Vol. 10, Issue 02 February 2010 
Insadong Scandal
Starring: Uhm Jung Wha, Kim Rae Won, Im Ha Ryong
Genre: Action/Crime
Since being in Korea, I’ve been lucky enough to watch a large amount of Korean films, both good and bad. In watching the Insadong Scandal I walked away feeling very satisfied. I was quite pleasantly surprised as the only thing I knew about the film before seeing it was that it was based on an actual true event here in Korea. The general overview is quite complex as the film has a lot of layers. This was one of the aspects that really appealed to me. After watching it, I would easily say that it’s a Korean art version of Oceans 11 mixed with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
The film opens with an art dealer complaining loudly about a deal gone bad and someone stealing something from him. We are immediately introduced to the female lead Bae Tae Jin portrayed by Uhm Jung Wha. She’s a ruthless art collector and dealer. Next we’re introduced to Lee Kang Joon played by Kim Rae Won who is an art restorer whom Bae Tae jin wants to restore the painting she acquired. Next we are introduced to the man in charge of the underground antique world in Insadong, Kwong Ma Dam played by Im Ha Ryong.
The cultural asset squad is also highlighted in the film; equivalent to a kind of ‘Cultural Police’ that protect Korean Cultural Assets. Within this squad we’re introduced to the police group, and the most interesting character is the energetic Choi Ha Keong. Her character illustrates what occurs in the Korean workplace when an underling makes a mistake and the stress that the superiors undergo. Her past mistakes have tarnished her reputation, but she doesn’t give up on her theory on how corrupt Bae is doing deals on the side.
As the film continues, relationships develop that get confusing at the beginning, and characters have dealings with a lot of other characters. I was at a loss in the beginning with the introduction of the large amount of characters and their relationships to each other. However once all the players are brought to light, the director brings the relationships all together slowly and you start to realize that there are deeper implications than just a bad art dealer, an art restorer and the cultural asset squad. The film pace changes quite a lot, but by keeping an eye on the subtitles, one can keep up with it. Everyone has their own goals. We find out that the art restorer has his own agenda and other talents rather than just restoring. He’s hailed as one of the best Asian forgers there are. Bae has dealings with everyone and anyone that she can make money on, and it’s made clear that the ends justify the means when it comes to the bottom line of getting some money. Kwong Ma Dam is an interesting character as he is the man that is operating the shop in Insadong where we foreigners would go shopping for that antique for someone back home. It shows us that even though he’s trying to make an extra buck on his version by any means necessary, but he has a sense of loyalty or passion when he explains the ultimate forging process. The cultural assets squad agents are at his shop while he tries to explain how to forge a painting that is 500 years old with materials of the present day. During the explanation we see how the materials are collected and the passion and pride taken during this particular forging process.
The film’s surprise ending leaves one feeling quite good about the whole thing.
Part of one of the reason that this film is really enjoyable is that it highlights certain cultural art and other aspects that perhaps we as foreigners might miss out on completely. The painting, that was discovered was from the Josun Dynasty, might inspire some of us to look into more of the past of the Josun Dynasty. Other parts of Korean culture are highlighted as well from norae bangs to a small scene illustrating how far an individual was willing to go to fund his child’s education. Another aspect of the film is a brief mention of the cultural rivalry between Japan and Korea. While it’s not a large part of the theme, by mentioning it and bringing it up, it’s another part of Korean culture that we as foreigners might not be aware of. By saying we as foreigners, I’m thinking of someone back home watching this film and seeing these parts of Korean culture that are peppered through the film.
In the end, the film has jumped immediately into my top 10 Korean films as of now. It is very well paced, with good action and not long and drawn out as Korean films sometimes are. My official recommendation or rating is 9/10. Swing by the DVD shop or DVD bang and check it out.
