Broker is a Korean movie directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and released in 2021. The film is a crime-drama that delves into the dark world of child trafficking and the moral conflict of its perpetrators. It stars Song Kang-ho as Sang-hyeon, a troubled launderette owner, and executive branch leader for an orphanage who moonlights as a baby broker with the help of his childhood friend Dong-soo (Bae Sung-woo).
Sang-hyeon, wracked with guilt over his involvement in the illegal adoption business, along with Dong-soo, who is desperate to earn money to pay off his debts, have been stealing babies from the baby box at a nearby church. The pair then sell the infants to potential adoptive parents, charging them hefty fees. They believe they are doing a service for needy couples and providing a better life for the children who are otherwise unwanted.
However, things start to spiral out of control when a young woman named So-young (Jeon Hye-jin) comes back to the church looking for her abandoned child. Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo panic at the thought of getting caught and decide to take a road trip to find the baby's potential adoptive parents. So-young agrees to join them on the journey to interview the prospective parents.
Meanwhile, two detectives, Soo-jin (Lee Jehoon) and Detective Lee (Gang Dong-won), are hot on their trail. Soo-jin is particularly motivated to capture the baby thieves because of a traumatic event in his past involving a stolen infant. The detectives search the city, gathering clues and interviewing witnesses in their quest to apprehend Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo.
The movie is a poignant examination of the lives of the characters involved in the trafficking of babies and the emotional burden they bear. It explores the complex moral dilemmas of those who profit from such a heinous crime and the consequences to their victims. Broker is a thought-provoking film that highlights the dark side of humanity and the vulnerability of infants in a society where money trumps ethics.
