In New York City, Jang Myong-jun, a leader of a North Korean terrorist organization, is captured and about to be transferred to Pyongyang, but the FBI officials are attacked by North Korean gangsters and Myong-jun escapes. Myong-jun sneaks into Seoul using a fake passport and also took US$1 billion with the help of his partner Kim Chul-soo, a former agent and scientist. Learning this, the North Korean government sends Im Cheol-ryong to Seoul again to catch him and retrieve the money. Cheol-ryeong reunites with Kang Jin-tae and they resume the investigation to trail Myong-jun, but the duo are interrupted by Jack, an FBI agent, who wishes to bring the North Korean criminals back to the U.S. on charges of killing FBI officials.
They agree to work together and the operation is expanded to a trilateral collaboration of the Koreans and Americans. At the hotel, Cheol-ryeong confesses that Myong-jun is his senior and a former North Korean agent. Jack also tells that he received a mail from Adolf Bohrmann to catch Myong-jun 2 months ago, and he suspected that Bohrmann's boss Michael Joe, a crime boss, is helping Myong-jun in money laundering, and Joe had betrayed Myong-jun to steal the money. The next morning, the trio decides to track Sergey, the person who provides a fake passport and illegal cell phones to Myong-jun, and they follow his girlfriend Natasha, a Russian model. At night, Natasha goes out shopping and Jin-tae sneaks into her house to implant a bug, but is attacked by Sergey.
However, Jin-tae manages to defeat Sergey and brings him to the interrogation room, where they track the cell phone's location to Joe's club. The trio, along with Jin-tae's sister-in-law Park Min-young, infiltrate the club. Myong-jun meets Joe at the penthouse and demands him to hand over the money. When Joe refuses, Myong-jun kills him and Chul-soo as the latter is in cahoots with the FBI. Cheol-ryeong heads to the penthouse, where he manages to arrest Myong-jun. Later at the North Korean delegation's residence, Cheol-ryeong finds that Bohrmann is actually a German scientist, who is responsible for killing Jews in a gas leak accident. Cheol-ryeong informs to Jack, who later learns that his boss is also in cahoots with Myong-jun.
An assassin tries to kill Jack, but he manages to subdue him and learns that Jin-tae's family is being held by Myong-jun. Jin-tae is forced to take Myong-jun's henchman into the residence to spread a virus on the residence radio tower. Myong-jun frees himself and kills his former superior Kim Jeong-teak, who is actually Bohrmann, and is revealed to have hired Myeong-jun to steal the money. Jeong-teak is also the person responsible for the death of Myong-jun's family. Jack reaches Jin-tae's house and kills the attackers, thus saving the family. Cheol-ryeong and Jin-tae arrive and the two manage to defuse the virus bomb and kill Myong-jun. After this, the money is delivered to UNICEF, and Cheol-ryeong proposes to Min-young before returning to North Korea.
Cast
Hyun Bin as Im Cheol-ryung, a detective from North Korea's special investigation team
Yoo Hae-jin as Kang Jin-tae, a detective from South Korea and father of Kang Yeon-ah
Im Yoon-ah as Park Min-young, sister-in-law of Kang Jin-tae
On August 24, 2020, Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin was reported to be in discussion to reprise their role as Im Cheol-ryung and Kang Jin-tae, respectively.[10][11] On August 26, 2020, Daniel Henney was reported to be in discussion to join the cast.[12] On August 28, 2020, Im Yoon-ah was reported to be in discussion to reprise her role as Park Min-young.[13][14]
On February 13, 2021, the script reading took place.[17] On February 16, 2021, Park Min-ha was confirmed to reprise her role as Kang Yeon-ah,[18][19] making it her first acting project in 5 years after its prequel.[20] On February 19, 2021, Park Hyung-soo joined the cast.[21] On February 26, 2021, Lee Min-ji joined the cast.[22]
The film was released on 2167 screens on September 7, 2022, in South Korea. The film surpassed 1 million admissions in 3 days of release[25] and 2 million admissions in 5 days of release, achieving the milestone at twice the speed of its predecessor.[26] On September 12, six days after its release, it became the fourth South Korean film in 2022 to cross 3 million admissions.[27] On September 22, 16 days after its release, it became the third South Korean film in 2022 to cross 5 million admissions.[28] On October 2, 26 days after its release, it surpassed 6 million admissions.[29]
^Kwak Hyun-soo (January 22, 2021). "'공조2' 현빈·유해진→다니엘 헤니 캐스팅 [공식]". Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
^Han Mi-hee (January 22, 2021). "현빈·유해진 '공조2:인터내셔날', 다음달 크랭크인". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
^Jo, Yeon-kyung (August 12, 2022). "추석 접수 '공조2: 인터내셔날' 9월 7일 개봉" [Chuseok reception 'Confidential Assignment 2: International' will be released on September 7th] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022 – via Naver.
^Bae Hyo-joo (August 18, 2022). "박훈, '한산' 이어 '공조2'까지‥흥행 연타 정조준" [Park Hoon, from ‘Hansan’ to ‘Cooperation 2] (in Korean). Newsen. Retrieved August 18, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jang Jin-ri (October 6, 2022). "[단독]'공조2' 이제연, 비연예인과 결혼…영화 흥행 속 겹경사" [[Exclusive] 'Cooperation 2' Lee Je-yeon, married to a non-celebrity... Double slope in movie box office] (in Korean). Sports TV News. Retrieved October 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^ abcdNoisul (September 13, 2022). "[인터뷰②] 이석훈 감독 ＂′공조2′ 속편 원해...경찰될 임윤아, 현빈 응원만 있으면 뭐든 가능＂" [[Interview②] Director Lee Seok-hoon "I want a sequel to 'Cooperation 2'... Anything is possible as long as you support Lim Yoon-ah and Hyun-bin, who will become police officers"]. Sports W (in Korean). Retrieved December 14, 2022.
^Han Hyeon-jeong (February 13, 2021). "현빈X유해진 美친 케미 여전…'공조2' 리딩 현장 공개". Daily Economy Star Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
^Lee Da-won (February 19, 2021). "박형수, '공조2' 합류 [공식]". Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021 – via Naver.
^"유해진, 키이스트와 전속계약..'공조2'부터 작업". MT Star News (in Korean). February 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
^Kim Jeong-jin (September 10, 2022). "'공조2' 개봉 3일째 100만 돌파…전편보다 이틀 빨라" ['Confidential Assignment 2' surpassed 1 million on the 3rd day of release... Two days earlier than the first]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^Kim Kyung-hee (September 11, 2022). "'공조2' 개봉 5일째 200만 관객 돌파, 경쟁작 없는 단독 질주" ['Confidential Assignment 2' surpasses 2 million viewers on the 5th day of release, runs solo without competition]. MBC (in Korean). Retrieved September 24, 2022.
^Yoon Seong-yeol (September 12, 2022). "'공조2' 개봉 6일째 누적관객 300만 돌파..추석 극장가 장악" ['Confidential Assignment 2' surpasses 3 million cumulative audiences on the 6th day of release... Takes control of theaters on Chuseok]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved September 24, 2022.
^Park Ji-yoon (September 22, 2022). "'공조2', 개봉 16일만에 500만 돌파...'범죄도시2'·'한산' 이어 세 번째" ['Confidential Assignment 2' surpasses 5 million in 16 days of release... the third time after 'The Roundup' and 'Hansan']. The Fact (in Korean). Retrieved September 24, 2022.
^Choi Ji-yoon (October 2, 2022). "'공조2', 식을 줄 모르는 인기…600만명 돌파" ['Confidential Assignment 2', the undying popularity...Exceeded 6 million]. Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved October 2, 2022.
^Kim Mi-hwa (November 25, 2022). "고경표·이지은·임윤아·다니엘 헤니, 인기스타상 수상 [청룡영화상]" [Go Kyung-pyo, Lee Ji-eun, Lim Yoon-a, and Daniel Henney won the Popular Star Award [Blue Dragon Film Awards]] (in Korean). MT Star News. Retrieved November 25, 2022 – via Naver.
^"청룡영화상 후보 공개…'헤어질 결심', 최다 노미네이트" [Blue Dragon Film Awards nominations announced... 'Decision to break up', the most nominations]. XSports News (in Korean). November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022 – via Naver.
^"43회 청룡영화상 후보 발표, 박찬욱 감독 '헤어질 결심' 13개 부문 최다 노미네이트" [43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards nominations announced, director Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to break up' received the most nominations in 13 categories]. KBS KStar (in Korean). November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
^Jeong Taeyoon (December 9, 2022). "대종상, '헤어질 결심' 3관왕…"혁신 노렸지만, 아쉬웠다"" [Daejongsang, 'Decision to break up' wins 3 crowns... “I tried to innovate, but it was disappointing.”]. Dispatch (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
