Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘JUNG_E’ is a science-fiction thriller film directed by Yeon Sang-ho (‘Hellbound‘). The South Korean movie is set in the 22nd century as humanity is engaged in a deadly war for dominance. As a result, advanced military weapons are the last hope of ending the war. It follows Yoon Seo-Hyun, a brilliant scientist who is working on a program to build combat AI based on the legendary soldier Yun Jung-Yi. Given the movie’s futuristic and technologically advanced depiction of military and war, viewers must wonder about its title’s meaning. In that case, here is everything you need to know about the meaning of ‘JUNG_E.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Significance of the JUNG_E Title
In ‘JUNG_E,’ earth has become uninhabitable due to rapid climate change. As a result, most of humanity has migrated to space colonies created in the moon’s orbit. These colonies are known as shelters and are designated with a number. However, a few of those shelters banded together and formed a separatist movement. They declared themselves as the Adrian Empire and started a war on the rest of humanity. Consequently, the Allied Forces were formed and presented resistance to the Adrain Empire, leading to a war.
During the war, Yun Jung-Yi was a mercenary who fought against the Adrian Republic on the side of the Allied Forces. She became a legendary soldier and delivered several crucial victories in the battle for the resistance. As a result, the Allied Forces came within a touching distance of victory. Jung-Yi was assigned one last mission that would have secured victory and ended the war, benefitting all of humanity. However, during the final mission, Jung-Yi got distracted by memories of her daughter and was shot. She became injured and fell into a coma.
In the present day, Jung-Yi’s daughter, Yoon Seo-Hyun, works on replicating her mother’s brain and using it to develop a combat AI that will help the Allied Forces end the war. She builds prototype models of cybernetic robots that Artificial Intelligence powers. This AI is molded after Jung-Yi. Therefore, the project to develop combat robots with the abilities and memories of Jung-Yi is named “JUNG_E.” The name is a wordplay on the mercenary’s name and a reminder of her extraordinary achievements in the field of battle. The “E” in the name most likely stands for electronic, as the AI-powered robots are modern and technologically advanced versions of Jung-Yi.
On the other hand, the “E” could also mean “experiment,” as the robots designed by Seo-Hyun are in a development phase and not ready for battle. Furthermore, the film’s plot slowly unfolds the legacy of Jung-Yi. We also learn about her relationship with her daughter and how it shapes the battle that decides humanity’s fate. Ultimately, Seo-Hyun realizes that her mother’s legacy is at risk, and she helps one of the test models escape from the Kronoid research lab. Hence, the title ‘JUNG_E’ signifies the legendary mercenary’s life which has become humanity’s last hope of ending a devastating war.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s JUNG_E Filmed?
