# Inside Men (film)

Inside Men (Korean: 내부자들; Hanja: 内部者들; RR: Naebujadeul) is a 2015 South Korean political action thriller film written and directed by Woo Min-ho based on Yoon Tae-ho's webtoon The Insiders that dissects the corruption within Korean society. Starring Lee Byung-hun, Cho Seung-woo and Baek Yoon-sik, it began filming in July 2014 and was released in theaters on November 19, 2015.
Inside Men and the director's cut Inside Men: The Original have sold a total of 9.1 million admissions at the box office, thus becoming the top grossing R-rated movie of all-time at the South Korean box office.

## Plot

Lee Kang-hee, an editor at an influential conservative newspaper, raises congressman Jang Pil-woo to the position of leading presidential candidate using the power of the press; behind this is his secret deal with the paper's biggest sponsor, Mirae motors.
Ahn Sang-goo, a political henchman who supported Lee and Jang, gets caught pocketing the record of the sponsor's slush fund, resulting in a dismembered hand. Woo Jang-hoon, an ambitious prosecutor, starts to investigate the relationship between Jang and the sponsor, believing that it's his only chance to make it to the top. While getting down to the brass tacks of the case, Woo meets Ahn, who has been methodically planning his revenge. The war between the one blinded with power, the one hell-bent on vengeance, and the one eager for success begins, as prosecutor Woo becomes the "inside men" to expose the dark scheme of Lee and Jang to the people.

## Cast

* Lee Byung-hun as Ahn Sang-goo
* Cho Seung-woo as Woo Jang-hoon
* Baek Yoon-sik as Lee Kang-hee
* Lee Geung-young as Jang Pil- woo
* Kim Hong-pa as Oh Hyun-soo
* Bae Seong-woo as Park Jong-pal
* Jo Jae-yoon as Section chief Bang
* Kim Dae-myung as Go Sang-chul
* Jo Woo-jin as Managing director Jo
* Lee El as Joo Eun-hye
* Jung Man-sik as Choi Choong-sik
* Kim Byeong-ok as Oh Myung-hwan
* Kim Eui-sung as Editor-in-chief in Joguk Ilbo
* Park Jin-woo as Department head Lee
* Nam Il-woo as Woo Jang-hoon's father
* Kwon Hyeok-poong as Seok Myeong-gwan
* Ryu Tae-ho as Moon Il-seok
* Park Sang-gyoo as Kim Seok-woo
* Kwon Tae-won as Song Man-seob
* Jo Deok-je as Detective Choi
* Park Jin-young as Member of parliament Son
* Shin Ji-soo as Penthouse girl

## Reception

On its first four days at the South Korean box office, the film grossed ₩13.2 billion. Inside Men drew more than 2 million viewers in just six days, a record for an R-rated film; it has also set the record for the most-viewed R-rated movie in a single day—489,503 viewers.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Film | Inside Men | Nominated |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor | Baek Yoon-sik | Nominated |
| 2016 | 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Screenplay | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 25th Buil Film Awards | Best Film | Inside Men | Nominated |
| 2016 | 25th Buil Film Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 25th Buil Film Awards | Best Screenplay | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Film | Inside Men | Won |
| 2016 | 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Director | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Screenplay | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | Joo Woo-jin | Nominated |
| 2016 | 37th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Editing | Kim Sang-bum, Kim Jae-bum | Nominated |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Film | Inside Men | Won |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Director | Woo Min-ho | Won |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Lee Geung-young | Nominated |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Lee El | Nominated |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Screenplay | Woo Min-ho | Won |
| 2016 | 53rd Grand Bell Awards | Best Planning | Kim Won-kook | Won |
| 2016 | 11th Max Movie Awards | Best Film | Inside Men | Nominated |
| 2016 | 11th Max Movie Awards | Best Director | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 11th Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Nominated |
| 2016 | 11th Max Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Baek Yoon-sik | Nominated |
| 2016 | 11th Max Movie Awards | Best Trailer | Inside Men | Nominated |
| 2016 | 10th Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 10th Asian Film Awards | Best Production Designer | Cho Hwa-sung | Nominated |
| 2016 | 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Director | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Nominated |
| 2016 | 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Screenplay | Woo Min-ho | Nominated |
| 2016 | 21st Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Baek Yoon-sik | Nominated |
| 2016 | 16th Director's Cut Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 36th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 36th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Ten Best Films of the Year | Inside Men | Won |
| 2016 | 3rd Korean Film Producers Association Awards | Best Actor | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 5th Marie Claire Film Festival | Pioneer Award | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 15th New York Asian Film Festival | Star Asia Award | Lee Byung-hun | Won |
| 2016 | 4th Marie Claire Asia Star Awards | Actor of the Year | Lee Byung-hun | Won |