[9] It was selected as South Korea's submission to the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film,[10][11] but did not make the final shortlist.

Eun-pyo arrives at the front lines accompanied by Captain Jae-oh, the replacement commanding officer, and new soldier Pvt.

The acting commander, Captain Young-Il, though a skilled soldier, is addicted to morphine, the men actively wear captured enemy uniforms and use Communist vocabulary while talking.

Their former captor, Jung-Yoon, is revealed to be commanding the North Korean forces against them; he too is severely strained by the war and is struggling to keep his similarly battered veteran unit together.

Eun-pyo is stunned after witnessing Soo-hyeok murdering surrendered North Koreans as they do not have time to properly take them prisoner during a raid, before joining the rest of Alligator Company as they retake the hill from Northern hands.

Although Eun-pyo attempts to save him, Soo-hyeok orders him to leave Seong-shik to die, baiting "Two Seconds" for an artillery strike that fails to kill the sniper.

Eun-pyo attempts to hunt down "Two Seconds" alone, eventually subduing the sniper, only to find that 'he' is a female soldier named Cha Tae-kyeong, who is saddened by her having to kill Seong-shik, having recognized him over their battles and gift exchanges.

The veteran is transferred out, doomed to a dishonorable discharge, and the orphans are evacuated as Soo-hyeok and Young-il re-install discipline and rebuild the men's will to fight.

Soo-hyeok shoots Jae-Oh dead in front of Eun-pyo, takes command with Young-il, and leads the company to safety.

North and South Korean troops encounter each other at a stream, but after a tense moment, quietly wave each other goodbye.

The remnants of Alligator Company (and possibly other South Korean Army forces) gathered in the base of Aerok Hill in the fog.

In the fog, the North Korean soldiers on the hill began singing the song that the late Seong-shik often sang to Alligator Company before he was sniped by "2 seconds" Tae-Kyeong.

But before he can further examine the item he was blown up and killed by an immediately incoming friendly fire American air strike targeting the hill.