[Focus] What Is the Anger Value of 'Seoul's Spring' That Sparked the Heart Rate Challenge?

Cumulative 11.28 Million, Second 10 Million Last Year
Revenue 119.5 Billion KRW, Ranks 4th Among Korean Films
Popularity Among MZ Generation Drives Success

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There is a saying that a 10-million viewer movie is a gift from heaven. This means that, assuming the movie is good, luck must also be on its side, including social atmosphere and theater conditions. As the media market expands with online video services (OTT) and YouTube, audiences have become more discerning. They are no longer swayed by short trailers or advertisements. Even if a lackluster movie is packaged with money (marketing), its true worth is revealed within half a day of release.

Surpasses 10 Million Viewers on Day 33 of Release... The Only Single Movie to Do So

'Seoul's Spring' Filming Site Scene
[Photo by Plus M Entertainment]

The movie Seoul's Spring, released on November 22 last year, attracted 1 million viewers by day 4, 2 million by day 6, 3 million by day 10, 4 million by day 12, 5 million by day 14, 6 million by day 18, 7 million by day 20, 8 million by day 25, 9 million by day 27, and surpassed 10 million viewers on the 33rd day, Christmas Eve (December 24) last month.

It is the second 10-million viewer movie since last year's Crime City 3, and the third since the COVID-19 pandemic, following Crime City 2, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and Crime City 3. It is a box office success like a rose blooming in a drought. It is the only single movie to achieve this. The atmosphere had cooled as most movies released during the Chuseok holiday following last summer failed to surpass their break-even points (BEP). This precious 10-million viewer milestone reversed the gloomy theater atmosphere.

Director Kim Seong-su, who helmed movies such as Beat (1997), No Sun (1999), Flu (2013), and Asura (2016), directed this film. It is his first 10-million viewer movie. Actor Hwang Jung-min plays Jeon Du-hwan, inspired by Chun Doo-hwan, and Jung Woo-sung portrays Lee Tae-shin, the Capital Security Commandant. Park Hae-joon, Lee Sung-min, and Kim Sung-kyun also appear. This is Hwang Jung-min's third 10-million viewer movie, following Ode to My Father (2014) and Veteran (2015). For Jung Woo-sung, it is the first 10-million viewer movie in his filmography since his debut in 1994.

149 Billion KRW More in Revenue Than Crime City 3

The production cost of Seoul's Spring is about 27 billion KRW. The break-even point is 4.6 million viewers, but it has attracted a cumulative audience of 12,280,331 by day 4, generating cumulative revenue of 119.56710524 billion KRW. This ranks 4th among all Korean films. The top three are Extreme Job (director Lee Byung-heon, 2019) with 139.6 billion KRW, The Admiral: Roaring Currents (director Kim Han-min, 2014) with 135.7 billion KRW, and Crime City 2 (director Lee Sang-yong, 2022) with 131.2 billion KRW.

Movies based on historical facts have consistently been loved by audiences. The first story of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin trilogy, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, ranks second; Ode to My Father (director Yoon Je-kyun, 2014), which covers the Korean War, Hungnam evacuation, dispatched miners to Germany, and the Vietnam War, ranks sixth; Assassination (director Choi Dong-hoon, 2015), inspired by the assassination of pro-Japanese collaborators during the Japanese colonial period by the Korean provisional government, ranks tenth; and A Taxi Driver (director Jang Hoon, 2017), based on the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, ranks eleventh.

"We Won't Let Jeon Du-gwang Go" - Anger Among 20s and 30s... Driving Interest in History and Box Office Success

Seoul's Spring is inspired by the December 12 military coup. It depicts the tense nine hours on December 12, 1979, in Seoul, when the new military forces staged a coup. The film begins with the assassination of the president on October 26. A new wind blows through Seoul. Then, Jeon Du-gwang (played by Hwang Jung-min), the Security Commandant, is appointed head of the joint investigation headquarters under martial law. Jeon Du-gwang quickly seizes all information. Blinded by power, he mobilizes military factions and calls frontline units to Seoul, staging a military coup.

'Seoul's Spring' still image [Photo by Plus M Entertainment]

"If we succeed, isn't it a revolution!" Jeon Du-gwang shouts, blinded by greed. Director Kim Seong-su said at a press conference, "Reading the script sent a shiver through my veins." Audience reactions were similar. Many viewers expressed anger at Jeon Du-gwang's shameless bulldozing for personal gain.

The "December 12 military coup" refers to the event on December 12, 1979, led by Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, and the Hana Group, a secret military faction. This historical event happened 44 years ago and was only revealed after it occurred. Among younger generations, many said they only became interested through the movie.

CGV reported on the 5th of last month, the third week after release, that 26% of Seoul's Spring viewers were in their 20s and 30% in their 30s. The 20s and 30s accounted for over half of the audience, higher than the 40s (23%) and 50s (17%), who are relatively more familiar with historical events. Viewing trends remained similar afterward.

Thus, the movie sparked interest in modern history among the 20s and 30s generations. It is impressive that younger audiences, accustomed to OTT content, showed high theater attendance. One of the key factors drawing them to theaters was "anger." During screenings, viewers posted photos of their elevated heart rates and stress indices on social media platforms, creating "heart rate challenges" and "anger challenges" as a form of viewing certification that spread like a game. This word-of-mouth steadily revitalized the stagnant Korean film industry.

The "meme" of Jeon Du-gwang, inspired by Chun Doo-hwan, also contributed to the film's success. Online, viewers enjoyed movie reviews by recalling actor Hwang Jung-min's previous works. This was not negative mockery but reflected genuine political interest. A video filmed by a broadcaster during the banquet after the December 12 military coup decades ago has gone viral on YouTube, sparking movements to explore actual history.

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