Smugglers
Theatrical release poster
Hangul	密輸
Hanja	密輸
Revised Romanization	Milsu
Directed by	Ryoo Seung-wan
Written by	Ryoo Seung-wan Kim Jeong-yeon
Produced by	Kang Hye-jung
Starring	Kim Hye-soo Yum Jung-ah Zo In-sung Park Jeong-min Kim Jong-soo Go Min-si
Music by	Chang Kiha
Production company	Filmmaker R&K
Distributed by	Next Entertainment World
Release date	July 26, 2023  ( 2023-07-26 )
Running time	129 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Box office	US$37.8 million [1]

Smugglers ( Korean :  密輸 ; Hanja :  密輸 ; RR :  Milsu ) is a 2023 South Korean action crime film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan , who co-wrote the film with Kim Jeong-yeon. The film stars Kim Hye-soo , Yum Jung-ah , Zo In-sung , Park Jeong-min , Kim Jong-soo , and Go Min-si .

Smugglers was released theatrically on July 26, 2023. ^{[2] [3]} The film is said to be based on the motif of haenyeo who participated in smuggling in the 1970s, overlapping with the fact that a female smuggling ring was active in Busan at the time. ^[4]

Synopsis [ edit ]

Haenyeo lost their jobs overnight when a chemical plant was built in the peaceful seaside town of Guncheon. Chun-ja (Kim Hye-soo) is a fighter looking for a way to make a living. It is said that you can make a lot of money just by lifting an object thrown into the sea. She learns about the world of smuggling and makes an attractive proposal to the leader of the haenyeo , Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah), who made a bold decision to make a living despite knowing that it was dangerous. As she meets Sergeant Kwon (Zo In-sung), the national smuggling king, she falls in love with smuggling. Then one day, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a fortune arrives.

Cast [ edit ]

Main [ edit ]

• Kim Hye-soo as Jo Chun-ja, a smuggler. ^{[5] [6]}
• Yum Jung-ah as Um Jin-sook, Chun-ja's best friend and the eldest sister of the smuggler who is the leader of haenyeo . ^[6]
• Zo In-sung as Sergeant Kwon, the national smuggling king. ^[6]
• Park Jeong-min as Jang Do-ri, the youngest child. ^[6]
• Kim Jong-soo as Lee Jang-chun, a customs officer. ^{[7] [6]}
• Go Min-si as Go Ok-bun, the youngest hidden card who runs a coffee shop. ^{[8] [6]}

Supporting [ edit ]

• Park Kyung-hye as Dok-soon, a haenyeo ^[9]
• Kim Jae-hwa as haenyeo ^[9]
• Baek Joo-hee as Somers ^{[10] [ better source needed ]}
• Shim So-young as Diver ^[10]
• Park Jun-myeon as Yang Geum-ne, a haenyeo ^[9]
• Joo Bo-bi as Lee Eok-cheok, a haenyeo ^[9]

Production [ edit ]

Principal photography began on June 5, 2021. ^[11]

Release [ edit ]

The film was officially invited to the Special Presentations section at 2023 Toronto International Film Festival , which held from September 7 to 17 following the Locarno International Film Festival . ^[12]

Reception [ edit ]

Box office [ edit ]

The film was released on July 26, 2023 in South Korea. The opening recorded 318,084 admissions and topped the South Korean box office for two weeks. The film surpassed 1 million admissions on fourth day of its released and surpassed 4 million on their 17th days of released. Smugglers became the second movie to reach break-even point in 2023 after The Roundup: No Way Out .

Accolades [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• Smugglers at the Korean Movie Database
• Smugglers at HanCinema
• Smugglers at IMDb