Koo Sang-jun is a motel owner whose family loses everything overnight. In The Frog, Yoon Kye-sang plays Sang-jun.
Sang-jun, a hardworking and helpful man, runs the Lake View Motel with his wife, Eun-gyeong, in a country town. With their business thriving, they live a content life.
One day, Sang-jun sees a man stuck in the rain and approaches to help him. When he learns that the man has run out of gas, Sang-jun insists that he spend the night at his motel.
Sang-jun is kind as always, but this time, his kindness costs him and his wife their business because the man he invites into their motel turns out to be a serial killer.
A good man’s misery
Sang-jun’s life has always been difficult. He has faced several hardships, starting with the death of his parents when he was seventeen.
His gambling uncle ran off with his inheritance, leaving Sang-jun homeless and without support from any of his relatives.
He lived at a construction site before eventually finding work at a factory. After his boss ran away, Sang-jun was left to clean up the mess. Eventually, he took over running the factory, where he met his wife.
Years later, Sang-jun comes up with the idea of opening a motel. He convinces Eun-gyeong to buy a property he likes and invest their savings in his business idea.
Sang-jun moves to the countryside with his family. Their motel does well until the arrival of the serial killer, Ji Hyang-cheol, who murders a woman there.
The motel becomes surrounded by controversy, and soon, no one wants to stay there. Sang-jun and Eun-gyeong are forced to find other jobs to make ends meet.
They also have to endure the whispers and pity of the townspeople. Over time, Eun-gyeong becomes bitter. She blames Sang-jun for their losses.
Both are haunted by the murder, but Eun-gyeong fails to see that Sang-jun is suffering just as much as she is and turns to alcohol and pills to cope.
The final blow
As Eun-gyeong still hopes their business will recover, she gets angry when Sang-jun suggests selling it. Later, she agrees to sell the motel, realizing that they need the money to rebuild their lives.
She becomes hopeful again and stops drinking when someone finally shows interest in buying the motel. Just as things seem to improve, a new problem arises.
Sang-jun and Eun-gyeong’s son, Gi-ho, is bullied at school. The bullies force him to bring them alcohol and pills, and when the issue comes to light, they blame Gi-ho.
Sang-jun’s patience finally snaps when he faces false accusations against his innocent son, leading to a fight with the parents of Gi-ho’s bullies.
The developer who was interested in buying the motel happens to be a close friend of the parent Sang-jun fought, causing the sale to fall through.
Eun-gyeong loses all hope, knowing that no one will buy a motel tainted by murder. Furthermore, she is tormented by the face of the murdered woman and eventually takes her own life.
Sang-jun is left blaming himself for his family’s misfortune. He keeps wondering what his family did to deserve this tragedy.
To get answers to his questions, he visits Ji Hyang-cheol, only to find out that the man who destroyed his life does not even remember him.
When Ji Hyang-cheol finally does recall Sang-jun, he shows no remorse. He does not take responsibility for his actions and blames bad luck for everything that happened to Sang-jun’s family.
Sang-jun becomes a broken man. Later in life, he is seen living in a nursing home, mentally ill and trapped in his past, unable to move forward.
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