The Spy Gone North is based on a true story about a South Korean spy codenamed Black Venus. In 1993, the National Security Agency (NSA) obtains North Korea’s nuclear development plans and sends an operative for confirmation. Park Seok-young is codenamed Black Venus and disguised as a businessman in the inter-Korean trade and investments. After years of operation, he is finally able to make contact with Ri Myung-woon, deputy director of the North Korean Foreign Economic Commission. But when the presidential election campaigning begins in 1997 and the ruling party is at a disadvantage, the NSA tries to use Black Venus to manipulate affairs in the North, and he is conflicted between loyalty to his country and pressures from his organization. The film spotlights 1990s inter-Korean relations, an era not yet explored in film. Though a classic spy flick, it does not forgo humanity, and focuses on characters and dialogue to build tension rather than action and visuals. The director maintains a stubborn insistence on words and psychological drama that is well balanced with fun for the audience. (Song Kyong Won)