A high-stakes hunt for counterfeit plates unites two sworn enemies

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When a North Korean officer is betrayed by his own superiors, he must team up with a South Korean detective to stop a dangerous fugitive. This 2017 action comedy explores the friction of forced cooperation between two nations divided by ideology and history.

Directed by Kim Sung-hoon, Confidential Assignment centers on Im Cheol-ryung, a special investigation officer from North Korea. After discovering that his own superior, Cha Ki-seong, betrayed his team to steal master plates for printing counterfeit money—resulting in the death of Cheol-ryung's wife and colleagues—Cheol-ryung is ordered to retrieve those plates within three days.

The mission forces an uneasy alliance with South Korean Detective Kang Jin-tae. Initially tasked by Seoul officials to monitor Cheol-ryung for signs of revenge, Jin-tae finds himself in a complex dynamic of mutual suspicion and eventual cooperation. The narrative follows their journey through locations like Myeong-Dong and Jongro as they track down the counterfeiting gang and navigate various traps set by Ki-seong.

With a domestic count of 7.8 million spectators, the production reached peak popularity within South Korea's first six months of 2017 as its highest-grossing local feature. It sold to 42 territories globally, including the United States and several Asian countries. The franchise expanded in 2022 with a sequel, Confidential Assignment 2: International, directed by Lee Seok-hoon.

The story concludes with a final confrontation where Cheol-ryung and Jin-tae successfully neutralize Ki-seong after he kidnaps Jin-tae's family. The film serves as a cinematic exploration of the 'confidential assignment'—a forced partnership where personal history and national tension collide over a singular, high-stakes objective.

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