Parody of "12.12: The Day" poster, with main character Chun Doo-kwang's face replaced with President Yoon Suk Yeol's (Twitter)
Amid the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's emergency martial law declaration on Tuesday night, the film "12.12: The Day" has surged to the top of Netflix’s movie rankings, drawing renewed attention for its historical themes.
As of Friday, "12.12: The Day" claimed the No. 1 spot among Netflix’s popular films, overtaking newer releases like "Pilot" and "Because I Hate Korea." Released over a year ago, on Nov. 22, the movie has newfound relevance in light of recent events.
The film depicts the military coup led by the former president late Chun Doo-hwan on Dec. 12, 1979, when Chun, as the then-head of the Defense Security Command, provoked a military rebellion by mobilizing military factions and frontline troops to seize power.
Comparisons between the film’s events and the current crisis have proliferated on social media, as images of helicopters landing at the National Assembly and armed soldiers breaking windows during Tuesday night’s turmoil evoked memories of the coup 45 years ago.
Netizens have flooded platforms with posts comparing scenes from the film with the footage from recent events, calling for a theatrical re-release of the film.
Parodies have also surfaced, including altered movie posters replacing the protagonist Chun Doo-kwang’s face -- a character inspired by Chun Doo-hwan -- with President Yoon’s, along with satirical titles such as "He must have been drunk."
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