Overview of The Man Standing Next
If you are curious about the events of October 26 and the circumstances leading up to that day, I recommend the film The Man Standing Next.
Table of Contents
- Characters
- The Day of October 26 and the Events Before It
- Jeon Du-hyeok’s Expression
- Films Based on the October 26 Incident
- The Meaning of “Namsan”
- The Man Standing Next
- After the assassination of the President, why did he go to the Army Headquarters instead of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency?
Characters
The film The Man Standing Next was released on January 22, 2020. It is set against the backdrop of the day of the October 26 Incident and the events leading up to it. Although the story is based on real historical figures involved in the October 26 Incident, the names of the characters in the film are fictional.
Actor Lee Byung-hun plays Kim Gyu-pyeong, Kwak Do-won plays Park Yong-gak, Lee Hee-jun plays Kwak Sang-cheon, and Kim So-jin plays Deborah Shim. The film is directed by Woo Min-ho.
It is unclear whether it was due to weight loss, makeup, or both, but Lee Sung-min looks noticeably different in this film, which works well. Familiar faces can sometimes break immersion. Lee Sung-min portrays the President.
The Day of October 26 and the Events Before It
The Man Standing Next opens on October 26, 1979, at a safe house in Gungjeong-dong, where Kim Gyu-pyeong tells his subordinates that if the country goes wrong, everyone will die. Gunshots are then heard. The scenes that follow reveal what happened in the past.
Earlier, Kim Gyu-pyeong had asked the President to pardon Park Yong-gak. However, Park Yong-gak is kidnapped, shot while trying to escape, and ultimately killed when his body is crushed by machinery. The film’s conclusion begins about 25 minutes before the end, returning to the opening scene and finally revealing what truly happened at the Gungjeong-dong safe house.
Jeon Du-hyeok’s Expression
In the post-credit scene, Jeon Du-hyeok takes gold from a safe. Before leaving, he turns back and looks at the President’s empty seat with a blank expression. Judging by his face alone, his ambition is not revealed. One can’t help but wonder how it would have felt if his expression had been different.
After that, photographs of the real historical figures Chun Doo-hwan and Kim Jae-gyu appear, and their actual voices can also be heard.
Films Based on the October 26 Incident
The Man Standing Next won several awards between 2020 and 2022, most notably the Best Picture Award at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2021. The film attracted 4.75 million viewers.
In addition to The Man Standing Next, another film based on the October 26 Incident is The President’s Last Bang, released on February 3, 2005. Meanwhile, 12.12: The Day (Seoul Spring), released on November 22, 2023, is set in the period from immediately after the October 26 Incident to the December 12 military coup.
On May 27, 2021, SBS aired an episode related to the disappearance of Kim Hyung-wook on Tails of Tales, Season 2, Episode 12.
The Meaning of “Namsan”
What does “Namsan” mean in the film The Man Standing Next?
In the past, the headquarters of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency was located on Namsan in Seoul. I was personally curious about its exact location, so I looked it up.
The Korean Central Intelligence Agency headquarters was located at the current site of Seoul Youth Hostel.
The official residence of the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency is now used as House of Literature Seoul.
Another former Korean Central Intelligence Agency building is currently used by the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters.
The road name address of Seoul Youth Hostel is 6, Toegye-ro 26ga-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.
“Namsan” symbolizes the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. In other words, the expression “being taken to Namsan” meant being taken to the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
In the film The Man Standing Next, Kim Gyu-pyeong is the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, and Park Yong-gak is a former director. Their shared affiliation and position as directors of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency became the title of the film.
In the post-credit scene, Jeon Du-hyeok appears. Although the film does not depict it, he would eventually become the director as well.
The Man Standing Next
The English title of the film The Man Standing Next is The Man Standing Next.
If translated literally into Korean, it means “the man standing next to (someone).”
Next to whom? The President.
The man standing next to him? That is the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency — the “man of Namsan.”
After the assassination of the President, why did he go to the Army Headquarters instead of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency?
“Jungjeong” refers to the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, and “Yukbon” is the abbreviation for the Army Headquarters.
Let us compare the situation inside the car after the assassination as depicted in the films The Man Standing Next and The President’s Last Bang.
First, The Man Standing Next.
Inside the car, the Army Chief of Staff tells Kim Gyu-pyeong that there is no point in going to Namsan. He insists they should go to the Army Headquarters, declare martial law, and assess the situation in the North.
The man in the passenger seat asks Kim Gyu-pyeong where they should go. Kim gives no answer. The only thing shown is the car making a U-turn.
Next, The President’s Last Bang.
Inside the car, the Army Chief of Staff tells Director Kim that they should go to the Army Headquarters.
When they arrive at the Army Headquarters, the soldiers at the guard post do not recognize the Army Chief of Staff, so they are initially unable to enter. Eventually, however, they are allowed inside.
The scene inside the car is also the ending scene of The Man Standing Next. Perhaps for that reason, it carries more weight there than in The President’s Last Bang.
I will use “Director Kim” consistently to refer to Kim Bu-jang and Kim Gyu-pyeong.
In my view, the reason Director Kim went to the Army Headquarters instead of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency is that he did not deny his actions and had no intention of resisting. In other words, I believe he had no plan to preserve his own life.
South Korea carried out its last execution on December 30, 1997. Therefore, it is considered a country that has effectively abolished the death penalty.
What if Director Kim had gone to the Korean Central Intelligence Agency instead?
His arrest might have been delayed, but the fact that he had assassinated the President would not have changed.
The original Korean version of this blog post is available at the link below.
남산의 부장들 – 10.26 사건의 날 그리고 그 이전 : 영화 후기 (Original Korean Blog Post)