Secretly Greatly (2013) is a Korean-language superhero film adapted from Manga, directed by Jang Cheol-soo and starring Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Hyun-woo. The film is a standalone production outside any shared cinematic universe and was released by Showbox. Audience rating: 7.5/10.
What is Secretly Greatly (2013) about?
Three North Korean sleeper agents are embedded in a South Korean village, posing as ordinary citizens. Their cover — and loyalties — are tested when they receive their first orders. Based on a manhwa.
Released in 2013, Secretly Greatly was directed by Jang Cheol-soo and produced under the Showbox banner. The film occupies a significant place within the Independent — telling a self-contained story outside of shared-continuity superhero franchises.
The film features lead performances from Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Hyun-woo, Park Ki-woong, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in Manga. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Cheol-soo and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
With an audience rating of 7.5, Secretly Greatly is generally praised as a strong entry in the superhero genre — its strengths in storytelling, performance, and production design regularly cited by viewers.
What happens in Secretly Greatly (2013)? — Full Plot
We open in a small Seoul neighborhood. Ryu Hwan (Kim Soo-hyun) — a North Korean military operative — has been deep-cover in Seoul for three years. He has been posing as Won Ryu-hwan, the village's slow-witted local fool.
Ryu Hwan's cover identity has been remarkably effective. The neighborhood considers him a charming, slightly-disabled young man. He has formed genuine relationships with shopkeepers, neighbors, and a young romantic interest. He has begun to question his mission.
Two more North Korean operatives arrive — also posing as ordinary citizens. Lee Hae-rang (Park Ki-woong) is posing as a high-school student. Lee Hae-jin (Lee Hyun-woo) is posing as a famous singer. The three of them establish a covert operation.
The North Korean operation's true mission is gradually revealed: they have been sleeper agents preparing for a coordinated assassination of South Korean political leaders. The order has finally arrived.
Ryu Hwan, having developed genuine attachments to his cover community, refuses the order. He attempts to talk Lee Hae-rang and Lee Hae-jin out of the mission. They refuse.
The final confrontation takes place in the village. Ryu Hwan kills both his fellow North Korean operatives to prevent the assassination. He chooses his cover identity's relationships over his original loyalty to North Korea.
Secretly Greatly grossed $59 million globally on a $7 million budget — major commercial success and South Korea's highest-grossing film of 2013. The film established a template for Korean superhero-style spy comedies. Kim Soo-hyun has continued in similar roles.
Who stars in Secretly Greatly (2013)?
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What are some facts about Secretly Greatly (2013)?
Secretly Greatly released in 2013, placing it within the 2010s era of comic book cinema — a decade that saw superhero films become the dominant force at the global box office.
Directed by Jang Cheol-soo, the film was produced by Showbox and adapts source material from Manga.
The principal cast features Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Hyun-woo, with key supporting roles played by Park Ki-woong.
The film belongs to Independent — an independent / standalone production, not tied to a shared cinematic universe.
Secretly Greatly carries an audience rating of 7.5 — putting it in the solid-to-excellent tier of the genre.
The Manga source material for Secretly Greatly has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Modern superhero films like this one use a mix of practical effects and digital VFX, with entire sequences often shot against volume walls or LED stages pioneered by shows like The Mandalorian.
Secretly Greatly is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 162 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.
