Five thieves, all with their own secret motives, carry out a mega-scale theft on the Bank of Korea. The outcome is successful, but the 5 billion won stolen from the bank somehow vanishes. The principal player, Chang-hyuk, dies. An experienced detector investigates the crime. A month after Chang-hyuk′s death, Chang-hyuk′s brother Chang-ho is called into the police station. The reconstruction of the crime begins. Chang-ho is found to be the beneficiary of the 5 billion won life insurance policy of his brother. In-kyung, who used to live with another member of crime master Mr. Kim, sets her mind on the insurance benefit. The Big Swindle is the first attempt in Korean cinema at the criminal thriller genre. The story is very complicated as it focuses on the internal conflicts of the criminals as well as the crime itself. Delicate filming and splendid acting won critical acclaim while achieving huge box office success. Another discovery is the charismatic middle-aged actor Baek Yoon-shik who plays Mr. Kim.