The Mayor (2017 South Korean Film)

The Mayor (Korean: 특별시민; RR: Teukbyulshimin) is a 2017 South Korean political drama film directed by Park In-je. The film explores the cutthroat nature of political campaigning and the pursuit of power within the context of a Seoul mayoral election.

The Mayor film poster — Promotional poster for The Mayor.

Plot

The story follows Byun Jong-goo (played by Choi Min-sik), the incumbent mayor of Seoul who is running for an unprecedented third term. While his immediate goal is to secure his position in the city, his ultimate ambition is to ascend to the presidency of South Korea. To ensure his victory, he relies on his campaign manager, Sim Hyuk-soo (Kwak Do-won), a strategist willing to employ any means necessary to win. The campaign team is bolstered by the addition of Park Kyung (Shim Eun-kyung), a young advertising professional recruited for her skills in image management. As the election progresses, the team faces mounting crises that test their political resolve and ethics.

Production

The film was directed by Park In-je, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Park Shin-kyu. Principal photography for the production commenced on April 28, 2016, and concluded on August 16, 2016. The film was distributed by Showbox and released in South Korea on April 26, 2017, with a total runtime of 130 minutes.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast of prominent South Korean actors:

Choi Min-sik as Byun Jong-goo
Kwak Do-won as Sim Hyuk-soo
Shim Eun-kyung as Park Kyung
Moon So-ri as Jung Jae-yi
Ra Mi-ran as Yang Jin-joo

Choi Min-sik portrays the incumbent mayor Byun Jong-goo.

Kwak Do-won plays the campaign manager Sim Hyuk-soo.

Shim Eun-kyung plays the advertising professional Park Kyung.