Political Drama Recalling 1979 Coup Sees Impressive Opening Numbers

Courtesy of Plus M Entertainment

In its debut week since hitting theaters on November 22, "12.12: The Day," a political drama revisiting a military-led coup in 1979, has drawn in 1.87 million moviegoers, according to data from the Korean Film Council released on Monday.

The film's opening performance ranks as the second-highest for the year, with "The Roundup: No Way Out" leading with 4.5 million admissions during its June release.

Over the weekend, a substantial 1.2 million moviegoers flocked to theaters to watch "12.12: The Day," contributing to its robust first-week numbers. 

▲ Courtesy of Plus M EntertainmentComparatively, among films released this month, "12.12: The Day" has outpaced others in terms of first-week attendance, surpassing "Inside Men," which attracted 1.6 million viewers in 2015.

Directed by Kim Seong-su, known for previous successes like "Beat" (1997), "City of the Rising Sun" (1999), and "Asura: The City of Madness" (2016), the film offers a fictionalized account of the events of December 12, 1979, during a coup attempt in Seoul. The characters' names have been altered for narrative purposes.

Renowned actor Hwang Jung-min takes on the role of Chun Doo-gwang, a central figure in the military coup, while Jung Woo-sung portrays Lee Tae-shin, a commander attempting to thwart Chun's secret plan. Lee Seong-min and Park Hae-joon also feature in the film as officers.

The film's popularity has sparked the "12.12: The Day Challenge," an online trend where viewers share their heart rate and stress level measured via smartwatches after watching the film. Industry insiders attribute the challenge's viral success to the audience's emotional response to the plot, rooted in real events.

"12.12: The Day" is currently screening in local theaters.

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