The Vietnam War, waged in the name of ideology and concealed beneath the façade of economic growth, remains a “Forgotten War” in South Korea. This film seeks to invite post-war generations—who were never taught the history of Korea’s role in aiding an invasion—to confront and redefine the Vietnam War.

Through images of former Korean military camps in Da Nang and Hoi An, men donning old uniforms, and passersby walking indifferently past them, the film revives the war’s memories both physically and symbolically. Once sites of military occupation, these camps have now become rice fields, cemeteries, factories, schools, and roads—markers that the war has ended and life has resumed. Yet, for individuals like Tam, who spent her childhood inside a so-called “democratic” military camp, war is not a closed chapter but an enduring condition, woven into the fabric of daily life.

The title, Collateral Damage, borrows a military term used to describe unintended destruction during war—often a euphemism for civilian massacres. Some argue it is nothing more than “a phrase used when lacking the courage to admit the killing of civilians.” The film challenges this language of erasure, reminding us that once begun, war never truly ends—it continues as an intangible heritage, repeating itself in memory, trauma, and silence.