Character Relationship Map: Crossing

Characters

• Kim Yong-soo (played by Cha In-pyo) — protagonist

  Kim Yong-soo is a North Korean husband and father who illegally crosses into China to obtain medicine for his pregnant wife, Mi-seon, who is suffering from tuberculosis. He works as an undocumented la...

• Kim Joon (played by Shin Myeong-cheol) — supporting

  Kim Joon is Kim Yong-soo's son, left behind in North Korea after his mother, Mi-seon, dies. He becomes homeless and wanders while trying to find a way to reunite with his father. His experiences form...

• Mi-seon (played by Joo Ah-reum) — supporting

  Mi-seon is Kim Yong-soo's pregnant wife and Kim Joon's mother. She is suffering from tuberculosis, which motivates Kim Yong-soo to cross illegally into China to search for medicine. Her death leaves K...

• NGO Planner (played by Kim Jae-rok) — supporting

  The NGO Planner offers North Korean refugees an opportunity to take part in interviews and receive payment after completing the work. This offer becomes one possible route for the refugees to seek sup...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Kim Joon → Mi-seon (Family Mother And Son) — Joon depends on his increasingly weak mother while his father is away, and her removal deepens his fear and isolation.

  The character profile identifies Mi-seon as Kim Joon's mother. The plot shows Joon begging people not to separate them when she is taken away.

• Kim Yong-soo → Mi-seon (Family Husband And Wife) — Mi-seon's tuberculosis and need for medicine drive Yong-soo's dangerous journey; separation leaves him desperate to help her.

  The character profile identifies Mi-seon as Yong-soo's pregnant wife, and the plot says he crosses into China to find medicine for his seriously ill w...

• Kim Yong-soo → Kim Joon (Family Father) — Yong-soo leaves to seek medicine for his family, and Joon clings to his promise to return and protect his mother.

  The plot identifies Kim Joon as Kim Yong-soo's young son. Yong-soo promises to return with medicine, a soccer ball, and shoes, while Joon waits for hi...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Kim Yong-soo → NGO Planner (Alliance Aid Seeker And Organizer) — The Planner presents a possible source of money to the refugees, but the plot does not establish that Yong-soo receives the promised payment.

  The plot says the NGO Planner offers refugees paid interview work, while Yong-soo is among the refugees seeking help and remains focused on his family...

Story Analysis

A father's dangerous journey for medicine is interwoven with the fear and separation endured by his family.

Plot Progression

1. A Family Under Strain — Yong-soo and Joon share brief warmth amid hunger and hardship. Mi-seon's tuberculosis makes the family's situation urgent.
2. A Promise Across the Border — Yong-soo decides to cross into China to seek medicine. He promises Joon that he will return with help and gifts.
3. Uncertain Refuge — In China, Yong-soo searches for medicine and a way to get money home. He encounters wary refugees and an NGO Planner's paid interview offer.
4. Separation at Home — Joon waits beside his weakening mother and pleads when she is taken away. His father's promise becomes a source of hope amid fear.
5. Safety Without Reunion — Yong-soo travels with refugees toward the German Embassy and reaches South Korea. Delayed funds and the danger of returning leave him unable to reunite with his family immediately.