The Man Standing Next

Set in South Korea during the 1970s, The Man Standing Next follows Kim Gyu-pyeong, the director of the KCIA, the country's intelligence agency, which operates under the near-total control of President Park. When Park Yong-gak, a former head of the agency who holds extensive knowledge of the government's clandestine dealings, leaves for the United States in the middle of the Koreagate investigation, Kim is sent there to stop the publication of his memoirs. What he encounters abroad and later back home plants doubts about the president he has served, and the mounting tension pushes him toward a decision with far-reaching consequences.

Woo Min-ho directed and co-wrote the film with Lee Ji-min. It is his third feature, following Inside Men in 2015 and The Drug King in 2018, and precedes Harbin in 2024. Lee Byung-hun plays Kim Gyu-pyeong, with Lee Sung-min as President Park, Kwak Do-won as Park Yong-gak, Lee Hee-jun, Kim So-jin and Seo Hyun-woo among a credited cast of 36.

Released in January 2020, the film runs 114 minutes and was made for about 17 million US dollars, going on to earn roughly 37 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from around 5,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.1 out of 10 from a much smaller set of 159. A critics' rating of 7.1 out of 10 from 20 reviews places it close to the two audience scores.