Secretly Greatly (2013 Film)
Secretly Greatly (Korean: 은밀하게 위대하게) is a 2013 South Korean action-comedy film directed by Jang Cheol-soo. The film is based on the webcomic Covertness, written by Hun (Choi Jong-hoon), which was serialized on Daum Webtoon from June 2010 to May 2011.
Plot
The story follows Won Ryu-hwan (played by Kim Soo-hyun), a highly trained North Korean Special Forces operative. Ryu-hwan is deployed to South Korea on a covert mission, assuming the identity of Bang Dong-gu, a mentally challenged young man living in a modest neighborhood in Seoul. While working at a local convenience store, he integrates into the community and develops a bond with the residents, particularly the elderly woman who owns the store.
His mission is later joined by two other North Korean agents: Lee Hae-rang (Park Ki-woong), who poses as a rock star, and Ri Hae-jin (Lee Hyun-woo). As the three men live undercover, they await further instructions from their superiors in North Korea.
Production
The film's production was marked by a change in leadership; director Juhn Jai-hong was initially attached to the project but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts with the production company. Principal photography commenced on October 17, 2012, and concluded on March 8, 2013, spanning five months of filming. The final scene, featuring characters Dong-gu and Hae-jin, was shot in an alleyway within a low-income residential area.
Reception
Upon its release on June 5, 2013, Secretly Greatly achieved significant commercial success in South Korea. It set a new record for the highest number of ticket sales on an opening day for a Korean film, selling 498,284 tickets and surpassing the previous record held by The Thieves. The following day, June 6, 2013, the film established a new all-time single-day ticket sales record for a Korean production with 919,036 admissions.
