Nov. 05, 2013|South Korea|113 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Crime;Drama;Thriller
Description: “Commitment,” a 2013 South Korean action drama film, stars Choi Seung-hyun as a young man thrust into a life of danger and sacrifice. The story revolves around Li Myung-hoon, portrayed by Choi, a teenager whose life takes a drastic turn when his father, a former North Korean agent, dies in disgrace. Once living a privileged life in North Korea with dreams of becoming a pianist, Myung-hoon and his younger sister, Hye-in (played by Kim Yoo-jung), are sent to a forced labor camp as punishment for their father’s failures.
To secure their freedom, Myung-hoon strikes a deal with Colonel Moon (Jo Sung-ha), a high-ranking military official. He agrees to travel to South Korea as an assassin to complete a mission his father couldn’t finish. After two years of intense training, Myung-hoon arrives in South Korea, posing as a defector. He is adopted by a couple who are, in reality, North Korean spies, and he enrolls in a local high school.
There, he befriends a bullied girl named Hye-in (Han Ye-ri), who shares the same name as his sister and dreams of becoming a dancer. Myung-hoon’s mission is to eliminate a North Korean agent known as “Big Dipper” (Jung Ho-bin), who is working for a rival faction. As political tensions rise in North Korea due to Kim Jong-il’s failing health, Myung-hoon becomes entangled in treachery and betrayal, forcing him to confront Colonel Moon’s deceit.
The film explores themes of duty, sacrifice, and the impact of historical events on the lives of younger generations. It highlights the struggles of third-generation Koreans affected by the division of the peninsula and the Korean War, events they did not directly experience but which shape their destinies nonetheless.
Cast director: Park Hong-soo
Cast actor: Choi Seung-hyun, Han Yeri, Yoon Je-moon, Cho Seong-ha, Kim Yoo-jung, Lee Joo-sil, Jung Ho-bin, Kim Sun-kyung, Kim Min-jae, Park Sung-woong
Original name: 동창생