmas production meant to wow the international media and improve the U.S. Army’s public image, the one-time dancer doesn’t even know where to start. Setting up a camp-wide audition, Jackson begins screening talent, but the task isn’t easy. Finding a handful of rare gems in an otherwise bleak world, Jackson recruits a motley assortment of prisoners, including Xiao Pang (Kim Min Ho), a shy Chinese soldier whose timid demeanor hides some slick moves; Kang Byung Sam (Oh Jung Se), a South Korean prisoner falsely accused of being a Communist sympathizer, who hopes the exposure of the troupe will help him find his missing wife; Yang Pan Rae (Park Hye Soo), a civilian who uses her dancing skills to make money for her family; and Ro Ki Soo (D.O.), a North Korean soldier with a hidden penchant for dancing. As unlikely as it sounds, this rag-tag team comes together to make something truly beautiful; but war is an ugly thing and its oppressive weight is ever-present. Loyalties will be tested and hearts will rend as this close-knit group of dancers tries to overcome the never-ending string of obstacles that come with living as prisoners of war. Based on the musical “Roh Ki Soo”, “Swing Kids” is a 2018 musical drama film directed by Kang Hyeong Cheol.