Kang Dong Won’s Film ‘A Violent Prosecutor’ Wins At The Box Office

Kang Dong Won played a priest in 2015 when he appeared in the film "The Priests." This year he plays a con man.

The actor co-stars with Hwang Jung Min in the comedy crime caper "A Violent Prosecutor." And the film is already considered a hit. "A Violent Prosecutor," which was released on February 4, attracted more than 2.5 million moviegoers in its first week. Opening day ticket sales beat that of last year's box office hit films "Veteran" and "Assassination."

On February 6, The Korean Film Council reported that the film topped the box office, with almost a million people attending in a single day. It took ticket sales only four days to pass the two million mark.

In the film, veteran actor Hwang Jung Min plays Byun Jae Wook, a prosecutor who is framed for murder. His tough talking ways don't make him friends outside of prison or in it. Con man Chi Won, played by Kang Dong Won, is different. He can charm people into falling for his schemes and he even manages to charm his fellow inmates. Byun Jae Wook eventually befriends him.

Byun hatches a plot in which the first step is getting Chi Won released from prison. Then Chi Won can help Byun take revenge on the people who unjustly put him in jail.

Byun Jae Wook believes in Chi Won's ability to con him but is he trustworthy? Byun has no choice but to trust him. His future depends on a con man.

Part of the box office draw for this film is its tried-and-true stars.

Hwang Jung Min has appeared in several hit films recently, including "Ode To My Father," "The Himalayas" and "Veteran." Hwang is primarily a film actor, but he did appear in the drama "The Accidental Couple" in 2009.

Besides his role in "The Priests," Kang Dong Won's most recent films are "Kundo: Age of Rampant" with Ha Jung Woo and "My Brilliant Life" with Song Hye Kyo. His last small screen role was in the 2004 drama "Magic."

Hwang and Kang discussed their roles in 'A Violent Prosecutor' when they appeared on a January 9 broadcast of the KBS program "I Love Movies." Kang praised Hwang's dedication.

He is so passionate about his work," said Kang. "He reads the script until it's worn out. I keep my script very clean. I learned a lot from him."

But Hwang Jung Min did not think his co-star had much to learn.

"He doesn't have to try hard," said Hwang. "He has the pretty face of a con artist."

The film premiered on February 4.