''He's on Duty'' () is a 2010 South Korean 2010 black comedy film that comically yet incisively depicts racial issues in Korea. Tae-sik finds it difficult to get a job due to his odd appearance and impatient character. After failing repeatedly, he disguises himself as a foreigner and finally lands a job. Tae-sik, however, witnesses the cruel treatment migrant workers face in Korea. The Korean title is a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

on the lead character's name and is an abbreviated form of 반갑습니다 (bangabseumnida) or 반가워요 (bangawoyo) which translates to "Delighted? Delighted!" or "Nice to meet you."

Plot

Bang Tae-sik is perennially unemployed as he drifts from one job to another, from manual labor to serving coffee. His appearance (dark skin and short height), being rather atypical for a Korean is to blame it seems, but best buddy Yong-cheol persuades Tae-sik to make better use of these disadvantages: Desperate and having nothing better to do, he adopts a strange accent and ethnic hat and is reborn as Bang-ga (a twist on his family name) from

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

, and immediately lands a job at a chair manufacturing factory. Despite a shaky beginning ― due to his unredeemable clumsiness, rather than doubts about his alleged Bhutani roots that are all too convincing ― Tae-sik gets along with his co-workers, and even starts romancing the lovely Jang-mi from

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. He is even voted to become president of a migrant workers labor union and competent Korean language instructor, and joins in a harmonious effort to win a local singing competition for foreigners. Tae-sik begins to truly bond with his co-workers but his loyalties are put to the test when Yong-cheol finds a way to swindle their money.

Cast

Kim In-kwon Kim In-kwon (; born January 20, 1978) is a South Korean actor. Known for playing memorable supporting characters, he starred in his first leading role in the sleeper hit '' He's on Duty'' (2010), followed by '' Almost Che'' (2012), '' Born to Sin ...

as Bang Tae-sik / Bang-ga *

Kim Jung-tae Kim Jung-tae (born Kim Tae-wook on December 13, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles on film and television. Career He made his acting debut in 1999 with the film ''The Uprising'' under his birth name Kim Tae ...

as Yong-cheol * Shin Hyun-bin as Jang-mi *Khan Mohammad Asaduzzman as Ali *Nazarudin as Rajah *Peter Holman as Charlie *Eshonkulov Parviz as Michael *Jeon Gook-hwan as Boss Hwang *Kim Kang-hee as Miss Hong *Kim Bo-min as Hye-young *Park Yeong-soo as Park Kwan-sang *Jung Tae-won as Dan-poong

Awards and nominations

2010

Korean Film Awards The Korean Film Awards was a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the broadcasting network MBC from 2002 to 2010. History Originally named the MBC Film Awards, the ceremony was first established in 2002. It was renamed the Korean Film Awa ...

*Nomination - Best Supporting Actor:

*Nomination - Best New Actress: Shin Hyun-bin *Nomination - Best Screenplay: Yook Sang-hyo *Nomination - Best Music: Shin Hyung

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...

*Best New Actress: Shin Hyun-bin *Best Screenplay: Yook Sang-hyo 2011

Buil Film Awards The Buil Film Awards () is a South Korean film awards ceremony hosted by the '' Busan Ilbo'' newspaper. It began in 1958 as one of the earliest film awards in the country. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was the biggest film awards event in the ...

*Best Screenplay: Yook Sang-hyo

References

External links

* * * *{{hancinema film, He__s_on_Duty 2010s Korean-language films 2010 black comedy films South Korean black comedy films Films about immigration Films about racism 2010s South Korean films