Inside Men

Lee Byung-hun will be presented with a Star Asia Award.

Based on a webtoon by Yoon Tae-ho, Inside Men—the highest-grossing R-rated film in South Korean history—infiltrates and exposes the seedy alliances between politics, media, and the country’s chaebol (mega-corporations), the triumvirate that holds the nation’s real power. Congressman Jang Pil-woo is on the doorstep of the Korean presidency, thanks to strong support (i.e., piles of money) from the CEO of a major car company and an influential newspaper editor. But Jang’s path to the presidency is blocked by an unlikely pair of obstacles in Ahn (Lee Byung-hun), a one-handed thug motivated by revenge, and Woo, a fiery prosecutor with his own dreams of power. Not that long ago, it was almost unthinkable to openly criticize the almighty chaebol in Korea, but Inside Men is the latest in a string of films (including Ryoo Seung-wan’s Veteran) to portray the leaders of major corporations as demon despots from the foulest hell. Presented with the support of Korean Cultural Center New York.