“Some sell out their country, while others risk their lives to protect it.”
The story of a boy who struggled to protect Joseon's communications in a country that had been taken away.

The first telephone introduced to Joseon, the "Deokryulpung," is a novel about the history of communications! Korea's first telephone appeared in 1882.
It was first brought by a Joseon student who studied electricity in the Qing Dynasty.
In 1896, Emperor Gojong first used a telephone for administrative purposes, and the first regular telephone was introduced in 1902 when a telephone line connecting Seoul and Incheon was opened.
Afterwards, telephone stations were installed in nine places, including Kaesong, Pyongyang, and Suwon.
At that time, the telephone was called 'Deokryulpung', a transliteration of the word 'telephone'.
However, with the forced conclusion of the Korea-Japan Communications Agreement in 1905, Korea's communication rights were taken away, and Koreans were also deprived of their communication rights.


In the late 19th century, Joseon adopted an open-door policy and began introducing a telegraph system.
In 1882, the Postal Service, a communications administration organization, was established, in 1884, the Postal General Office was established, and in 1893, the War Memorial Office was established.
Afterwards, the telegraph business was promoted by reorganizing the Gongmunamun Post Office (1894), the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry's Communications Department (1895), and the Communications Office (1900).


But in the end, Joseon's communications policy was absorbed into a system that facilitated Japan's exploitation of Joseon.
The work that deals with this dark period is 『Deokryulpung』.
In 1902, when Japan was concretizing its ambitions for invasion, the film vividly portrays the times through the confrontation between Japan, which was trying to take away Joseon's right to communicate, and the correspondent students who were trying to stop it.


『Deokryulpung』 is based on historical facts.
It is based on the materials and reality of the time, such as the Telecommunications Academy, a training institution for telecommunications technicians, and its operation, the current National Police Agency (Kyungmudae), the Gyeongmusa, telecommunications technicians, and beacon stations, and other actual telegraph and police organizations, as well as various occupations.
It realistically depicts the tragic situation of colonial boys who had to risk their lives to protect Japanese communications before the Gyeongsul National Shame.

“It’s a virtue.”
Brother Hae-cheol got it right.
"that's right.
Then you know what I mean.”
“If I say more, my mouth will hurt.
“It’s the wind that spreads virtue.”
This time, Seongyeol got it right.
“That’s the name they called you when they first brought the telephone into the palace.
Well, it's still called that now."
Inseong hyung intervened.
“By the way, isn’t it wonderful that it spreads virtue?
“From now on, the name of the phone I make is Deokryulpung.”
--- p.27

If you saw your father's workshop a week ago, doesn't that mean he planned it out?
But why is it called father's workshop?
What was the purpose of bringing in the communication devices?
At that moment, I suddenly remembered the conversation I had with my fellow students.
'They're trying to start another war by taking away our communication rights.
'There's nothing better than communication to monitor enemy movements and report back quickly.'
--- p.98

My gaze shifted back to Uncle Byeongsu.
Uncle Byeongsu said with a look of 'what's the big deal?'
“When Japan fought a war with China, China lost.
“These are the things that the Qing Dynasty left behind at that time.”
“Oh, is that so?
Hmm, but why did you bring what the Qing Dynasty left behind?”
“Well, that’s just to open a military telegraph office here in the workshop.”
“A military telegraph? What is that?”
“Huh? What did I just say?”
Uncle Byeongsu was embarrassed.
“I heard that they opened a military telegraph card or a military chestnut telegraph card.”
“No, no.
That was my mistake.
“Just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
Uncle Byeongsu coughed several times and went downstairs.
--- p.117

I swallowed hard and picked up the receiver.
“Excuse me, who is the correspondent?”
I heard someone ask, 'Who am I?' and after a moment of silence, the other person answered.
“I am Lee Seong-yeol.
“Is that the Incheon telephone office?”
You're Seongyeol hyung?
“Brother Seongyeol, it’s me, Kangsik.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“It’s Kangsik, Kangsik.”
“What? Kangshik?”
Clank.
Clank.
Sundol and I raised our heads at the same time.
The sound of a lock being unlocked was heard from above.
“Hey, come up quickly.”
Gil Yong-i stuck his head down and shouted.
The voice was urgent.
--- p.131

“But how did the call get connected?”
As I entered Inwangsan, I asked.
Brother Hae-cheol looked at me and answered.
“Seongyeol and I came here to talk about that too.
Before, Professor Mirunsa said that Joseon does not yet have a communication system in place, so confusion often occurs.
It was the same this time too.
But this time, the phone that made the call was the one you made.
no.
I guess I should call it Deokryulpung.
Anyway, it was confusing, but your virtue worked.”
"yes?"
Who would have thought that the phone I made would save my life?
--- p.142

I looked back at the beacon tower.
And then I turned around and looked down the path I had come up for a long time.
Suddenly, memories of the day I wrote on the telegraph pole, the night my father was arrested, the night I was imprisoned at the beacon tower, Uncle Byeongsu's betrayal, the telephone installed in my father's workshop, the communication I sent using that telephone, and the visit of my fellow students to Bukaksan Mountain all flashed through my mind.
A distant and quiet afterglow lingered over the beacon tower.
After a while, I turned my head towards the old man.
“There’s something I’ve clearly realized through this experience.”
“What is that?”
The man with glasses asked.
“I think I can be more courageous… no, I think I need to be more courageous.”

--- p.166