Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2023, ‘12.12: The Day,’ is finally coming to Philippine cinemas

 

The revolution is here. Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2023, ‘12.12: The Day,’ is finally coming to Philippine cinemas. Based on true events, acclaimed director Kim Sung-soo brings a gripping tale of power, loyalty, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a nation in crisis.

The movie begins on October 26, 1979 when President Park is assassinated. Chaos descends upon South Korea as martial law is declared. But what follows is far more than just political turmoil – it's a battle for the soul of a nation.

The aftermath of President Park’s assassination heralds the rise of Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min). He assumes the role of Joint Investigation Commander under martial law. With a private band of officers, he stages a coup d’état to exercise power.

Opposing him is Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung). A staunch believer in the military’s duty to protect rather than govern, Commander Lee stands as a barricade against the encroaching tide of Chun’s tyranny.

The tension between the two intensifies as military leaders continue to deliberate and with the Defense Minister gone. The fate of Seoul hangs in the balance, and the city’s longing for spring takes a perilous turn. It all leads to December 12th when an intense nine-hour battle ensues, an event that changed the contemporary history of Korea forever.

Various television series have attempted to explore pivotal moments of that fateful day, but ‘12.12: The Day’ is the first feature film to offer a previously untold narrative: Director Kim’s recreation of what happened with the rebel forces in those nine hours of combat.

Director Kim received the screenplay for the historical action drama in the fall of 2019, and it instantly brought him back to that winter night 44 years ago. He was then a 19-year-old boy living in the Hannam-dong area in Seoul when he heard gunshots. He learns later on that the gun shots were fired when the Chief of Staff was being taken away. 

His personal experience, however, did not easily convince Director Kim to accept the project right away. “I was worried most about whether I would be able to properly depict that day which changed the fate of contemporary Korean history,” the director shares in a statement. “But the following summer I mustered the courage to grab hold of the screenplay and focus on one thing as I immersed myself in adapting it. I thought then of a true soldier who to the very end stood up against this ‘king of greed’ who led the insurrection.”

He recounts asking himself back then: “Was the seat of power really taken so easily, and in just one night?” ‘12.12: The Day’ serves as the director’s answer as to why the events that night unfolded. 

A star-studded ensemble of actors from Korean cinema unites to give life to the characters that reshaped Korea’s history. Joining lead stars Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung are several fellow renowned actors. “Even with a short appearance, the audience needed to tell them apart, so we needed actors who were recognizable, but with a bit of their own individuality in their faces,” adds the director who is also behind well-received films ‘City of the Rising Sun’ and ‘Asura: The City of Madness.’

This casting decision brings Chung Dong-hwan as the President; Lee Seung-min as the Chief of Staff; Park Hae-joon as the 9th Infantry Division Commander; Kim Sung-kyun as an Army HQ Provost Marshal; and Jung Hae-in and Lee Jun-hyuk in special appearances. This assembly of talent is truly an achievement in the Korean film industry.

With an outstanding cast and storyline, witnessing history come alive on the big screen is something you don’t want to miss. 

Catch ‘12.12: The Day’ in cinemas nationwide beginning February 28, 2024.