Humint (film)

Humint
Theatrical release poster
Hangul
휴민트
RRHyuminteu
MRHyumint'ŭ
Directed byRyoo Seung-wan
Written byRyoo Seung-wan
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyYang Hyun-suk
Edited byBae Yeon-tae
Music byJo Yeong-wook
Production
company
Distributed byNext Entertainment World
Release date
  • February 11, 2026 (2026-02-11)
Running time
119 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Budget$16 million[1]
Box office$13.1 million[2]

Humint (Korean: 휴민트) is a 2026 South Korean action spy film written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. Produced by Filmmaker R&K, the film stars Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, and Shin Se-kyung, and follows South and North Korean intelligence agents who clash in Vladivostok, while investigating a criminal incident at the border. Distributed by Next Entertainment World (NEW), the film was released on February 11, 2026.

The film's title refers to human intelligence and marks the third entry in Ryoo's unofficial "Overseas Location" trilogy following the successes of The Berlin File (2013) and Escape from Mogadishu (2021). The project reunites Ryoo with Zo and Park, both of whom previously starred in the director's 2023 box-office hit Smugglers.

Plot

In Vladivostok, Russia, South Korean National Intelligence Service Manager Zo is assigned to track an international crime syndicate operating near the border. His investigation intersects with Park Geon, a North Korean State Security official sent to investigate a recent security breach. The situation is complicated by Hwang Chi-seong, the North Korean consul general, whose personal interests conflict with the official mission. At the center of the intelligence gathering is Chae Seon-hwa, a worker at a North Korean restaurant. As the agents from both sides attempt to secure her as a human intelligence source, she is forced into a position of high risk.

Cast

Production

Development

Ryoo Seung-wan confirmed his new project with a budget of ₩23.5 billion (approximately US$16 million)[1] would be an espionage action film titled Humint, a category of intelligence derived from information collected and provided by human sources. It is produced by Filmmaker R&K and distributed by Next Entertainment World.[3] The film was the final installment of Ryoo's unofficial "Overseas Location" trilogy, following The Berlin File (2013) and Escape from Mogadishu (2021).[4]

Casting

Zo In-sung was positively in discussion to appear in director Ryoo's film Humint in April 2024. This would make the third collaboration of Zo and Ryoo following Escape from Mogadishu (2021) and Smugglers (2023).[5] By June 2024, the cast lineup were confirmed, including Zo, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, and Nana.[6] Three months later, Nana stepped down due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Shin Se-kyung, this marks her first major film role in over a decade.[7][8]

Filming

Principal photography began in October 2024, and set location filmed in Riga, Latvia[1] to capture the unique landscape of Vladivostok.[3][4]

Marketing

Next Entertainment World released the first two posters, featuring the main characters, and the launch trailer of Humint on December 24, 2025.[9] Following the initial teaser, the production released the four character posters on January 12, 2026, which were noted for their gritty, high-contrast style reflecting the tension of the Vladivostok setting. This was followed by the DDP Special Exhibition, which integrated these visual assets into an immersive physical space, allowing fans to experience the on-set memories of the cast and crew held for two weeks. This marked the first time the Dongdaemun Design Plaza hosted a dedicated exhibition for a single domestic motion picture.[10][11] The same day, a press conference was held at Gwangjin District in Seoul.[12]

Release

Humint was released theatrically on February 11, 2026.[9] To coincide with the film's release, the cast and director Ryoo embarked on an extensive nationwide promotional tour. Beginning on February 7, the "Team Humint" stage greetings covered major cities including Busan and Daegu before concluding with a series of events in Seoul throughout the Lunar New Year holiday (February 14–18). The tour included a "Mini GV" at the Busan Cinema Center and multiple appearances at major cinema chains like CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox.[13]

Reception

Box office

The Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for film tickets indicated that Humint attracted 116,717 viewers on its opening day on the 11th of February.[14] As of March 8, 2026, the film has a cumulative total of 1,916,714 admissions.[15]

Critical response

The Korea Herald's Moon Ki-hoon described the film as a "thriller long on spectacle" but "short on substance" adding that the cast's "performances keep afloat proceedings that grow more ludicrous by the minute".[16] For Woo Jae-yeon of Yonhap News, director Ryoo Seung-wan's film "leans closer to romance than action" but the action sequences "operate as a storytelling device that sustains the film's romantic thread," "what lingers after the credits rolls is not the action but the humanity and the choices people make."[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Moon, Ki-hoon (January 12, 2026). "Humint takes Ryoo Seung-wan's espionage playbook to Vladivostok". The Korea Herald. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  2. ^ "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2026". KOFIC. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Frater, Patrick (June 12, 2024). "Korean Ace Ryoo Seung-wan to Shoot Humint Espionage Action Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Go, Seung-a (December 31, 2025). '휴민트' 조인성·박정민·박해준·신세경, 폭풍 전야...긴장감 가득 [Humint Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, Shin Se-kyung, the calm before the storm...filled with tension]. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  5. ^ Hwang, So-young (April 2, 2024). [단독] 조인성, 류승완 신작 '휴민트'로 세 번째 만남 [[Exclusive] Jo In-sung and Ryoo Seung-wan Reunite for a Third Time in New Film Humint]. JTBC (in Korean). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  6. ^ Merican, Sara (June 12, 2024). "Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon And Nana Confirmed As Cast For Ryoo Seung-wan's Humint". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  7. ^ Jo, Ji-young (September 23, 2024). [단독] 나나, 조인성X박정민 특급 만남 불발..'휴민트' 스케줄 이유로 아쉬운 하차 [[Exclusive] Nana to drop out of Humint due to scheduling conflicts..star-studded meeting with Zo In-sung and Park Jeong-min falls through]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  8. ^ Jo, Ji-young (September 23, 2024). [단독] 신세경, '휴민트'로 돌아온다..10년 만에 스크린 컴백 [[Exclusive] Shin Se-kyung to return with Humint..first big-screen comeback in 10 years]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  9. ^ a b Jung, Eugene (December 24, 2025). 조인성·박정민·박해준·신세경 '휴민트' 내년 2월 11일 개봉 확정 [Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, and Shin Se-kyung's Humint confirmed for release on February 11 next year]. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  10. ^ Yoo, Jung-min (January 9, 2026). 조인성·박정민 '휴민트', 현장 기억 담아냈다...DDP 특별 전시회 진행 [Jo In-sung and Park Jeong-min's Humint Captures On-Set Memories...Special Exhibition Held at DDP]. iMBC (in Korean). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  11. ^ Choi, Song-hee (January 12, 2026). 조인성·박정민·박해준·신세경 '휴민트', 4인 4색 캐릭터 포스터 공개 [Jo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, and Shin Se-kyung's Humint, Four Distinct Character Posters Released]. Aju News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  12. ^ Kim, Ji-ye (January 12, 2026). "Actors Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min went all in for Veteran director's new action thriller Humint". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  13. ^ Lee, Soo-hyun (January 14, 2026). '휴민트' 조인성→박정민, 개봉 전 부산·대구 시작으로 설 연휴까지 관객들 만난다...무대인사 일정 보니 [Humint Cast Zo In-sung → Park Jeong-min, to Meet Audiences from Busan and Daegu to the Lunar New Year Holiday...Stage Greeting Schedule Released]. Top Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  14. ^ "액션·멜로 다 품은 '휴민트' 오프닝 11만…1위 출발". JTBC. February 12, 2026. Archived from the original on February 12, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  15. ^ 기자, 하경헌 (March 9, 2026). "1100만 돌파 '왕사남'…한국영화는 부활한 걸까" ["The King's Warden" reaches 11 Million Admissions. Is Korean cinema making a comeback?]. 스포츠경향 (in Korean). Retrieved March 9, 2026.
  16. ^ Ki-hoon, Moon (February 7, 2026). "Ryoo Seung-wan's spy thriller gets louder, not sharper, in 'Humint'". The Korea Herald (in Korean). Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  17. ^ Jae-yeon, Woo. "(Movie Review) 'Humint': Ryoo Seung wan's romance wrapped in unflinching action | Yonhap News Agency". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on February 11, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.