The Jeju Island Raid remains one of the darkest moments in Solo Leveling, marking a devastating loss for Japan and Korea’s top hunters. It brought to light the dark history surrounding the island, displayed the dangers of S-Rank gates, and resurfaced the tragic loss of multiple lives. Sung Jinwoo’s intervention, as late as it was, was the only bright side to this fourth raid. But what if he had acted sooner? What if he had joined the raid team from the start?

Surely, Jinwoo’s presence and contribution were appreciated. However, an earlier appearance would have been way better and prevented history, another bloody massacre, from repeating itself in the Solo Leveling series.

The Devastation Of The Jeju Island Raid

Sung Jinwoo’s Countermeasures

Sung Jinwoo’s primary reason for not joining the Jeju Island Raid was his mother, who had recently recovered from Eternal Slumber. He placed his family above his duties as a hunter, choosing to spend time with family over clearing the S-Ranked dungeon. He also believed in the ability of the enlisted hunters and thought they could handle it without him. His beliefs were not baseless or wrong, as they had already made solid progress and defeated the Ant Queen without him. However, the Ant King was a surprise no one expected, not even Jinwoo. Fortunately, Jinwoo took some measures in case such a surprise were to pop up.

Tracking The Status Of The Hunters

During the training session among the collaborative forces of Japan and Korea’s top hunters, Jinwoo had placed a shadow soldier in the shadows of the hunters he wanted to keep track of. If the hunters he was tracking were to release the shadow soldier attached to them, which happened by death in the case of Goto Ryuji, he would immediately be aware of the situation and teleport to their aid.

Sadly, this measure was not the best, as it was not completely foolproof. For starters, despite using his shadow soldiers as homing devices, back-and-forth communication was impossible. As such, he had no idea of the current situation until Goto Ryuji died. Also, the soldiers he used were the kind that only act when given an order and do not act on instinct. Even if their assigned hunter was cornered, they would not intervene unless ordered to. Although this preventive measure did save several hunters at the end of the day, there were still a lot of losses, a tragedy that could have been prevented if Jinwoo had acted earlier.

Jinwoo’s Unparalleled Strength

The Ant King Would Be No Match

Among all the complications that could occur, the Ant King defeating Jinwoo is not one of them. Before the raid commenced, Jinwoo already had the ability to dominate it and was even seen going aura-for-aura with Goto Ryuji, Japan’s number one, without breaking a sweat. While he might have been previously lacking, his complete exploration of the Demon Dungeon came with a lot of useful abilities, weapons, and shadow soldiers that the Ant King was no match for. If Jinwoo had been with the raid team earlier, most of the deaths would have been avoided, as the primary goal of the Ant King was to defeat the king of humans. Instead of heading in Goto’s direction, it would have gone straight for Jinwoo, sparing the other hunters from dying and preventing the massacre.

Jinwoo As A One-Man Army

Barring Jinwoo’s secrecy when it comes to using his abilities, there is a high chance he could have cleared the S-Rank gate all on his own. Being a one-man army, in the literal sense, he and his shadow army could have wiped out the ants and the Ant King and Queen, drastically changing the battle outcome and ensuring there were no losses. It may be a little bit difficult, but Jinwoo overcoming tough battles and leveling up is essentially the basis of the anime, so it would be taken in stride.

The Cons Of Sung Jinwoo’s Early Participation

The Danger Of Information On Jinwoo

Most fans often look at the Jeju Island tragedy from the viewpoint of the hunters that died. Rightfully so, as human lives should be a priority. However, Sung Jinwoo acting any earlier could have also led to a chain of events that might have put Korea at a disadvantage, the main one being Jinwoo’s exposure.

Tales of Jinwoo’s strength and prowess are already spreading, with top hunters seeking to duel with him and top organizations digging up any information they can. Considering the raid was televised, his abilities would have been on full display for the world to see, handing information that could potentially harm Korea to their enemies on a platter.

Japan’s True intentions

Japan had a separate goal when they agreed to collaborate with the Korean hunters, a goal that either elevated them and their hunters or brought down Korea’s military strength. Fortunately, yet unfortunately, Japan lost more than half of its S-rank hunters, including its strongest, and its plans not only failed before it could even start, but they also backfired. Suppose Jinwoo had intervened earlier and prevented the massacre. In that case, Japan’s intentions might have gone unnoticed, and their treacherous plan would have had the opportunity to commence, most likely placing Korea in a tight spot in due time.

The Raid’s Lasting Impact

The Price Korea Paid

Sung Jinwoo’s early participation has its pros and cons. However, the former outweighs the latter. His presence would have prevented the massacre as a whole, saving the lives of several hunters, and given Korea the happy ending they deserved after three previously unsuccessful raids. His unmatched strength, powerful shadow army, and brilliant strategy would have made him either the foundation of the raid team, the pillar that would have protected the hunters, or the solo hunter who clears an S-Rank gate. However, his dedication to his family and poor communication delayed his involvement. While he should have acted sooner, his intervention still ensured Korea’s survival, just at a very hefty price.

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