Attack the Gas Station!

Four restless youths pull off a gas station robbery in Seoul, turning a routine service stop into a chaotic stage for their grievances. Rather than a clean getaway, they hijack the space and press a running carnival of tricks, from coercing the manager into singing to detaining customers who complain about the service. What follows is a string of escalating pranks and brawls that pits rival street factions against the shop’s attendants, all underscored by a blunt satire of social norms. The film keeps the mood brisk and messy, leaning into cartoonish energy while hinting at private disillusionment behind the bravado. There are no clean heroes here. The result is a rambunctious, oddly affectionate portrait of rebellion.

Directed by Kim Sang-jin and written with input from Park Jung-woo, Attack the Gas Station! arrived in 1999 as a kinetic crowd pleaser. It fits into Korea’s late 90s wave of urban action comedies that mix rough humor with street reality.

Within its era, the film is often cited for its raw energy and fearless blend of street realism with slapstick. It helped bring attention to a grittier strand of Korean humor and gave some of its young performers a chance to stretch into bolder, more forceful roles.

Critics tended to note the film's brisk pace, anarchic tone, and social critique wrapped in fast paced action. Its core themes revolve around alienation in a consumer society and the allure of rebellion when institutions feel distant. The mix of physical humor and provocative satire makes it a memorable timestamp for a provocative era in Korean cinema.

Box office data for Attack the Gas Station! is not widely publicized. The film appears to have had a modest domestic performance and later gained notice through word of mouth, screenings at festivals, and its reputation among fans of offbeat Korean cinema.