Choi Siwon Plays a Deadpan Spy in Korea's New College Exam Comedy

Choi Siwon is drawing big laughs with a small role. The SM Entertainment actor makes a special appearance in the comedy film "College Admission" (Suneung, Chuljeui Bimil), now playing in theaters across South Korea.

The film is built around the College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT, South Korea's national college entrance exam. In the story, the exam's question are treated as a Class 2 state secret. Maeng Bo-ram (played by Lee Sun-bin), a Korean language teacher from a small provincial city, ends up joining the exam's question-writing headquarters almost by accident. The site is sealed off for 40 days.

What follows is a chaotic comedy. Maeng scrambles to create a "problem-free problem," a test question with no typos and nothing anyone could argue about.

Choi Siwon plays an agent from the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's spy agency. His character goes by the nickname "Saekangyeong," or "Tinted Glasses." The agent monitors the question writers with a cold, all-business attitude.

Choi Siwon delivers his lines with a straight face, and that is where the humor comes in. His comic timing gets laughs right when the scenes need them.

The film also reunites him with Lee Sun-bin. The two first worked together on the series "Work Later, Drink Now." Their chemistry feels familiar and fresh at the same time, and it adds to the fun.

His screen time is short. Still, Choi Siwon makes a strong impression as a scene-stealer, leaving fans curious about what he will do next. Sometimes, just a few well-timed scenes are all it takes to steal the show.