{ "id": "ep6e0n35qe", "slug": "kingmaker-2022-film", "title": "Kingmaker (킹메이커) (2022 film)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2020-to-2022", "label": "Drama films 2020 to 2022", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2020-to-2022" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later: Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "path": [ { "id": "geo.asia", "label": "Asia (other)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021", "label": "Asia (other) · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2021.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Kingmaker (킹메이커) is a 2022 South Korean political drama by Byun Sung-hyun, starring Sul Kyung-gu and Lee Sun-kyun, inspired by Kim Dae-jung and strategist Eom Chang-rok; released January 26, 2022, 123 minutes, 783,759 admissions.", "snippet": "Kingmaker (킹메이커) is a 2022 South Korean political drama by Byun Sung-hyun, starring Sul Kyung-gu and Lee Sun-kyun, inspired by Kim Dae-jung and strategist Eom Chang-rok; released January 26, 2022, 123 minutes, 783,759 admissions.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2020-to-2022", "markdown": "# Kingmaker (킹메이커) (2022 film)\n\n**Kingmaker** (킹메이커) is a 2022 South Korean political drama directed by Byun Sung-hyun, starring Sul Kyung-gu as an idealistic opposition politician and [Lee Sun-kyun](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-sun-kyun) as the strategist who schemes to make him president. Set in the 1960s and 1970s under the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee, it was inspired by former President Kim Dae-jung and his hidden election strategist Eom Chang-rok, whose names are changed to fictional ones in the film.[1](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214004900315) • [2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/interview.jsp?blbdComCd=601019&mode=INTERVIEW_VIEW&pageRowSize=10&seq=432)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Korean title | 킹메이커 (Kingmaker); also known internationally as *Kingmaker: The Fox of the Election*[3](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=4918) |\n| Director and writers | Byun Sung-hyun, co-written with regular collaborator Kim Min-soo[4](https://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/films/kingmaker/) |\n| Release | January 26, 2022, South Korea; 123 minutes; distributed by Megabox Plus M[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) |\n| Lead cast | Sul Kyung-gu as Kim Woon-beom; Lee Sun-kyun as Seo Chang-dae[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) |\n| Historical basis | Inspired by Kim Dae-jung, later the 15th President of South Korea, and his strategist Eom Chang-rok[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/interview.jsp?blbdComCd=601019&mode=INTERVIEW_VIEW&pageRowSize=10&seq=432) |\n| Box office | 783,759 admissions and $5,433,523 gross in South Korea on 1,185 screens[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) |\n| Budget | ₩12,000,000,000 (estimated)[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17491616/) |\n| Rating | 15 and over (South Korea)[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nIn 1961, Seo Chang-dae runs a small pharmacy in Gangwon Province in northeastern South Korea. Wanting to change the world, he visits the office of Kim Woon-beom, an opposition [New Democratic Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-democratic-party) politician who has lost four parliamentary elections in a row, and proposes strategies for winning.[7](https://cinema.eiga.com/movie/97269/) • [1](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214004900315) Kim, known as a man of principle and an idealist, is at first unwilling to work with the strategist, who is determined to bend the rules to achieve the goal, but is convinced by Chang-dae's eloquence and passion.[1](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214004900315)\n\nWorking in the shadows without an official title or rank, Chang-dae adopts an aggressive propaganda campaign to resist the dictatorial ruling party, and Kim goes on to win consecutive elections, rising to become the strongest candidate for the opposition party's presidential nomination.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) • [1](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214004900315) As the presidential campaign begins, their conflict deepens: Chang-dae believes unjustified means are necessary in politics, while Kim holds that this is not real politics. When an explosive device detonates at Kim's home and Chang-dae is named as a suspect, their relationship enters a new phase, and the ruling party secretly contacts Chang-dae about the next presidential election.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441)\n\n## Historical inspiration and theme\n\nThe film draws on the real story of [Kim Dae-jung](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-dae-jung), who later became the 15th [President of South Korea](https://www.edgepedia.org/president-of-south-korea), and Eom Chang-rok, the hidden election strategist remembered by nicknames such as \"the fox of the election circuit.\"[7](https://cinema.eiga.com/movie/97269/) Director Byun Sung-hyun said he chose Eom as the vehicle for the film's central question, \"Can we justify wrong means for right purposes?\", a question he described as still unanswered, and noted that little recorded information about Eom left room for invention.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/interview.jsp?blbdComCd=601019&mode=INTERVIEW_VIEW&pageRowSize=10&seq=432)\n\nThe story is set mostly during the dictatorship of South Korea's third president Park Chung-hee (1963 to 1979), tracking Kim Woon-beom's rise from backwater labor activist to presidential nominee of the opposition New Democratic Party.[4](https://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/films/kingmaker/) In its synopsis, the London Korean Film Festival frames the movie as a dialogue of opposites: Kim's idealism set against Seo's jaded practicality, goals against methods, and high-minded principles against the calculated messaging that presents and undermines them.[4](https://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/films/kingmaker/) Yonhap's review placed the film as a fact-based, metaphorical depiction of 1960s and 1970s politics, a period it called one of the most turbulent in modern Korean history, and noted that the mistrust between the two protagonists over justified means resonated with South Koreans facing the presidential election of March 2022.[1](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214004900315)\n\n## Production and cast\n\nByun Sung-hyun, whose previous features include *Whatcha Wearin'?* and the Cannes-invited crime thriller *[The Merciless](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-merciless)* (2017), directed the film and wrote the screenplay with Kim Min-soo.[2](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/interview.jsp?blbdComCd=601019&mode=INTERVIEW_VIEW&pageRowSize=10&seq=432) • [4](https://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/films/kingmaker/) It was his third feature and his second collaboration with Sul Kyung-gu.[3](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=4918) Rounding out the cast are Yu Jae-myeong, Jo Woo-jin, Park In-hwan, Lee Hae-young, Kim Sung-oh, Jeon Bae-soo, Seo Eun-su, and Kim Jong-soo.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) Production companies were Seed Films and See at Film Co., with Megabox Plus M as distributor.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) • [8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/kingmaker/umc.cmc.1qjkb919ymkp7ji2xm5f3glko)\n\n## Release and box office\n\nThe film was originally scheduled for theatrical release on December 29, 2021, but was postponed to January 26, 2022, coinciding with the Korean Lunar New Year holiday, because of a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases.[9](https://www.yoda.wiki/wiki/Kingmaker_(film)) It opened in South Korea on January 26, 2022 on 1,185 screens and recorded 783,759 admissions with a gross of $5,433,523.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) IMDb lists an estimated budget of ₩12,000,000,000 and a worldwide gross of $6,049,522.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17491616/) In Japan the film was released on August 12, 2022 under the title *Kingmaker: The Man Who Made the President* (キングメーカー 大統領を作った男).[7](https://cinema.eiga.com/movie/97269/)\n\n## Festivals and awards\n\nKingmaker screened in the Competition Section of the 24th Udine Far East Film Festival (April 22 to 30, 2022), where it won the Mymovies Award.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) • [9](https://www.yoda.wiki/wiki/Kingmaker_(film)) Its festival circuit also included the CinemAsia Film Festival Panorama, the Transilvania International Film Festival Supernova section, the Taipei Film Festival World Cinema program, the Hamburg Film Festival, the Paeksang Arts Awards, the London Korean Film Festival Cinema Now section, the Frankfurt Korean Film Festival, the Korea Gold Awards Festival, the Blue Dragon Awards, and the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival Dreams and Dreamers section.[5](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441) It was a nominee at the 58th Daejong Film Awards, held December 9, 2022.[10](https://asianwiki.com/Kingmaker)\n\n## Reception\n\nReviewers emphasized the two lead performances and the film's treatment of political ethics. Screen Anarchy's review, published after the Udine screening, described the film as a sumptuous character study and tense political drama, and compared it to [George Clooney](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-clooney)'s election drama *[The Ides of March](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-ides-of-march-2011-film)*, which had used the English word \"Kingmaker\" as its local title, while judging the comparison reductive.[11](https://screenanarchy.com/amp/2022/04/udine-2022-review-kingmaker-sumptuous-character-study-and-tense-political-drama-makes-for-thrilling.html) A Korean Film Council survey of South Korean political thrillers noted that the film depicts the 1970 presidential election much like a modern presidential election, showing that even under the pre-1987 dictatorship the country had a competitive political system with maneuvering both behind and in front of the scenes.[12](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/ko_pick.jsp?blbdComCd=601029&mode=VIEW&pageIndex=1&pageRowSize=10&seq=135) On the aggregator side, Rakuten Viki lists a viewer rating of 9.0 out of 10 from 360 users, and IMDb lists a user score of 6.8 from 976 votes.[13](https://www.viki.com/movies/38395c-kingmaker-the-fox-of-the-election) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17491616/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Kim Boram (December 14, 2021). \"(Movie Review) 'Kingmaker': fact-based, metaphorical depiction of S. Korea's '60-70s politics.\" Yonhap News Agency.](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214004900315)\n2. [Kim Subin (February 15, 2022). \"The Story of Light & Shadow, Kingmaker's Director, Byun Sunghyun.\" Korean Film Council (KOFIC).](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/interview.jsp?blbdComCd=601019&mode=INTERVIEW_VIEW&pageRowSize=10&seq=432)\n3. [\"SUL Kyung-gu & BYUN Sung-hyun Reunite for KINGMAKER: THE FOX OF THE ELECTION.\" Korean Film Council (KOFIC).](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=4918)\n4. [Anton Bitel. \"Kingmaker (킹메이커).\" London Korean Film Festival.](https://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/films/kingmaker/)\n5. [\"Kingmaker (2022).\" Korean Film Council (KOFIC) film database.](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20188441)\n6. [\"Kingmaker (2022).\" IMDb.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17491616/)\n7. [\"キングメーカー 大統領を作った男：作品情報・キャスト・あらすじ・動画.\" 映画.com.](https://cinema.eiga.com/movie/97269/)\n8. [\"Kingmaker.\" Apple TV.](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/kingmaker/umc.cmc.1qjkb919ymkp7ji2xm5f3glko)\n9. [\"킹메이커(한국 영화).\" Yoda Wiki.](https://www.yoda.wiki/wiki/Kingmaker_(film))\n10. [\"Kingmaker.\" AsianWiki.](https://asianwiki.com/Kingmaker)\n11. [Pierce Conran (April 27, 2022). \"Udine 2022 Review: KINGMAKER, Sumptuous Character Study and Tense Political Drama Makes for Thrilling History Lesson.\" Screen Anarchy.](https://screenanarchy.com/amp/2022/04/udine-2022-review-kingmaker-sumptuous-character-study-and-tense-political-drama-makes-for-thrilling.html)\n12. [\"South Korean Political Thrillers In Broad Perspective.\" Korean Film Council (KOFIC).](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/ko_pick.jsp?blbdComCd=601029&mode=VIEW&pageIndex=1&pageRowSize=10&seq=135)\n13. [\"Kingmaker: The Fox of the Election.\" Rakuten Viki.](https://www.viki.com/movies/38395c-kingmaker-the-fox-of-the-election)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Drama and biographical films (individual works) › Drama films 2020 to 2022*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Kingmaker (킹메이커) (2022 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Kingmaker (킹메이커) (2022 film)](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Kingmaker (킹메이커) (2022 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kingmaker-2022-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Kingmaker is a 2022 South Korean political drama by Byun Sung-hyun, starring Sul Kyung-gu and Lee Sun-kyun, inspired by Kim Dae-jung and strategist Eom Chang-rok; released January 26, 2022, 123 minutes, 783,759 admissions." }