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The Spy Gone North

Original title: Gongjak
  • 2018
  • Tous publics
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
7K
YOUR RATING
Hwang Jung-min in The Spy Gone North (2018)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:12
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaThriller

In the mid-1990s, a loyal South Korean secret agent is caught in a political vortex plotted by the ruling classes of North and South Korea.In the mid-1990s, a loyal South Korean secret agent is caught in a political vortex plotted by the ruling classes of North and South Korea.In the mid-1990s, a loyal South Korean secret agent is caught in a political vortex plotted by the ruling classes of North and South Korea.

  • Director
    • Yoon Jong-bin
  • Writers
    • Yoon Jong-bin
    • Park Myeong-chan
    • Kwon Sung-hui
  • Stars
    • Hwang Jung-min
    • Lee Sung-min
    • Cho Jin-woong
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Yoon Jong-bin
    • Writers
      • Yoon Jong-bin
      • Park Myeong-chan
      • Kwon Sung-hui
    • Stars
      • Hwang Jung-min
      • Lee Sung-min
      • Cho Jin-woong
    • 31User reviews
    • 42Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 28 wins & 32 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Spy Gone North
    Trailer 1:12
    The Spy Gone North

    Photos260

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    Top cast60

    Edit
    Hwang Jung-min
    Hwang Jung-min
    • Black Venus (Park Seok-young)
    Lee Sung-min
    Lee Sung-min
    • Ri Myong-woon
    Cho Jin-woong
    Cho Jin-woong
    • Choi Hak-seong
    Ju Ji-hoon
    Ju Ji-hoon
    • Jong Moo-taek
    Kim Hong-pa
    Kim Hong-pa
    • Kim Myeong-soo
    Jeong Sori
    • Hong-seol
    Gi Ju-bong
    Gi Ju-bong
    • Kim Jong-Il
    Kim Eung-soo
    Kim Eung-soo
    • Department Head Kim
    Yong Chae
    • Hwang Byeong-cheol
    Park Jin-young
    Park Jin-young
    • Professor Kim Jang-hyeok
    Kwon Bum-taek
    Kwon Bum-taek
    • Sexer
    Kim Byeong-Ok
    Kim Byeong-Ok
    • Doctor Jang
    Choi Byung-mo
    Choi Byung-mo
    • National Assembly Member Yoo
    Yoon Dae-yeol
    • Guard Soldier 1
    Kang Deok-Joong
    • North Korean Border Guard
    Jung Gi-sub
    Jung Gi-sub
    • Agency for National Security Planning Agent 1
    Jeong Han-bin
    • Bombshell Blast Corps
    Kim Hyeon-Ok
    • Female Real Estate Agency Boss
    • Director
      • Yoon Jong-bin
    • Writers
      • Yoon Jong-bin
      • Park Myeong-chan
      • Kwon Sung-hui
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews31

    7.36.9K
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    Featured reviews

    9ops-52535

    good spy thriller

    This is a korean spy thriller drama about, a true incident of espionage on north korea from the southern sister, via channals in mother china. its an exremely complex plot, but the very good acting by the main actors make this as seeworthy as the east west spy thrillers of the 70's and 80's made by usa , european and soviet filmakers.

    its very well worth a thought that the korean issue is a still ongoing conflict, and every time a film like this is put on the market, their northern counterpart usually creates skin attacks and mortar shelling on the DMZ, or starts some navy maneuvers that usually are not announced, or burns up some fireworks that USA and japan gets der untergang spasms from, south korea are doomed anyway if some dirt like that should happen.

    one might critizice the slow pace of this film, but its done with a cause, and well worth waiting for. the filmography are true fantastic in all aspects, with the punch of a feinsmeaeckers finrgerspitz, it brings us through great aerials to excitingly focused dialouges.

    a darn good thriller thinks the grumpy old man, with recommendations.
    blueboot

    Par excellence. Pay attention!

    This high quality drama is an edgy political thriller throughout, and directed brilliantly by Yoon Jong-bin. The cinematography, the strong cast, the pace, minimalist score and crafted camera work dovetail beautifully to produce a fictional re-telling of a story largely based on truth. The ideologies of two opposed political systems rooted in sister countries of North and South Korea confront one another through the actions of Kim Jong-il (Leader, General and King of the North) and the National Intelligence Service of the South. The quest of the NIS is to determine by whatever means they can devise whether the North is developing nuclear capability, and how close that may be to full militarization. Itself no simple matter! The answer the Director of the NIS is instructed to follow is: send one of his prized assets, a soldier Park (Hwang Jung-min), first to China in the guise of a greedy businessman to build a network of contacts, then if possible, eventually move on to Pyongyang, and Seoul to get close to and manipulate General Kim. Assessing the nuclear threat is agent Park's foremost priority.

    That said, the already apparent complicated plot is made more so by believable lucrative and labyrinthine business dealings that have to be set-up and we follow in real time. Agent Park, now businessman Park, is under suspicion from the off and continually tested by an ever cautious communist security service chief. Any mistake by Park in his new persona will lead to exposure and imminent death. The tension and austere nature imposed by DPRK security is palpable, and makes very edgy viewing indeed.

    However, while Park progresses and begins to infiltrate into the top echelons other complications arise in his home country. The longstanding ruling Party of 50 years faces a general election in which a new opposition Democrat candidate (allegedly a covert communist sympathiser) wants to reaffirm friendships and form closer trade relations with the North. That level of uncertainty (or as seen by some NIS members, a 'threat' that the South dare not tolerate) compels many of the principle protagonists to either switch their allegiances or change their modus operandi, compounding the cinematic intrigue.

    In answer to a few Imdb reviewers who suggest that this movie is slow, they could not be more wrong! To enact the largely historically truthful story in all its glorious intricacies any less accurately by going faster, while maintaining such a superb level of entertainment would be nigh on impossible. This movie is acted slickly and make no mistake is superbly directed. The long build-up in the first half seems necessary to make the story intelligible. Without giving away how the story pans out in the latter half, suffice to say, it makes for an enjoyable, entirely satisfactory, time well-spent coherent watch. Director Yoon Jong-bin especially, and others, particularly the scriptwriters, and supporting cast deserve nominations in the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars. This film comes highly recommended.

    What could prove limiting to its worldwide box office appeal is that for English-speaking audiences the dialogue requires subtitles, and that usually reduces audience figures. Don't let that put you off. 'The Spy Gone North' (aka Gongjak) merits 10/10.
    8Ginsengjin

    Great movie with excellent cinematography

    Gongjak or The Spy Gone North is a spy thriller that looks at the complex political world of North and South Korea and relations during the late 1990's. It is a mix of history and fiction in telling the story of a South Korean spy agent who goes to North Korea under the guise of a businessman through China in order to infiltrate North Korea in search of information about the nuclear program.

    The movie's biggest strength is in the cinematography portraying the different locales of China, South Korea, and North Korea in its story telling and in the acting pulling in a cast of well established Korean actors. The camera work and soundtrack is also excellent which work together perfectly in creating high tension key points in the story and providing the movie with excellent pacing.

    The story is for the most part is more straight forward than what I expected from a spy thriller. It gets more political after the second half of the movie which is expected due to the nature of story between North and South Korea and it adds a level of complexity. What the movie doesn't do well is explain the motivation that drives the actions of supporting characters. The main character's actions were easy to understand but it was a little bit frustrating not understanding the driving cause of some of the other key characters.

    The movie ends with a clear message that will polarize viewers based on their political standing but it does so in an interesting way through the relationship between characters which does tie up the movie fairly well. My biggest critique of this film is that it's too predictable for a spy thriller but it does do a great job narrating the journey.
    8michaelarmer

    Cracking Oriental Spy Thriller

    I am a fan of intrigue/spy thrillers, and I noticed this in the TV schedule so recorded it, initially I thought it was a serial, I did not know anything about it or which country it was about or made by.

    I was pleasantly surprised upon opening it, that it was a South Korean movie, having seen a couple from there before, and it turned out to be a lucky move to record it, as it turned out to be excellent.

    It starts off as a spy scam, whereby the South Koreans send a spy to pretend to be a business man to infiltrate the north, but evolves into a political thriller, with a few twists and a bit of a opposite buddy's near the end, apparently it's a true story!

    Hollywood used to make films like this, but can't seem to do it anymore, It is in the film noir style, and very well made, excellent direction and very good actors, the photography is good, but the best is the character interplay. 60 years ago this might have been a Humphrey Bogart film, like an oriental Maltese Falcon. Watch as soon as you can. Brilliant
    9MadamWarden

    EXCELLENT SPY YARN

    A top flight spy movie. Full of tension, twists and intrigue. Set in what is probably the most intriguing cold war of all time.

    This is an excellent movie on all accounts. The fact that it is based on historical events makes it even more special.

    Watch it and love it!

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Actor Jung-min Hwang, who plays the South Korean spy with the code-name 'Black Venus', said of the emphasis of playing his central spy character of Seok-young Park (aka Suk-young Park) in this film: "I spent a lot of time discussing his character with the director [Jong-bin Yoon], and we decided to approach it almost like two separate characters, so that the acting for Park Suk-young would be different for that of 'Black Venus'. For example, when operating in China or North Korea, he is 'Black Venus', not Park Suk-young. He has his own distinctive look, actions and speaking style. I tried to portray 'Black Venus' less as a spy, and more as a kind of businessman. In general, 'Black Venus' and Park Suk-young speak different dialects, the South-eastern Gyeongsang dialect and a standard dialect, so we can think of them as different people."
    • Goofs
      When Suk-young Park arrives in Pyongyang for the first time and is driven around the city, he goes past the Mansudae Grand Monument which is large statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. At the time this scene is set it only the statue of Kim Il-sung was there. The statue of Kim Jong-il was erected after his death.
    • Connections
      References Pretty Woman (1990)

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    FAQ18

    • How long is The Spy Gone North?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 7, 2018 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Official sites
      • Official Site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • Korean
      • Mandarin
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • The spy gone North
    • Filming locations
      • Taiwan(Beijing, North Korea)
    • Production companies
      • CJ E&M Film Financing & Investment Entertainment & Comics
      • CJ Entertainment
      • InfinityOne Comics Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ₩19,000,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $500,803
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $43,348
      • Aug 12, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $38,844,509
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 17m(137 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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