From the Korean War to the IMF Crisis... Scenes of Modern Korean History Through Movies

Popularity of the Movie 'Seoul-ui Bom' Sparks Interest in Modern History
'Hwaranghan Hyuga' and 'Taxi Driver' Covering the May 18 Incident
'Gukga Budoui Nal' Depicting the 1997 IMF Crisis

The film 'Seoul Spring' has succeeded in drawing large audiences. In particular, the 'Heart Rate Challenge,' where viewers share their heart rates recorded on smartwatches while watching 'Seoul Spring,' has become one of the driving forces behind its popularity. Normally, a resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 bpm, but viewers immersed in the film experienced rising anger, captured their smartwatch heart rate screens, and posted them on social media (SNS), sparking a trend.

Movie Posters of 'Taxi Driver' and 'Splendid Holiday'

Interest also extended to the history that inspired the film. The YouTube channel of KBS1’s flagship current affairs program 'History Journal That Day' re-uploaded the documentary 'A Historic Day of Jeon Du-hwan, Reconstruction of 12·12' on the 22nd of last month, attracting much attention.

After the success of 'Seoul Spring,' content such as 'Timeline of Modern and Contemporary History Background Films' and 'Learning Modern and Contemporary History through Films' has been shared on SNS and various communities, bringing renewed focus to films dealing with Korea’s modern and contemporary history.

The film 'Seoul Spring' depicts the 12·12 military coup. As protests erupted nationwide against the new military regime, the regime expanded martial law nationwide on May 17, 1980, and violently suppressed the Gwangju citizens who resisted the military, ultimately bringing 'Seoul Spring' to a close. The film focuses on the story of the new military regime attempting to seize power and the suppression forces opposing it.

'Splendid Holiday' and 'Taxi Driver' Depicting the Horrors of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Courage of Gwangju Citizens

Movie Poster of 'Seoul-ui Bom'

The 2007 film 'Splendid Holiday' and the 2017 film 'Taxi Driver' shed light on the horrific scenes during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980.

'Splendid Holiday' is the operation name used by the airborne troops deployed to suppress the Gwangju citizens at that time.

The film 'Splendid Holiday' portrays the ten-day uprising of Gwangju citizens fighting against the military from May 18, when martial law was declared. Told from the perspective of Gwangju citizens, it conveys that May 18 was not about a single hero but a democratization movement involving every citizen, sharing the painful stories of close neighbors.

'Taxi Driver' depicts the process by which J?rgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist, reported the reality of the May 18 Democratization Movement. It is based on the true story of the German journalist and taxi driver Kim Sa-bok. 'Taxi Driver' captures not only the horrors of that day but also the spirit of solidarity among citizens tightly united within the isolated city of Gwangju under media control.

'1987' Depicting the 'June 10 Democratic Uprising' Created by People in Their Own Places

Movie poster of '1987'

As the oppressive and violent long-term rule of the Jeon Du-hwan regime continued, the nationwide democratic movement known as the June 10 Democratic Uprising arose to stop it.

The 2017 film '1987' vividly portrays that era. It depicts the dynamic historical situation from the death of 22-year-old university student Park Jong-chul, who was interrogated at Namyeong-dong’s National Security Planning Office on January 14, 1987, to the June protests in the square.

To downplay Park Jong-chul’s death, the police and others falsely announced that he died suddenly after hitting a desk. However, the 'Park Jong-chul torture death case' was first revealed to the public by Shin Sung-ho, a reporter for the JoongAng Ilbo’s social affairs department, and this became the spark for the June Uprising, the pinnacle of South Korea’s democratization history.

The film also focuses on how everyone in 1987, upon encountering the death of an innocent young man that could have been dismissed as a mysterious death, made courageous choices, and how their faithful actions linked together like a chain reaction to create a massive wave.

"The Nation Collapsed in an Instant"…'Default Day' Depicting the Ruling Class’s Response to the IMF Economic Crisis

Movie poster of "Default"

After the June 10 Democratic Uprising, South Korea’s political situation seemed to stabilize. Politically and economically, it appeared to be a time of prosperity, but then the 'IMF Crisis' occurred. The 2018 film 'Default Day' portrays the 1997 foreign exchange crisis, when South Korea had to request a bailout from the IMF (International Monetary Fund), using the Bank of Korea as its spatial backdrop.

The film shows the government’s and others’ attempts to mislead the public into believing that the economic crisis was caused by ordinary people’s overspending and lack of restraint, using actual news footage and reenactments. Elementary schools taught students to conserve water and electricity, and the 'Gold Collecting Campaign' was launched. Companies handed out voluntary retirement applications and consent forms for conversion to non-regular employment to workers, effectively forcing a choice between the two.

Through this, 'Default Day' exposes that the priorities of the so-called 'ruling class'?the government and corporations?were not the ordinary people during the economic crisis, revealing their attitude toward handling the crisis.

Additionally, works reconstructing modern and contemporary history such as 'Taegukgi' depicting the realities of the Korean War after liberation, 'Ode to My Father' portraying the postwar situation, and 'The Attorney' and 'Hunt' depicting the horrors of the Fifth Republic are all receiving attention.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.