12.12: The Day

12.12: The Day is a 2023 South Korean historical action drama film directed by Kim Sung-su, starring Hwang Jung-min, Jung Woo-sung, Lee Sung-min, Park Hae-joon and Kim Sung-kyun. The film is set against the backdrop of the December 12, 1979, military coup from the late 1970s to early 1980s. It was released theatrically on November 22, 2023, three days after International Men's Day.

The film has earned a worldwide gross of over US$97 million against a budget of about $17 million, making it the highest-grossing Korean film of 2023. As of June 2024, 12.12: The Day is the fourth highest-grossing film and the sixth most viewed film in South Korean film history.

Synopsis
After President Park's assassination, martial law is declared. Security commander Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) and the officers who follow him stage a coup. Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), a stubborn commander of the Capital Garrison Command who believes that soldiers should not take political action, fights against Chun Doo-gwang. As the conflict between the two men grows, the military leaders postpone their decisions, and the Minister of Defense disappears. In this chaos, spring in Seoul, which everyone longs for, heads in an unexpected direction.

Main

 * Hwang Jung-min as Major General Chun Doo-gwang: based on Chun Doo-hwan, who later became the 5th President of South Korea
 * Jung Woo-sung as Major General Lee Tae-shin: based on Jang Tae-wan, Commander of the Capital Garrison Command
 * Lee Sung-min as General Jeong Sang-ho: based on Jeong Seung-hwa, Army Chief of Staff
 * Park Hae-joon as Major General Noh Tae-geon: based on Roh Tae-woo, an ally of Chun Doo-hwan who later became the 6th President of South Korea
 * Kim Sung-kyun as Brigadier General Kim Jun-yeop: based on, the military police inspector at the Army Headquarters

Supporting

 * Kim Eui-sung as Oh Guk-sang: based on Roh Jae-hyun, who served as the 21st Minister of National Defense
 * Jung Dong-hwan as President Choi Han-gyu: based on Choi Kyu-hah, the 4th President of South Korea
 * Ahn Nae-sang as Lieutenant General Han Young-gu: based on, 1st Corps Commander
 * Choi Byung-mo as Brigadier General Do Hee-cheol: based on Park Hee-do, 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade Commander
 * Park Hoon as Colonel Moon Il-pyeong: based on, one of Chun Doo-hwan's closest associates
 * Lee Jae-yoon as Lieutenant Colonel Lim Hak-ju: based on, who investigated Jeong Seung-hwa during the revolt
 * Kim Sung-oh as Brigadier General Kim Chang-se: based on, 3rd Airborne Special Forces Brigade Commander
 * Park Won-sang as Lieutenant General Go Jae-young: based on, Commander of the 3rd Field Army
 * Nam Yun-Ho as Colonel Kang Dong-Chan, subordinate to Major General Lee Tae-shin and Brigade Commander in the Capital Garrison Command
 * Yoo Seong-joo as Lieutenant General Min Seong-bae, Vice Chief of Staff who takes command after Jeong Sang-ho is kidnapped.
 * Hong Seo-jun as Ha Chang-soo, a personnel officer at the security agency.
 * Ahn Se-ho as Jang Min-ki
 * Jeon Su-ji as Lee Tae-shin's wife
 * Paul Battle as U.S. ambassador to South Korea

Special appearance

 * Jung Man-sik as Major General Gong Soo-hyuk: based on, Commander of the Army Special Forces Command
 * Jung Hae-in as Major Oh Jin-ho: based on, chief of staff to Jeong Byeong-ju
 * Lee Joon-hyuk as Warrant Officer Kwon Hyung-jin, a security officer for Jeong Sang-ho

Background
Director Kim Sung-su revealed at the press conference that he was a senior in high school at the time of the Coup d'état of December Twelfth and was living in Hannam-dong, Seoul, where the incident occurred. He left his house and was walking around the neighborhood, and when he heard a gunshot from the Army Chief of Staff's official residence, he went there, but the soldiers controlled it. He was scared because he heard gunshots all night and he couldn't get close, but he was full of curiosity and questions at the time because he couldn't figure out what was going on, which led him to make this film.

The scenes set at the headquarters of the South Korean army were shot at the headquarters of Kyungpook National University in Daegu, North Gyeongsang.

In the film, similar pseudonyms are used instead of the real persons' names and, although it is based on real events, there are also fictional elements.

Filming
Principal photography began in February 2022 and ended in July 2022.

Box office
, 12.12: The Day has grossed $34.2 million with a running total of 4.66 million tickets sold. It became the biggest film of 2023 in Korea, when it grossed $90.5 million by end of December 2023. By the end of February 2024, it has grossed over $97 million.

Public response
The filmwas set about 40 years ago, but was watched more by young people (20s and 30s) than middle-aged people (40s and 50s). There was even a heart rate challenge among them, where people would check their heart rate using their smartwatches while watching the movie, then take a picture of it and upload it on social media to express heightened stress or righteous anger while watching the film.

As this film became popular, people became interested in other works, such as 5th Republic, which dealt with the Coup d'état of December Twelfth.

Related history

 * Fifth Republic of Korea