# The Divine Move

The Divine Move (Korean: 신의 한 수; RR: Sin-ui Hansu) is a 2014 South Korean neo-noir action crime film directed by Jo Bum-gu. It stars Jung Woo-sung as a former baduk player, and revolves around his quest for revenge.
The title refers to a particularly brilliant move, considered to be a "once in a lifetime" experience for only the best professionals, in the board game baduk (called Go in the West) which often turns what was a losing or close game into a winning effort at the most crucial moment.
A prequel spin-off, The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful, was released on November 7, 2019.

## Plot

Professional baduk player Tae-seok loses a high-stakes game to infamous underground gambler Sal-soo, and ends up framed for the murder of his own brother and locked up in prison. He vows revenge and trains ferociously. After serving his seven-year sentence, he gets in touch with his brother's former associate "Tricks," hermit and blind master player "The Lord," and skillful junkyard owner Mok-su, "the Carpenter"; together, they begin formulating a plan to get back at Sal-soo and his men. Tae-seok slowly penetrates Sal-soo's inner circle and his gambling joint, and eliminates Sal-soo's men one by one. But Sal-soo discovers Tae-seok's true identity and engages him in one final game that will seal the fates of the two men involved.

## Cast

* Jung Woo-sung as Tae-seok
* Lee Beom-soo as Sal-soo
* Ahn Sung-ki as Joo-nim ("The Lord")
* Kim In-kwon as Kkong-soo ("Tricks")
* Lee Si-young as Bae-kkob ("Belly button")
* Ahn Gil-kang as Carpenter Heo
* Lee Do-kyeong as Master Wang
* Choi Jin-hyuk as Seon-soo ("Player")
* Jung Hae-kyun as Adari
* Ahn Seo-hyun as Ryang-ryang
* Kim Myung-soo as Tae-seok's older brother
* Hwang Choon-ha as Hunchbacked minion
* Lee Il-seop as Master Noh
* Kim Se-dong as Master Lee
* Kim Joo-myeong as Chinese top
* Lee Yong-nyeo as "Open tail"
* Yoo Soon-cheol as 70-year-old boss
* Hong Seong-deok as Professional cutter
* Park Ji-hoon as Acting general
* Yoon Hee-cheol as Elderly senior
* Kim So-jin as Young-sook
* Yoo Jae-sang as Tae-seok's nephew
* Choi Il-hwa as Mob leader
* Kim Hong-pa as Warden
* Kwon Tae-won as Soft touch president
* Bae Seong-woo as Mahjong man

## Box office

Since opening in South Korea on July 3, 2014, the film has grossed ₩28.3 billion (US$27.6 million) on 3.5 million admissions.

## International release

The Divine Move received a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 25, 2014. It was screened in seven major cities in Germany from August 27 to September 21, 2014 as part of the local Fantasy Filmfest's lineup.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2014 | 51st Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Jung Woo-sung | Nominated |
| 2014 | 51st Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kim In-kwon | Nominated |
| 2014 | 51st Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actor | Choi Jin-hyuk | Nominated |
| 2014 | 51st Grand Bell Awards | Best Editing | Shin Min-kyung | Won |
| 2014 | 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Jung Woo-sung | Nominated |
| 2014 | 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Choi Jin-hyuk | Nominated |
| 2014 | 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Editing | Shin Min-kyung | Nominated |
| 2014 | 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Technical Award | Choi Bong-rok (martial arts) | Nominated |