12.12: The Day, the latest film from Director Kim Sung-su, covers a lesser-known, yet tragic event in the annals of Korean political history that “plunged the country into several years of chaos”. Combining compelling performances with gripping political tensions, this riveting film presents audiences with a fast-paced, gripping turn of events that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat.
Set in 1979, during the immediate aftermath of President Park’s assassination, this film covers an aspect of Korean history that is quite complex, featuring a lot of different individuals with differing motives. It is worth saying that having an understanding of the historical context, (even if just a little), will help while watching but will also assist with appreciating and understanding the characters and the decisions they make as the film progresses. Please note however, there are fictional elements to the film and some parts have been created for dramatic purposes, so the characters in this film are only modelled on real-life persons. For the purposes of this review the names used are as per the film but please do see my hopefully helpful guide at the end.
On October 26 1979 President Park was assassinated (while in attendance at a dinner party) by Kim Jaegyu, the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. Kim insisted he had done so for the sake of democracy. In response to the assassination, Martial law was declared and an interim President was appointed. There is a sense of hope that amidst the turmoil, uncertainty and unrest, the country is on the cusp of a permanent democracy. However, there were those who had other ideas, namely: the ambitious Chang Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min), who had been placed in charge of investigating the assassination. Hwang delivers a faultless portrayal of a ruthless military leader hellbent on assuming absolute and undisputed control and taking advantage of the power vacuum that has arisen. Rallying political allies and his private military group (“Hanahoe”) to his cause, Chang wastes little time in staging a coup that will allow him to seize power and control of the Country.
By bringing this coup out from the annals of Korean history, Kim has created a riveting film which chronicles a fateful night in a manner that combines entertainment and history in order to engage with modern audiences.
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A hopefully helpful guide (respectfully excluding ranks)
Character in film Modeled after Actor
Chang Doo-gwang Chun Doo-hwan Hwang Jung-min
Lee Tae-shin Jang Tae-wan Jung Woo-sung
Jeong Sang-ho Jeong Seung-hwa Lee Sung-min
Moh Tae-geon Roh Tae-woo Park Hae-joon
Kim Jun-yeop Kim Jin-ki Kim Sung-kyun
What happened next in History
The peak of these demonstrations was reached on 15 May 1980. This day in history saw 100,000 protesters (consisting mainly of students) take to the Seoul Station Plaza. They retreated to their classrooms on 16 May. May 17 saw Chun make concerted efforts to solidify his grip on power, and extended martial law so that it was imposed on the whole country. He also closed university campuses and saw to the arrest of Kim Dae-jung, who was serving as the leader of the opposition.
The response that Chun’s actions prompted is better known as the “Gwangju Uprising”, which took place on 18 May. This rally/protest saw students gathering outside the gates of a University. Unlike earlier protests, this one was met with a brutal response from the government, with paratroopers being ordered to quell any disturbance. This escalated the day’s events from what might have otherwise been a peaceful protest to a civil uprising. The result: the death of more than 200 people, with many more injured.
If you are interested in films that explore this part of history, I’ve been recommended two further films to watch:-
The first is ‘A Taxi Driver’, which covers the aftermath of this film’s events and those leading up to the Gwangju Uprising. Here is the synopsis:
A widowed father and taxi driver who drives a German reporter from Seoul to Gwangju to cover the 1980 uprising, soon finds himself regretting his decision after being caught in the violence around him.
The second is ‘1987: When the Day Comes’ which has been described to me as a compelling depiction of real-life events following the death of a student during police questioning. It sees Korean citizens fight for truth and justice, and how brave individuals across all walks of life united to bring an end to a dictatorship. The synopsis reads:
“In 1987, university student & pro-democracy movement member Park Jong-chul is captured by the police. He is then tortured to death. The police and government try to cover up the case of Park Jong-Chul, but the media and university students try to reveal the truth.”