The Scam (2009 Film)

The Scam (Korean: 작전; RR: Jak Jeon) is a 2009 South Korean crime thriller film directed by Lee Ho-Jae. The narrative centers on the high-stakes world of stock market manipulation, following a day trader who becomes entangled in a complex financial scheme.

The Scam movie poster — Promotional poster for The Scam (2009).

Plot

Hyeon-Soo (Park Yong-Ha) is a former day trader who lost his fortune in the stock market. After five years of disciplined, solitary trading, he successfully recovers his losses. His plans to retire and support his family are interrupted when he inadvertently disrupts a major stock manipulation scheme. This action draws the attention of Hwang Jong-Ku (Park Hee-Soon), a former gangster turned ruthless investor. Instead of retaliating, Jong-Ku recruits Hyeon-Soo into his team to execute a massive $60 million stock market swindle.

Production

The film was directed by Lee Ho-Jae, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Hong Won-Chan. It was produced by Cho Sung-Kyu and Hong Won-Chan, with cinematography by Ki Jae-Hoon. The film was distributed by Showbox and released in South Korea on February 12, 2009, with a runtime of 119 minutes.

Cast

Park Yong-Ha as Kang Hyeon-Soo
Kim Min-Jung as Yoo Seo-Yeon
Park Hee-Soon as Hwang Jong-Ku
Kim Moo-Yul as Jo Min-Hyeong
Kim Joon-Sung as Brian Choi

Awards

Director Lee Ho-Jae received the "Best New Director" award at the 46th Daejong Film Awards in 2009.