Kingmaker: The Fox of the Election

In South Korea in the early 1960s, Seo Chang Dae (Lee Sun Gyun) is a pharmacist who dreams of escaping his job and becoming a political strategist. Kim Woon Beom (Sol Kyung Gu), meanwhile, is a struggling politician for the opposition left-wing political party. Both he and his party are experiencing hard times – in the wake of the Korean War (1950-1953), the country is bitterly opposed to left-wingers, branding them all “communists” who want to “betray” the country to the North Korean government. But Seo Chang Dae approaches Kim Woon Beom and explains to him that if he is prepared to fight dirty, he could win political power. The latter is skeptical, but when he finally agrees to try the pharmacist’s methods, he attains phenomenal success at the polls. Kim Woon Beom uses Seo Chang Dae’s insights and strategies to mount a political platform that takes him from his soapbox on the fringes of regional politics to the national stage. But as they both rise to the top of the political pyramid, a clash of ideals ensues. Kim Woon Beom is not sure that his strategist’s methods are ethical, while Seo Chang Dae’s loyalty to his political ally is about to be put to the ultimate test… “Kingmaker: The Fox of the Election” is a 2022 South Korean movie that was directed by Byun Sung Hyun.