Confidential Assignment

{{Infobox film

| name = Confidential Assignment

| image = Confidential Assignment.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| native_name = {{Infobox Korean film name|hangul=공조|hanja=共助|rr=Gongjo|mr=Kongcho|lk=Cooperation}}

| director = Kim Sung-hoon

| producer = Yoon Je-kyoon

| writer = Yoon Hyun-ho

| starring = {{ubl|Hyun Bin|Yoo Hae-jin|Kim Joo-hyuk|Jang Young-nam|Im Yoon-ah}}

| music = Hwang Sang-joon

| cinematography = Lee Sung-jae

| editing = Lee Jin

| studio = JK Film

| distributor = CJ Entertainment

| released = {{film date|2017|01|18}}

| runtime = 125 minutes

| country = South Korea

| language = Korean

| budget = {{USD|8.5 million}}{{cite web|title=Yoo Hae-jin, Yoona, Hyun Bin to star in action movie|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2015/11/201_191082.html|website=The Korea Times|date=16 November 2015|access-date=January 9, 2017}}

| gross = {{USD|57 million}}{{cite web|title=Confidential Assignment (2017)|url=https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20151228|website=Korean Film Biz Zone|publisher=Korean Film Council|accessdate=June 16, 2021}}

}}

Confidential Assignment ({{korean|공조|共助}}) is a 2017 South Korean action comedy film directed by Kim Sung-hoon. It stars Hyun Bin, Yoo Hae-jin, and Kim Joo-hyuk.{{cite web|last1=Conran|first1=Pierce|title=Hyun Bin Sets COOPERATION as Next Project|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=3598|website=Korean Film Biz Zone|publisher=Korean Film Council|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Conran|first1=Pierce|title=Yoon-a Joins Hyun Bin on COOPERATION|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&seq=3669&mode=VIEW|website=Korean Film Biz Zone|publisher=Korean Film Council|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Conran|first1=Pierce|title=Hyun Bin Kicks Off COOPERATION Shoot|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=3796|website=Korean Film Biz Zone|publisher=Korean Film Council|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Conran|first1=Pierce|title=COOPERATION with Hyun Bin Wraps Production|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&seq=3949&mode=VIEW|website=Korean Film Biz Zone|publisher=Korean Film Council|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Son|first1=Ji-hyoung|title=Hyun Bin wraps up filming for 'Cooperation'|url=http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201607191620220620774_2|website=Kpop Herald|publisher=Herald Corporation|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}{{cite web|title=Teaser trailer for action film 'Cooperation' starring Hyun Bin unveiled|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2016/11/30/0200000000AEN20161130004800315.html|website=Yonhap News Agency|accessdate=January 9, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.viu.com/ott/my/articles/kim-joo-hyuks-unforgettable-screen-appearances/|title=Kim Joo-hyuk's Unforgettable On-Screen Appearances {{!}} Viu|date=2017-11-13|work=Viu|access-date=2017-11-14|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811124040/http://www.viu.com/ott/my/articles/kim-joo-hyuks-unforgettable-screen-appearances/|url-status=dead}} In the film, a North Korean officer and a Seoul detective team up to track down a dangerous fugitive, who is running a gang of counterfeiters.

Plot

Im Cheol-ryung, an officer of a special investigation team in North Korea, barges into a warehouse that prints counterfeit money, where he learns that his superior Cha Ki-seong and his own team are there to steal the master plates to print the counterfeit money. A shootout ensues where Cheol-ryung's wife Hwa-ryung and his team are killed, while Cheol-ryung is gravely injured.

Meanwhile, the North Korean officials learn that Cha Ki-seong has fled to South Korea, where Cheol-ryung is ordered to capture Ki-seong and retrieve the stolen master plates, and is given only three days to complete his mission. However, South Korean officials suspect that Ki-seong is really a killer, and they assign Detective Kang Jin-tae from Seoul to watch over Cheol-ryung tightly as they suspect he intends to kill Ki-seong for revenge. Jin-tae meets Cheol-ryung at the airport, and they head for Myeong-Dong to check on one of Ki-seong's men, Park Myung-ho, but Cheol-ryong escapes after learning about Jin-tae's mission. Cheol-ryung arrives at Myeong-Dong to Jongro where Jin-tae also arrives there and interrogates Park, but the latter escapes. After the orders from his superior, Jin-tae takes Cheol-ryung to his home to spy on him.

Having guessed the Jin-tae's plan, Cheol-ryung removes the SIM card which Jin-tae had inserted in his phone to track his location anytime. The duo learns about the location where Park was supplying drugs and a fight ensues where Cheol-ryung takes the phone of one of the men and gives it to Jin-tae. Cheol-ryung learns Park's location after secretly bugging Jin-tae's phone. The duo heads to the restaurant where they find that Park is conversing with one of Ki-seong's comrades (who had been present at the warehouse). The comrade learns that Park plans to settle in South Korea, where he kills him under Ki-seong's orders. Cheol-ryung arrives and warns Ki-seong of his impending death, where he fights the comrade, who escapes. After checking Park's belongings, the officials learn about Cheol-ryung's mission.

Meanwhile, Jin-tae learns about Cheol-ryung's past and decide to help him. They reach the place where Ki-seong has arranged a deal to sell the plates, but Ki-seong kills the buyer when Cheol-ryung arrives and kills the henchmen where he is about Ki-seong, but Jin-tae stops him which gives time for Ki-seong to escape. Cheol-ryung takes the master plates and leaves. However, Ki-seong kidnaps Jin-tae's family and demands the plates. A frightened Jin-tae tells Cheol-ryung, where he takes the plates and heads to the location. Jin-tae and Cheol-ryung arrives and gives the plates to Ki-seong, who leaves Jin-tae's family where Jin-tae takes his family to a safe place. A battle ensues where Cheol-ryung and Jin-tae manages to kill Ki-seong. One year later, Cheol-ryung and Jin-tae receive their next mission.

Cast

Hyun Bin as Im Cheol-ryung
Yoo Hae-jin as Kang Jin-tae
Kim Joo-hyuk as Cha Ki-seong
Jang Young-nam as Park So-yeon
Im Yoon-ah as Park Min-young
Lee Dong-hwi as Park Myung-ho
Oh Eui-shik as Lee Dae-pal
Kong Jung-hwan as Sung-kang
Lee Hae-young as Detective squad chief Pyo
Park Min-ha as Kang Yeon-ah
Jun Gook-hwan as Won Hyung-sool
Um Hyo-sup as Chairman Yoon
Lee Yi-kyung as Lee Dong-hoon
Shin Hyun-bin as Hwa-ryung
Park Jin-woo as Jang Chil-bok
Park Hyung-soo as NIS executive
Kim Jun-han as NIS agent
Eum Moon-suk as Troops #4

Reception

Confidential Assignment opened in second place at the box office on January 18. It rose to first place in its second week selling an accumulative four million tickets by January 30 and surpassed the five million mark two days later.{{cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170119000677|title='The King' opens at No. 1 beating 'Confidential Assignment'|website=The Korea Herald|publisher=Herald Corporation|date=January 19, 2017|accessdate=January 20, 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Yoon|first1=Sang-geun|url=http://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=108&aid=0002586927|script-title=ko:'공조' 누적관객 400만 돌파..설 연휴만 193만 '더킹' 넘나|website=Naver|publisher=Star News|accessdate=January 30, 2017|language=ko}}{{cite news|last1=Jie|first1=Ye-eun|url=http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201702021222568607912_2|title='Confidential Assignment' surpasses 5m mark|website=Kpop Herald|publisher=Herald Corporation|accessdate=February 2, 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/02/02/0701000000AEN20170202003100315.html|title=Comedy-action film 'Confidential Assignment' attracts 5 mln viewers|website=Yonhap News Agency|publisher=Yonhap News Agency|accessdate=February 4, 2017}}

The movie became the most viewed Korean movie during the first half of 2017 by attracting 7.8 million audience domestically. However, this record was surpassed in August by A Taxi Driver.{{cite news|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2017/08/14/0701000000AEN20170814001200315.html|title=A Taxi Driver' surpasses 8 mln in attendance, becoming most-viewed film this year|publisher=Yonhap News Agency|date=August 15, 2017}}

International

Confidential Assignment was sold to 42 territories, including the U.S. and several countries in Asia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cj-entertainment.com/movies/161207-001/#|title=Confidential Assignment (공조)|website=CJ Entertainment USA|publisher=CJ E&M Corp.|accessdate=January 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202031832/http://www.cj-entertainment.com/movies/161207-001/|archive-date=February 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Hyo-won|title=South Korean Film 'Confidential Assignment' Sells to Multiple Territories|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/south-korean-film-confidential-assignment-sells-multiple-territories-969561|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=27 January 2017|accessdate=January 29, 2017}}

In US on January 27, 2017
In Canada on February 3
In Australia and New Zealand on February 9
In Hong Kong and Macao on February 16
In Taiwan on February 17
In Vietnam on March 3
In Thailand on April 13
In India on November 25

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Award

! Category

! Recipient

! Result

! Ref.

rowspan="14"|2017

| rowspan="2"| 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards

| Best New Actress

| rowspan="3"| {{center|Im Yoon-ah}}

| {{Nom}}

|rowspan="2"|{{Cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170504000531|title='Guardian,' 'The Handmaiden' win big at Baeksang Awards|date=2017-05-04|access-date=2017-08-28|language=en}}

Sequel

Confidential Assignment 2: International, a sequel was announced on August 24, 2020.{{cite web|title=현빈X유해진 '공조2'서 만날까 "제안 받고 검토 중"(공식입장)|url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=609&aid=0000317259|website=Newsen|language=ko|author=Bae Hyo-joo|date=August 24, 2020|access-date=January 24, 2021}}{{cite web|title='공조2' 나온다, 흥행콤비 현빈X유해진 "제안받고 검토중"[공식]|url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=241&aid=0003048087|website=Naver|language=ko|author=Jo Yeon-kyung|date=August 24, 2020|access-date=January 24, 2021}} Filming started on February 18, 2021{{cite web|title=유해진, 키이스트와 전속계약..'공조2'부터 작업|url=https://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2021020513361262489|website=MT Star News|language=ko|date=February 5, 2021|access-date=February 18, 2021}}{{cite web|title=[단독] 아역 박민하, 영화 '공조2' 캐스팅 확정…전편 캐릭터, 18일 촬영 시작|url=https://sports.chosun.com/news/ntype.htm?id=202102170100113360007505&servicedate=20210216|website=Sports Chosun|language=ko|author=Ko Jae-wan|date=February 16, 2021|access-date=February 18, 2021}} and was released on September 7, 2022.