Was the Jeju Island Raid Party Doomed From the Start?

In the Jeju Island arc, hunters from Japan and Korea joined hands to embark on the ambitious mission to liberate the forsaken Korean island from magic beasts. With 16 top S-rankers who have a ton of experience under their belt, the mission was expected to be less risky than previous raids, especially now that there was more data on the ants and their nature.

But just when it seemed that victory was within grasp, things started taking an ominous turn as one S-ranker after another fell prey to a devious enemy. Despite the initial confidence in the plans, why did the Jeju Island raid go so horribly wrong? Was the entire mission doomed from the start?

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The Fourth Jeju Island Raid: A Failure in Strategy and Execution

Sabotage, Poor Decisions, and an Unexpected Enemy

• Arc: Jeju Island Arc
• Webtoon: Chapters 90 to 107
• Anime: Episode 21 to 25
• Next Arc: Recruitment Arc
• Previous Arc: Return to Demon Castle Arc

The final attempt to clear the S-rank Gate on Jeju Island was never going to be easy. The Korean government had already failed miserably on three previous occasions. Although the Korean-Japanese coalition used all the available data and devised quite an impressive plan, freeing Jeju Island from magic beasts was still an uphill battle.

Deep down, both countries were aware of the risks, but this was also their best and perhaps last opportunity. If they failed, they knew that Korea and Japan were going to suffer immensely. While there were fears of an impending catastrophe, millions were also hopeful that the forsaken island was going to be reclaimed. But unbeknownst to the civilians, there were already signs that the Jeju Island raid was heading toward a disastrous downfall.

Sung Jinwoo’s Decision

Just before the Jeju Island raid, Japanese and Korean hunters had a joint sparring session. Draw Sword Guild members were so powerful that the Koreans struggled to keep up. But when Goto Ryuji decided to fight Jinwoo after noticing his superhuman reflexes, things took a surprising turn. Japan’s greatest hunter was shocked by Sung’s menacing fighting style and was left perplexed by his overwhelming power.

Koreans already knew what Jinwoo was capable of, and after the sparring session, even the Japanese hunters knew that he must be on the plane heading to Jeju Island if the Koreans were serious about getting the island back. Although Go Gunhee had already requested him, Sung Jinwoo eventually decided to sit out the raid for personal reasons. This was a big blow to the mission since he was already the strongest hunter in Korea, and no one in Japan could come close to his skills.

The Unfathomable Betrayal

On the surface, the Korean and Japanese hunters had agreed to work together to clear Jeju Island’s S-rank Gate. Goto Ryuji himself came forward to meet Go Gunhee and propose a detailed strategy for the entire mission. He also offered his services and even revealed that he would be bringing Japan’s top hunters along with him.

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It seemed that with Goto Ryuji’s backing, the Koreans still had a chance. But Go Gunhee and his comrades could not fathom the unbelievable backstabbing that awaited them. From the start, Goto had planned to lead the Korean hunters to their deaths on Jeju Island with the support of the Japanese Hunters Association’s Chairman, Matsumoto Shigeo. The Korean-Japanese partnership was a farce from day one, and Ryuji only cared about his personal ambitions.

An Enemy Beyond Human Comprehension

Just as the Korean and Japanese hunters prepared for the high-stakes mission, the Ant Queen on Jeju Island gave birth to her strongest son, the Ant King. As the resources on the island depleted, she felt that it was the need of the hour that a strong leader helped the ants leave the island and find a new home.

Although the island was teeming with evolved ants, none of them were anything like the Ant King. Gifted with overwhelming strength, speed, and intelligence, he surpassed any magic beast the Koreans and Japanese had ever fought.

Was the Jeju Island Raid Doomed From the Start?

Sung Jinwoo’s Withdrawal Sealed the Fate of the Jeju Island Raid Party

Clearing an S-rank Gate is an almost impossible task that has only been accomplished once in human history. Even then, about a hundred S-rankers lost their lives along with about 1,000,000 civilians. Although it’s hard to tell if the Jeju Island S-rank Gate was as dangerous as the first S-rank Gate that spawned on the West Coast of America, it is safe to assume that both Gates were unlikely to be cleared safely by a team of 16 S-rankers.

The fate of the mission was sealed at the moment when Sung Jinwoo withdrew his name. Without his support, the S-rankers were no match for the Ant King. Even if the Japanese had tried their dirty tricks, with Jinwoo on their side, the Koreans would have had no problem successfully reclaiming the island. But without him, the Jeju Island raid party was just an easy target for the Ant King, who could have played with the hunters before killing them one by one.

So, in conclusion, it could be argued that the entire mission was doomed even before the hunters left for the forsaken island. If Sung Jinwoo had not intervened, the loss of life and property could potentially have been just as bad as the first S-rank Gate incident.

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Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

Writers

Noboru Kimura

• 

  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

• 

  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)