In the 1970s, Korea is under the absolute control of the President Park who controls the KCIA, the organization with an edge over any branch of government. The director of KCIA, KIM Gyu-pyeong, is the seemingly most prospective second-in-command.

In the midst of reign of fear, a former KCIA director, PARK Yong-gak who knows all about the government’s obscure operations, exiles to the U.S. where the investigation of ‘Koreagate’ is underway. As the tension escalates, the stifling political maneuvering by the all second-in-command’s unfolds.

The Man Standing Next exploits this murkiness to reinterpret Kim through the lens of a Shakespearean tragic hero, as a flawed man suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous political fortune.

It’s an approach that aptly leverages Lee Byung-hun’s acting prowess and offers a rigorous retelling of events, but results in an overloaded narrative that caters to history buffs at the slight expense of casual viewers and cinephiles.