Will Sung Jin-Woo Betray Korea?

At the beginning of Solo Leveling, no one paid attention to Sung Jin-Woo due to his low level and weak abilities. Even private guilds in Korea have no interest in Jin-Woo, giving him no choice but to work under the Hunter Association. However, now that everyone knows about Jin-Woo’s abilities, will he betray Korea and join an international guild like Scavenger Guild’s Hwang Dong-Soo?

Sung Jin-Woo’s drastic change from E-rank to S-rank status came as a shock among civilians and hunters alike. He became the tenth S-rank hunter to emerge from Korea, drawing the attention of not just his fellowmen but also the hunters around the world. His case was rare, since he initially awakened as an E-rank hunter before reaching S-rank. Understandably, all eyes are on Jin-Woo, especially after the events of the fourth Jeju Island raid in Solo Leveling.

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How Korea Sees Hunter Sung Jin-Woo

The Country Only Acknowledges the Strong

Sung Jin-Woo is currently on his redemption arc, basking in glory after emerging as the newest S-rank hunter of Korea. He has come so far, considering the number of times he spent braving life-or-death situations that almost took his life. Once known as “The Weakest Hunter of All Mankind,” the former Jin-Woo has come to accept that only the strong survive in this cruel world, particularly in Korea.

While a few individuals looked out for him, many mocked his pathetic abilities. Hunters, in particular, whispered behind his back, insulting his low rank, as if he could not hear any of it. They acted kind and sympathetic in front of him, but in reality, they laughed at his desperation to survive. True enough, Jin-Woo learned the painful truth through repeated betrayals, especially during the double dungeon incident.

Sung Jin-Woo Has the Last Laugh

The Plot Twist

Things drastically changed for Jin-Woo, as the nation that once ignored him finally had a change of heart. The immense power he holds has given him a chance to turn everything around in his favor. He finally has the last laugh, as every private guild in Korea wants to recruit him, and all the hunters are intimidated by him. No one can simply ignore Jin-Woo, not to mention deny his outrageous abilities anymore.

Everybody, including the chairman of the Hunter’s Association, wants Jin-Woo and his abilities to remain in Korea. And who wouldn’t? He is the only hunter in the country capable of clearing an S-rank dungeon gate by himself. His presence on the battlefield is equivalent to a hundred, or perhaps over a thousand, hunters combined. If Jin-Woo decides to follow in the footsteps of Hunter Hwang Dong-Soo, Korea will truly lose a national-level asset.

So, Will Jin-Woo Betray Korea?

To Stay or Not to Stay?

While there are a lot of reasons for Jin-Woo to betray Korea, he will not do it. As revealed in the succeeding chapters of the Solo Leveling manhwa, Sung Jin-Woo will stay in Korea while protecting his family and friends. He will be true to his word to Chairman Go Gun-Hee, who pleaded with him to stay in Korea and side with humanity until the end. Naturally, Jin-Woo did not agree with the chairman without getting something in return.

In exchange for Jin-Woo’s loyalty to the nation, Go Gun-Hee had to bypass some rules in the Hunter Association despite receiving some side comments from the national assembly. He promised Jin-Woo a special favor, wherein the Hunter Association would allow him to raid a dungeon by himself. Normally, there’s a specific number of hunters required to raid a dungeon, depending on its danger level. But considering Jin-Woo’s ability to raise an army of shadows, he has more than enough allies to clear a particular gate.

With the agreement in place, Jin-Woo never agreed to move abroad and join an international guild despite their tempting offers. While America wanted to give citizenship to Jin-Woo and his family, Japan was willing to give up all their share of the magical crystals mined in Jeju Island just to recruit Jin-Woo. If these don’t speak volumes about Jin-Woo’s worth, then we don’t know what does.

Despite Jin-Woo’s negative experience with the hierarchy of hunters in Korea, he chose to stay thanks to a few individuals who had a huge influence on his life. Without them, Jin-Woo would most likely migrate, possibly to China or America, or anywhere he believes could challenge and excite him. After all, Jin-Woo seemingly has an obsession with growing stronger in Solo Leveling.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

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  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

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  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)