'The Unforgettable Day' film to cover aftermath of Chun Doo Hwan's rise to power

Movies

Published: 22 Feb. 2024, 19:24

'The Unforgettable Day' film to cover aftermath of Chun Doo Hwan's rise to power

Promo posters for film ″The Unforgettable Day″ [JNC MEDIA GROUP]

Upcoming film “The Unforgettable Day” will show the aftermath of Chun Doo Hwan's rise to power, portrayed in mega-hit “12:12: The Day” (2023), through the daily lives of common people leading up to the Gwangju Democratization Movement on May 18, 1980.

The main trailer for “The Unforgettable Day,” titled “1980” in Korean, was revealed on Thursday.

In the trailer, real-life photos and videos from May 1980, including newspapers and live-footage of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, are intermixed with fictional characters.

Still shot from the trailer for ″The Unforgettable Day″ [JNC MEDIA GROUP]

The story, which takes place five months after the coup d'etat shown in “12:12: The Day,” revolves around six family members living in Gwangju, South Jeolla. The patriarch of the family, Cheol-su, finally opens his own Chinese restaurant on May 17, only to have his and his family’s long-awaited happiness crushed by the ensuing days of violence.

The film is based on the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement of 1980 and the events that led up to it. The movement was a response to the coup d'état led by Chun Doo Hwan that installed him as military dictator and implemented martial law, which ended in violent suppression by the Korean military.

Actor Kang Shin-il, who plays Cheol-su, is joined by Kim Gyu-ri, Baek Sung-hyun and Han Soo-yeon in the cast. Kim stars as Cheol-su’s daughter-in-law while Baek plays the patriarch’s second son.

The film will be the directorial debut of Kang Seung-yong, known for his production design work in “King and the Clown” (2005), “The Throne” (2015) and “Gangnam 1970,” as well his art production in “Addiction” (2002) and “Virgin Snow” (2007).

“The Unforgettable Day” will hit theatres on March 27.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]