Director Kim Seong-su: "The December 12 Incident Will Be Recorded in History as a Defeat"

Movie 'Seoul's Spring' Press Screening
Hwang Jung-min "Bald Wig? I Was Not Afraid"

Director Kim Sung-soo, who directed films such as 'Beat' (1997), 'The Flu' (2013), and 'Asura' (2016), returns with 'Seoul Spring,' inspired by the December 12 military coup.

Kim, the first in Korean film history to bring this event to the screen, stated at the press screening of 'Seoul Spring' held on the afternoon of the 9th at Megabox COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, "I made this film hoping people would look back on and reflect upon that era." He added, "If the film raises any questions, I ask that people take an interest in the actual history and look it up."

Director Kim Seong-su [Photo by Yonhap News]

Opening on the 22nd, 'Seoul Spring' is based on the December 12, 1979 military coup led by Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, and the Hana Group, a secret military faction within the armed forces. It depicts the tense nine hours aimed at stopping the new military faction's rebellion that took place in the capital, Seoul.

Director Kim recalled that he was 19 years old and living in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul at the time of the incident. He said, "On December 12, 1979, when the Army Chief of Staff was kidnapped, I heard gunfire from home. At that time, I had no idea what was happening. It was kept very tightly hidden for a long time. I only found out in my mid-30s, and I was shocked and surprised. How could our military collapse so easily overnight? That doubt and astonishment stayed with me."

The film was made out of a sense of guilt. Kim said, "It has been 44 years since that winter night when I heard the gunfire, but the question 'What exactly happened that day?' remained a doubt in my heart. It was a kind of unresolved issue." He added, "That event became a fateful turning point in modern Korean history. In a way, I wanted to show this long-standing question through film."

Kim also emphasized, "I was part of the class of 1980, and my twenties in the 80s passed trapped in despair, defeat, and tear gas smoke. From that perspective, I told the story of how I see those people."

He continued, "I went back to that time and recreated the situation as I remember it. I wanted to ask what decisions and judgments the people caught up in it made." He added, "Although I dramatized it with some imagination, I wanted to push the audience into that moment and let them experience the situation."

'Spring in Seoul' Preview [Photo by Plus M Entertainment]

However, Kim emphasized that his goal was not merely to recreate the event. He said, "The new military faction that staged the coup, led by Chun Doo-hwan and his clique, faced people who resisted them to the end. Because they resisted, charges of rebellion and insurrection were proven later. If no one had stood up, wouldn't history have remembered them as victors forever?"

Regarding this lifelong issue, the director said, "I did not want to portray Chun Doo-hwan as a demon, but I really hated that they commemorate December 12 as a victorious day and hold celebrations." He continued, "Even in the film, I wanted to say that what they call victory is only a very brief and temporary one. Ultimately, I believe they will be recorded as losers in history." He described the film as "a work that solved a lifelong question."

Actor Hwang Jung-min plays Chun Doo-hwan, a key figure in the new military faction, and Jung Woo-sung takes on the role of Lee Tae-shin, the commander of the Capital Defense Command, who was devoted to military spirit. Lee Sung-min portrays Chief of Staff Jung Sang-ho, and Kim Sung-kyun plays Military Police Chief Kim Jun-yeop. Park Hae-joon acts as Roh Tae-gun, the commander of the 9th Division.

Hwang Jung-min (left) Jung Woo-sung
Photo by Yonhap News

Jung Woo-sung, who reunited with director Kim Sung-soo for 'Seoul Spring' after 'Beat' and 'Asura,' said, "The director approaches this film with the fierce mindset that 'I might not be able to work on any more projects after this film,' and 'This might be the last film I ever make.'"

Hwang Jung-min shared his thoughts, saying, "After watching the film, a whirlwind stirred in my heart." He added, "We filmed the movie last July and waited over a year for its release." He expressed hope that "many audiences will come to theaters because of this film." When asked if he was worried about the bald makeup, he replied, "I was not afraid of the wig makeup." He further added, "Although I have played many villains in works like 'Suriname' and 'Asura,' I saw Chun Doo-hwan as very different."