(Spoiler Alert) “Seoul Station” Plot & Shocking Ending Explained: The Dark, Twisted Prequel That Set “Train to Busan” in Motion

Before Train to Busan captivated global audiences with its gripping zombie apocalypse, Seoul Station laid the foundation for the chaos to come.

This chilling animated prequel unravels the horrifying events that unfolded just one day prior, offering a raw, emotional look at the societal breakdown and personal tragedies that sparked the outbreak.

Movie Information

Title: Seoul Station (서울역)

Genre: Animation, Horror, Thriller

Country: South Korea

Runtime: 93 minutes

Director: Yeon Sang-ho

Main Cast:

• Ryu Seung-ryong as Suk-kyu
• Shim Eun-kyung as Hye-sun
• Lee Joon as Ki-woong
• Kim Jae-rok, Jang Hyuk-jin, Kim Jong-soo, Hwang Suk-jung

Plot Summary

A homeless man with a gruesome neck wound staggers near Seoul Station before collapsing. His companion tries to seek help, but by the time he returns, the man has turned into a zombie and attacks him.

This marks the beginning of a sudden outbreak in the area.

Meanwhile, Hye-sun, a runaway from a brothel, is staying with her boyfriend Ki-woong, who tries to sell her again for money. After a fight, Hye-sun leaves and ends up caught in the growing chaos at Seoul Station.

She escapes to a police station with a few survivors, but an infected officer turns and causes further panic inside the holding cell.

Suk-kyu, who claims to be Hye-sun’s father, interrogates Ki-woong for her whereabouts. They eventually make it to Hye-sun’s apartment, only to find the landlord has become a zombie. They take shelter in the bathroom and later escape via the rooftop. With a distraction plan, Ki-woong fetches a car, and they drive away.

Back at the police station, the infected officer turns others into zombies. Hye-sun and another survivor escape in an ambulance, but the paramedics are unaware of the outbreak. Hearing over the radio that hospitals are overrun, the homeless man panics, causes a crash, and both escape into a subway station.

Suk-kyu and Ki-woong head to the hospital but find it already overtaken. They narrowly escape again and search for Hye-sun.

Ending Explanation

At Hoehyeon Station, Ki-woong tries to call Hye-sun but fails due to the growing chaos.

She and the homeless man are briefly rescued by survivors building barricades, but riot police mistake them for rebels and intervene. Martial law is declared, and as infected overrun the area, the homeless man tries to warn officials but is shot by soldiers. Zombies breach the barricades.

Hye-sun escapes but is injured. She hides in a model home and contacts Ki-woong. They reunite, but a dark twist unfolds: Suk-kyu is not her father, but her former pimp. He has been chasing her not out of concern, but to punish her for stealing money from her deceased parents, which he claims was his.

A confrontation escalates, Ki-woong attempts to stop Suk-kyu but is killed. Suk-kyu then tries to assault Hye-sun, who dies in the struggle. Realizing she was infected, Suk-kyu watches in horror as Hye-sun reanimates and bites him.

As dawn breaks, soldiers outside Seoul Station open fire on the approaching zombies, showing that the outbreak has spread beyond control.

Seoul Station is a prequel to Train to Busan and offers a bleak, social-commentary-driven look at inequality, neglect, and violence. Unlike many zombie films, the real horror here is the inhumanity of people, with the outbreak acting as a brutal backdrop. The film ends with no resolution, emphasizing the chaotic collapse of both personal and societal systems.