Character Relationship Map: The Roundup

Characters

• Ma Seok-do (played by Don Lee) — protagonist

  Veteran detective leading anti-crime operations across Asia

• Kang Hae-sang (played by Son Suk-ku) — protagonist

  Brutal serial killer and main antagonist in The Roundup 2

• Jeon Il-man (played by Choi Gwi-hwa) — supporting

  Dedicated police captain and Ma's loyal partner

• Jang I-soo (played by Park Ji-hwan) — supporting

  Former Chinatown gang leader turned legitimate businessman

• Lee Jong-du (played by Lee Da-il) — minor

  Criminal who attempted to kill Jong-hoon

• Choi Yong-gi (played by Cha Woo-jin) — minor

  Wealthy entrepreneur kidnapped and killed by Kang

• Yoo Jong-hoon (played by Jeon Jin-oh) — minor

  Korean criminal extradited to Vietnam

• Kim In-sook (played by Park Ji-young) — supporting

  Wife of Choi Chun-baek

Canonical Relationships

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

• Kim In-sook → Choi Yong-gi (Family Connection) — In-sook is connected to Yong-gi through his family and becomes involved after the killing.

  The plot identifies In-sook as the wife of Yong-gi's father, while Yong-gi's death motivates the ransom and revenge conflict.

• Jang I-soo → Kim In-sook (Professional Assigned Driver) — Jang transports and assists In-sook during the ransom plan.

  Ma recruits Jang to serve as In-sook's driver while she follows Kang's ransom instructions.

• Ma Seok-do → Yoo Jong-hoon (Professional Investigator And Suspect) — Jong-hoon is an important source of information in Ma's investigation.

  Ma interrogates Jong-hoon after the extradition and learns about Jong-du and Kang from his answers.

Story Dynamics

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

• Kim In-sook → Jeon Il-man (Alliance Rescue Collaborators) — Il-man is part of the police group supporting In-sook's rescue effort.

  In-sook works with Ma's police team, which includes Il-man, during the attempt to recover her husband.

• Kang Hae-sang → Jang I-soo (Conflict Extortionist And Target) — Kang turns against Jang when he needs the money to escape Korea.

  At the port, Kang intimidates Jang into surrendering the ransom money.

• Ma Seok-do → Kim In-sook (Alliance Rescue Collaborators) — Ma relies on In-sook's cooperation to execute the ransom operation.

  In-sook cooperates with Ma and his team in a plan to rescue her husband and catch Kang.

• Kang Hae-sang → Kim In-sook (Conflict Kidnapper And Negotiator) — Kang uses In-sook as the direct channel for his ransom demand.

  After kidnapping In-sook's husband, Kang calls her and demands money in exchange for his return.

• Ma Seok-do → Jang I-soo (Narrative Detective And Informant) — Jang provides crucial intelligence at two major stages of the case.

  Ma interrogates Jang for information about a smuggling boat and later receives his tip about Kang's location on the bus.

• Kang Hae-sang → Jeon Il-man (Conflict Attacker And Victim) — Kang directly threatens Il-man while resisting arrest.

  Kang ambushes Ma and Il-man during their investigation and wounds Il-man before escaping.

• Jeon Il-man → Choi Yong-gi (Narrative Victim Investigator) — Il-man supports the investigation into Yong-gi's murder.

  Il-man accompanies Ma to investigate the hideout and locate Yong-gi's body.

• Ma Seok-do → Choi Yong-gi (Narrative Victim Investigator) — Yong-gi's death becomes the case that drives Ma's pursuit of Kang.

  Ma investigates Yong-gi's disappearance and finds his body in the hideout's garden.

• Kang Hae-sang → Choi Yong-gi (Conflict Killer And Victim) — Yong-gi's murder initiates the central revenge and pursuit storyline.

  The plot states that Kang kidnapped and killed Yong-gi, then used the death to extort money from his family.

• Kang Hae-sang → Yoo Jong-hoon (Alliance Criminal Associate) — Jong-hoon is linked to Kang's network but later becomes an investigative source.

  Jong-hoon identifies his involvement with Kang after Ma questions him about Jong-du's hideout.

• Kang Hae-sang → Lee Jong-du (Alliance Criminal Associate) — Jong-du is connected to Kang's criminal operation before his death.

  Ma and Il-man learn from Jong-hoon that Jong-du and Jong-hoon were involved with Kang.

• Yoo Jong-hoon → Lee Jong-du (Social Criminal Associates) — Their criminal association collapses when Jong-du attacks Jong-hoon.

  Jong-hoon says that his friend Jong-du tried to kill him, and the two had been involved with Kang.

Story Analysis

A relentless detective pursues a serial killer across Vietnam and Korea while turning reluctant criminals and victims' family members into temporary allies.

Plot Progression

1. A Murdered Trail — Ma and Il-man travel to Vietnam to extradite Jong-hoon. His accusation against Jong-du leads them to a dead hideout and the discovery of Kang's wider crimes.
2. The Vietnam Ambush — The detectives find Yong-gi's body but face local obstruction. Kang destroys the mercenaries sent against him and wounds Il-man during an ambush.
3. Kang Reaches Korea — After deportation, Ma uses Jang's intelligence and port CCTV to confirm Kang's arrival. The detectives win a one-week extension to capture him.
4. The Ransom Trap — Kang kidnaps Yong-gi's father and demands money from In-sook. Ma organizes a rescue operation using In-sook and the reluctant Jang as bait.
5. The Tunnel Arrest — Kang takes the ransom money and attempts to flee by bus. Guided by Jang's tip, Ma confronts him in a tunnel, defeats him, and closes the case.