Ransomed (2023 Film)

Ransomed, released in South Korea under the literal title Unofficial Operation (Korean: 비공식작전; RR: Bigongsikjakjeon), is a 2023 action-drama film directed by Kim Sung-hoon. The film follows a South Korean diplomat who embarks on an unauthorized mission to rescue a colleague held captive in Lebanon during the country's civil war.

Promotional poster for Ransomed — Promotional poster for the 2023 film Ransomed.

Plot

Min-joon (played by Ha Jung-woo) is a government diplomat with aspirations of being stationed in the United States. To secure this transfer, he volunteers for a high-stakes, unofficial operation to locate and rescue a South Korean diplomat who has gone missing in Lebanon. Upon arriving in the war-torn nation, Min-joon encounters Pan-soo (Ju Ji-hoon), a local Korean taxi driver. Despite his reputation as a swindler, Pan-soo possesses essential knowledge of the local terrain and language, forcing the two to cooperate to complete the rescue mission without official government support.

Production

The film was directed by Kim Sung-hoon. Principal photography for the project commenced in February 2022 and concluded on August 30, 2022. The film was distributed by Showbox and premiered in South Korea on August 2, 2023.

Actor Ha Jung-woo — Ha Jung-woo portrays the diplomat Min-joon.

Actor Ju Ji-hoon — Ju Ji-hoon portrays the taxi driver Pan-soo.

Cast

Ha Jung-woo as Min-joon
Ju Ji-hoon as Pan-soo
Lim Hyung-guk as Oh Jae-seok
Kim Eung-soo as the NSA director
Kim Jong-soo as Choi Gang-seok
Park Hyuk-kwon as Park Seung-ho
Yoo Seung-mok as Lee Sang-ok