The movie “12.12: The Day” highlights the critical moment in the Korean politics.
(Photo credit: https://www.mk.co.kr/en/movies/10940803 )
In November 2023, “12.12: The Day” ended the prolonged quietness in South Korean box offices. Commended for the realistic scenes that capture a critical moment in modern Korean history, the movie was dubbed ‘the film with the largest audience in 2023’ based on the Korea Box Office Information System. Of course, the peninsula welcomed this well-made movie, but the real questions remain. What core value is the movie trying to convey to the audience? To better interpret the messages from the movie, an interview with Professor Soyoung Kwon from Comparative Politics was conducted. Below are the responses from the interview.
1. Why do you think the director wanted to portray Chun Doo-gwang as a villain?
The director set Chun as a villain because he wanted to criticize the military coup led by Chun which marked the start of Chun’s long period of dictatorship. In terms of why the director thought Chun was a villain, how Chun acquired power is the reason. Chun overthrew the temporary government that was established right after the assassination of President Park, through a military coup. He heavily relied on the network of the Hana Association, the military school fraternity that he was part of, for the military takeover that this movie features. The director could have thought that Chun should have risen to power through democratic means, such as through an election and with public support instead of the illegitimate means he used.
2. How would you evaluate Lee Tae Shin’s act of standing up against Chun Doo-gwang?
Lee is portrayed as a person who stands up for justice. However, Lee shouldn't have brought personal ethical basis and judgment in making a decision that risked himself, his family, and the underlings. Lee’s commander told him that there was no way to stop Chun, as Chun’s army could easily overpower Lee’s small number of troops, but Lee rejected his superior’s order and fought what he deemed as wrong. Had Lee followed his superior’s command, he could have prevented casualties.
3. “12:12 The Day“ is known as a movie that encapsulates one of the most painful times in modern South Korean history. What lesson should we learn from this movie?
This film captures a critical event that led to a long period of dictatorship by Chun and ultimately, yearning for democracy by the people. Because South Korea in the 1980s underwent a struggle for democracy, we now live in a fixed democratic country. The director would want to convey that we can’t explain today’s democracy without talking about the struggles and tears of the people in the past.
As a last word, Professor Kwon added that she wants to encourage people to watch historical movies like “12:12 The Day”, and to pay attention to the events that form the foundation of South Korea. While the interpretations of the movie’s historical event are diverse as wide as the spectrum of political orientation, the movie serves as a powerful medium that connects us with South Korea in 1979.
Written by Minju Oh | Staff Writer
Revised by Seohyun Kim | Managing Editor
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