Samjin Company English Class

{{Infobox film

| name = Samjin Company English Class

| image = Samjin_Company_English_Class.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| native_name = {{Infobox Korean film name/auto|hangul=^삼진그룹 영어토익반}}

| director = Lee Jong-pil

| producer = Park Eun-kyung

| screenplay = Lee Jong-pil

| starring = {{ubl|Go Ah-sung|Esom|Park Hye-su}}

| music = Dalpalan

| cinematography = Park Se-seung

| editing = {{ubl|Heo Sun-mi|Jo Han-ul}}

| studio = The LAMP

| distributor = Lotte Entertainment

| released = {{film date|2020|10|21}}

| runtime = 110 minutes

| country = South Korea

| language = Korean
English

| budget =

| gross = {{USD|12.8 million}}{{cite web|url=https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20197121|title=South Korea Box Office SAMJIN COMPANY ENGLISH CLASS (2020)|access-date=16 November 2020|work=KOFIC}}

}}

Samjin Company English Class ({{Korean/auto|hangul=^삼진그룹 영어토익반|rr=yes|lit=Samjin Group English TOEIC Class}}) is a 2020 South Korean comedy-drama film written and directed by Lee Jong-pil, starring Go Ah-sung, Esom and Park Hye-su.{{cite web|first=Seung-mi|last=Lee|title=Go Ah-sung, Esom, Park Hye-soo to star in "Samjin Company English Class"|url=https://www.hancinema.net/go-ah-sung-esom-park-hye-soo-to-star-in-samjin-company-english-class-133468.html|website=HanCinema|access-date=October 20, 2020|date=September 10, 2019}} It was released on October 21, 2020.{{cite web|first=Seung-hyun|last=Song|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200928000748|title='Samjin Company English Class' brings back '90s vibe|website=The Korea Herald|date=September 28, 2020|access-date=October 20, 2020}}{{cite web|first=Yeon-soo|last=Kwak|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2020/10/689_296807.html|title=Mystery flick depicts 3 young, ambitious women in 1990s|website=The Korea Times|date=September 28, 2020|access-date=October 20, 2020}}

Plot

In 1995, three female employees at Samjin Company, who are given the opportunity to be promoted if they score at least 600 points at the TOEIC test, enroll in English classes. Lee Ja-young from the production management department, Jung Yu-na from the marketing department and Shim Bo-ram from the accounting department had joined the company straight out of high school and are still low-level employees despite being with the company for eight years and possessing necessary practical "street smarts". One day, Ja-young notices polluted waste water leaking from a factory where she had been sent to. Being a lover of mystery novels, she decides to investigate and Yu-na and Bo-ram join her quest to find out what illegal activities their company might be involved in. The challenge remains for them to find and expose the truth without losing their jobs.{{Cite news|last=Jeong|first=Ji-eun |date=2020-10-13|script-title=ko:[리뷰] '삼진그룹 영어토익반' 작은 여성들이 쏘아올린 용기라는 공|trans-title=[Review] 'Samjin Group's English TOEIC Class' The Ball of Courage Launched by Small Women|work=Korean Broadcasting System|url=https://kstar.kbs.co.kr/list_view.html?idx=33083}}

Cast

Go Ah-sung as Lee Ja-young
Esom as Jung Yoo-na
Park Hye-su as Shim Bo-ram
Cho Hyun-chul as Choi Dong-soo
Kim Jong-soo as Bong Hyun-chul
Kim Won-hae as Ahn Gi-chang
Bae Hae-sun as Ban Eun-kyung
David Lee McInnis as Billy Park
Baek Hyun-jin as Oh Tae-young
Lee Sung-wook as Hong Soo-chul
Choi Soo-im as Jo Min-jung
Jung Yi-seo as Audit office employee
Lee Joo-young as Song So-ra
Tyler Rasch as English instructor

Production

Principal photography began in late October 2019.{{cite web|first=Pierce|last=Conran|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?pageIndex=8&blbdComCd=601006&seq=5236&mode=VIEW&returnUrl=&searchKeyword=|title=Ko Asung, E Som and Park Hye-su Sign up for Samjin Group's English TOEIC Class|website=Korean Film Council|date=October 2, 2019|access-date=October 20, 2020}}

Release

The film was theatrically released on October 21, 2020.

It was invited at the 20th New York Asian Film Festival. It was featured in 'Standouts' strand and screened at Lincoln Center and SVA Theatre in the two-week festival held from August 6 to 22, 2021 in New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmacdonald/2021/07/20/20th-new-york-asian-film-festival-screens-several-south-korean-films/ |title= 20th New York Asian Film Festival Screens Several South Korean Films |last= MacDonald |first= Joan |date= July 20, 2021 |access-date= July 25, 2021 |website= Forbes}}

Reception

=Box office=

The film topped the South Korean box office for six days following its release.{{cite web|first=Gyu-lee|last=Lee|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2020/10/689_298331.html|title=Comedy film 'Samjin Company' floats to top of box office|website=The Korea Times|date=October 27, 2020|access-date=October 28, 2020}}

=Accolades=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" \|+ ! scope="col"\| Year ! scope="col"\| Award ! scope="col"\| Category ! scope="col"\| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"\| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"\| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
2020 ! scope="row" \|Women in Film Korea Festival \|Technical Award \|Bae Jung-yoon \| {{won}} \|
rowspan="20" \| 2021 ! scope="row" rowspan=5\| 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards \| rowspan=2\| Best Supporting Actress \| Park Hye-su \| {{nom}} \| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=5\| {{Cite news\|script-title=ko:[공식]제41회 청룡영화상 후보 발표…'남산의부장들' 10개 부문 최다 노미\|url=https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/entertain_photo/2020/11/11/4MJA6KGIODYMQGDZDHKFIDT4RU/\|date=November 11, 2020\|language=ko}}
Esom \| {{won}}
Best Art Direction \| Bae Jung-yoon \| {{won}}
Best Music \| Dalpalan \| {{won}}
Technical Award \| Yoon Jeong-hee (Costume Design) \| {{nom}}
scope="row" rowspan=5\| 57th Baeksang Arts Awards \|Best Film \|Samjin Company English Class \|{{won}} \| rowspan="5" \|
Best Director \| rowspan="2" \|Lee Jong-pil \| {{nom}}
Best Screenplay \| {{nom}}
Best Actress \|Go Ah-sung \| {{nom}}
Best Supporting Actress \|Esom \| {{nom}}
scope="row" rowspan="4" \|26th Chunsa Film Art Awards \|Best Director \| rowspan="2" \|Lee Jong-pil \|{{Nom}} \|rowspan="4" \|{{Cite news\|url=https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/movie/article/009/0004881821 \|script-title=ko:[춘사영화제] '승리호' 최우수 감독상 영예…전도연 송중기 주연상[종합] \|trans-title= [Chunsa Film Festival] 'Seungriho' Best Director Award... Jeon Do-yeon, Song Joong-ki, Best Leading Actor [Comprehensive] \|author= Yang So-young \|work= Maeil Business \|publisher=Naver \|date= November 19, 2021 \|access-date= November 19, 2021 \|language=ko}}
Best Screenplay \|{{Won}}
Best Actress \|Go Ah-sung \|{{Nom}}
Best Supporting Actress \|Esom \|{{Nom}}
rowspan="6" scope="row" \|30th Buil Film Awards \|Best Actress \|Go Ah-sung \|{{Nominated}} \| rowspan="2" \|{{Cite web\|author=정달식, 최학림, 박혜랑, 조경건 \|title=[2021부일영화상] 열기 뜨거웠던 레드카펫… 뜨거운 박수 쏟아진 소감…(영상)\|url=http://www.busan.com/view/busan/view.php?code=2021100720023475189\|access-date=2021-10-07\|website=Busan Ilbo\|language=ko}}{{Cite web\|url=http://builfilm.com/bbs/content.php?co_id=sub0201&ckattempt=1\|script-title=ko:부문별 후보 소개 \|trans-title=Introduction of Candidates by Category\|access-date=2021-10-07\|website=builfilm.com}}
Best Supporting Actress \|Esom \|{{Nominated}}
Popular Star Award \|Esom \|{{Won}} \|{{Cite web\|script-title=ko:조인성·이솜 올해의 스타상 쾌거 "코로나에도 극장 찾아준 관객 감사"[2021 부일영화상]\|url=https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=609&aid=0000496657\|access-date=2021-10-07\|website=Naver News\|language=ko}}
Best Screenplay \|Lee Jong-pil \|{{Nominated}} \| rowspan="3" \|
Best Music Award \|Dalpalan \|{{Nom}}
Best Art/Technical Award \|Bae Jeong-yoon \|{{Nom}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Award

! scope="col"| Category

! scope="col"| Recipient(s)

! scope="col"| Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

2020

! scope="row" |Women in Film Korea Festival

|Technical Award

|Bae Jung-yoon

| {{won}}

rowspan="20" | 2021

! scope="row" rowspan=5| 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards

| rowspan=2| Best Supporting Actress

| Park Hye-su

| {{nom}}

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=5| {{Cite news|script-title=ko:[공식]제41회 청룡영화상 후보 발표…'남산의부장들' 10개 부문 최다 노미|url=https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/entertain_photo/2020/11/11/4MJA6KGIODYMQGDZDHKFIDT4RU/|date=November 11, 2020|language=ko}}

Esom

| {{won}}

Best Art Direction

| Bae Jung-yoon

| {{won}}

Best Music

| Dalpalan

| {{won}}

Technical Award

| Yoon Jeong-hee (Costume Design)

| {{nom}}

scope="row" rowspan=5| 57th Baeksang Arts Awards

|Best Film

|Samjin Company English Class

|{{won}}

| rowspan="5" |

Best Director

| rowspan="2" |Lee Jong-pil

| {{nom}}

Best Screenplay

| {{nom}}

Best Actress

|Go Ah-sung

| {{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress

|Esom

| {{nom}}

scope="row" rowspan="4" |26th Chunsa Film Art Awards

|Best Director

| rowspan="2" |Lee Jong-pil

|{{Nom}}

|rowspan="4" |{{Cite news|url=https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/movie/article/009/0004881821 |script-title=ko:[춘사영화제] '승리호' 최우수 감독상 영예…전도연 송중기 주연상[종합] |trans-title= [Chunsa Film Festival] 'Seungriho' Best Director Award... Jeon Do-yeon, Song Joong-ki, Best Leading Actor [Comprehensive] |author= Yang So-young |work= Maeil Business |publisher=Naver |date= November 19, 2021 |access-date= November 19, 2021 |language=ko}}

Best Screenplay

|{{Won}}

Best Actress

|Go Ah-sung

|{{Nom}}

Best Supporting Actress

|Esom

|{{Nom}}

rowspan="6" scope="row" |30th Buil Film Awards

|Best Actress

|Go Ah-sung

|{{Nominated}}

| rowspan="2" |{{Cite web|author=정달식, 최학림, 박혜랑, 조경건 |title=[2021부일영화상] 열기 뜨거웠던 레드카펫… 뜨거운 박수 쏟아진 소감…(영상)|url=http://www.busan.com/view/busan/view.php?code=2021100720023475189|access-date=2021-10-07|website=Busan Ilbo|language=ko}}{{Cite web|url=http://builfilm.com/bbs/content.php?co_id=sub0201&ckattempt=1|script-title=ko:부문별 후보 소개 |trans-title=Introduction of Candidates by Category|access-date=2021-10-07|website=builfilm.com}}

Best Supporting Actress

|Esom

|{{Nominated}}

Popular Star Award

|Esom

|{{Won}}

|{{Cite web|script-title=ko:조인성·이솜 올해의 스타상 쾌거 "코로나에도 극장 찾아준 관객 감사"[2021 부일영화상]|url=https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=609&aid=0000496657|access-date=2021-10-07|website=Naver News|language=ko}}

Best Screenplay

|Lee Jong-pil

|{{Nominated}}

| rowspan="3" |

Best Music Award

|Dalpalan

|{{Nom}}

Best Art/Technical Award

|Bae Jeong-yoon

|{{Nom}}