Synopsis

South Korean intelligence agents investigate a string of assassinations linked to a North Korean sniper who has vanished without a trace. Their search becomes a race against time when terrorists steal CTX, a powerful liquid explosive, and plan to attack a major soccer match. The case turns personal when one agent discovers that the woman he loves is connected to the enemy he has been pursuing.

Factoids & Trivia

• The Korean title is Swiri, while Shiri became the primary international spelling. The name refers to a freshwater fish native to the Korean peninsula.

• The fish serves as a metaphor for Korea's division. Living in waters connected across the peninsula, it represents a natural unity that politics has disrupted.

• Released in South Korea on February 13, 1999, the film became a landmark commercial success. It drew about 2.44 million admissions in Seoul and approximately 6.2 million nationwide, surpassing the local record previously held by Titanic.

• Shiri is widely regarded as the film that ushered in the era of the Korean blockbuster. Its combination of large-scale action, espionage, romance, and national division demonstrated that Korean productions could compete commercially with Hollywood imports.

• The film's reported budget was approximately 1.4 billion won, with an additional 0.5 billion won spent on prints and advertising, according to Korean film industry statistics from the period.

• The film runs 125 minutes and was photographed on 35 mm film in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

• A 4K restoration was completed in 2019, allowing the film to return to theaters in a digitally restored presentation.