The director’s cut of the hit webtoon-turned drama film “Inside Men” is set to be released at the end of the year with 50 additional minutes of footage, bringing the running time to three hours. 

The added footage to the story -- which follows a deeply corrupt triangular conspiracy involving politics, corporate interests and the media -- focuses mainly on providing personal histories and context for the complex relationships between the main characters. 

Titled “Inside Men: The Original,” the extended film is actually a whittled-down form of the initial director’s cut, which was reportedly 3 hours and 40 minutes.

“We cut out the dragging scenes to make it three hours,” director Woo Min-ho told press at a prerelease preview. “When we cut it to 130 minutes (for the theatrical version), there were some spots where I felt I was cutting corners to hide certain mistakes. The three-hour version shows the uncut scenes, so I feel a bit exposed.”

“When I saw the two-hour version, I got the impression that it was very rough, very gritty,” commented actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays gangster Ahn Sang-gu in the film. “When I heard we were releasing a three-hour version, I was worried that it would be a bit boring. But watching the film, I think it’s even more rough and gritty.”

Baek Yoon-sik’s portrayal of columnist Lee Gang-hui received the most additional screen time with “The Original,” and he said at the press conference that he was finally “satisfied.” 

“The film shows how Ahn Sang-gu and Lee Gang-hui first got to know each other, and I enjoyed that. I also liked the scenes that portrayed the relationship between colleagues at a daily newspaper,” Baek said.

The most interesting additions are the new opening and closing scenes. In the opening shot, Lee Byung-hun is shown giving an interview to a reporter before a crucial scene in the film where he exposes the central crime in the plot; in the final scene, Baek Yoon-sik performs a semi-monologue in the form of a one-sided telephone call. Both scenes give the film a darker twist, and director Woo said the last scene in particular was a dilemma.

“I didn’t want the audience to leave the theater feeling despair,” he said. “The original intent of the film was simply to increase awareness (about the corruption around us) and give the message not to give up, but I lost confidence and had cut it out for the theatrical version.” The new scene finishes the film on a more resigned note.

As of Dec. 28, “Inside Men” had been watched by over 6.9 million moviegoers, making it the second-most successful adults-only film in Korean box office history after “Friend.” 

“Inside Men: The Original” opens on Dec. 31.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)