Default (2018 South Korean Film)

Default (Korean: 국가부도의 날; RR: Gukgabudoui Nal) is a 2018 South Korean drama film directed by Choi Kook-Hee. The film dramatizes the events surrounding the 1997 Asian financial crisis, specifically focusing on the week leading up to South Korea's sovereign default and the subsequent negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Default movie poster — Promotional poster for the film Default.

Plot

The narrative is set in 1997, as South Korea faces an unprecedented economic collapse. Han Shi-Hyun (Kim Hye-Soo), a senior official at the Bank of Korea, identifies the impending sovereign default and attempts to alert the government. As the crisis unfolds, she is appointed to a special task force to manage the fallout. Simultaneously, the film follows Yoon Jung-Hak (Yoo Ah-In), a finance professional who anticipates the market crash and bets his capital against the national economy, and Gab-Soo (Heo Jun-Ho), a small business owner struggling to protect his family and company from the economic turmoil.

Production

The film was directed by Choi Kook-Hee and written by Uhm Sung-Min. Principal photography for the project commenced on December 12, 2017, and concluded on March 11, 2018.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast portraying both fictionalized and representative figures of the era:

Kim Hye-Soo as Han Shi-Hyun
Yoo Ah-In as Yoon Jung-Hak
Heo Jun-Ho as Gab-Soo
Jo Woo-Jin as the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance
Vincent Cassel as the Managing Director of the IMF

Vincent Cassel as the Managing Director of the IMF.

Awards

At the 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards held on November 21, 2019, Jo Woo-Jin received the award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film.