MAL-MO-E: The Secret Mission
MAL-MO-E: The Secret Mission
During the Japanese occupation of Korea, Kim Pan-su, who cannot read or write, becomes involved in the Korean Language Society’s dictionary project. As people from different walks of life gather and hide manuscripts to protect their language, the dangers surrounding speech and writing grow.
OVERALL TRUTH BASIS · Inspired reconstruction
The Korean Language Society’s dictionary compilation and the 1942 Korean Language Society Incident were real, but central characters such as Pansu and Jeonghwan were fictionalized and composite, and the sequence of events was cinematically reconstructed.
Korean Language Society Incident
An incident in 1942 in which the Japanese authorities arrested people associated with the Korean Language Society and suppressed Korean-language research and dictionary compilation activities.
FACT / FICTION
Verification 8
Fact / Fiction verification
8 recordsThe Korean Language Society actually pursued the compilation of a Korean-language dictionary.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- This is confirmed by materials from the Ministry of Education and Inmun360.
View 2 sources
- 우리말 사전 이야기, 조선어학회 사전 편찬과 영화 '말모이'교육부 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
- 조선어 사전 편찬, 우리 말과 글을 지켜낸 민족 독립투쟁인문360 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
Members were arrested and imprisoned in connection with the 1942 Korean Language Society Incident.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- This is confirmed by materials from the Independence Hall of Korea.
View 1 sources
- 조선어학회 사건독립기념관 · Official record · Grade AOpen source →
Lee Geuk-ro and Choi Hyeon-bae were actual key figures in the Korean Language Society.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- Records relating to dictionary compilation and the incident remain.
View 2 sources
- 조선어학회 사건독립기념관 · Official record · Grade AOpen source →
- '말모이', 그 감춰진 이야기통일뉴스 · Major news · Grade BOpen source →
A substantial number of the film’s major characters do not portray actual people under their real names.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- Inmun360 points out that the characters were fictionalized.
View 1 sources
- 조선어 사전 편찬, 우리 말과 글을 지켜낸 민족 독립투쟁인문360 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
The film changes or exaggerates parts of the sequence of actual events.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- Historical commentary notes changes to the chronology and exaggeration.
View 1 sources
- 조선어 사전 편찬, 우리 말과 글을 지켜낸 민족 독립투쟁인문360 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
The entire sequence of chases and transport scenes surrounding the dictionary manuscript does not reproduce the records exactly.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- The historical event was reconstructed as a suspenseful feature film.
View 1 sources
- 조선어 사전 편찬, 우리 말과 글을 지켜낸 민족 독립투쟁인문360 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
The dictionary compilation work continued after liberation and led to the publication of the Great Dictionary.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- The continuity of the Korean Language Society’s efforts is confirmed.
View 2 sources
- 우리말 사전 이야기, 조선어학회 사전 편찬과 영화 '말모이'교육부 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
- '말모이', 그 감춰진 이야기통일뉴스 · Major news · Grade BOpen source →
The historical core of compiling a Korean-language dictionary is factual.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- The film’s central goal is connected to an actual movement.
View 3 sources
- 우리말 사전 이야기, 조선어학회 사전 편찬과 영화 '말모이'교육부 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
- 조선어 사전 편찬, 우리 말과 글을 지켜낸 민족 독립투쟁인문360 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
- 조선어학회 사건독립기념관 · Official record · Grade AOpen source →
CHARACTER ↔ PERSON
Characters and real people
김판수
Fictional character류정환
Fictional character조선생
Fictional characterSources used
- 우리말 사전 이야기, 조선어학회 사전 편찬과 영화 '말모이'교육부 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
- 조선어 사전 편찬, 우리 말과 글을 지켜낸 민족 독립투쟁인문360 · Government source · Grade AOpen source →
- 조선어학회 사건독립기념관 · Official record · Grade AOpen source →
- '말모이', 그 감춰진 이야기통일뉴스 · Major news · Grade BOpen source →