Emergency Act 19

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Emergency Act 19

Directed by	Kim Tae-gyu
Produced by	Seo Se-won Song Chang-yong
Written by	Kim Eun-tae
Starring	Kim Jang-hoon Hong Kyung-min Kong Hyo-jin No Ju-hyeon
Distributed by	Source One Production
Release date(s)	July 19, 2002
Running time	107 min.
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
IMDb profile

Emergency Act 19 (긴급조치 19호, Gimgeubjochi 19; aka Emergency Measure 19) is a satirical 2002 South Korean film about a government act that prohobits popular music, created in response to a number of musicians being elected to government elsewhere in the world. It is notable for the numerous K-pop stars that make appearances in the film.

1 Plot
2 Cast list
- 2.1 List of cameos
3 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Troubled by the growing worldwide trend of pop singers being elected as politicians, the President of South Korea orders his Chief Secretary to invoke "Emergency Act 19". This new law criminalizes all pop singers, and the army is deployed on the streets of Seoul to round them up. One pop star, Hong Kyung-min, is arrested while performing a concert, but his angry fans mob the soldiers as they try to take him away. The Chief Secretary's teenage daughter, Min-ji, is amongst the fans, and leading her idol to safety gives him her phone number. Kyung-min finally makes a getaway with his friend and fellow pop star, Kim Jang-hoon.

K-pop singers Hong Kyung-min (left) and Kim Jang-hoon (right) take on the government.

Once Jang-hoon and Kyung-min become fully aware of the situation, they contact Min-ji who is able to hide the two singers in a secret location. The Chief Secretary finds out that his daughter is working against him, and when she refuses to give them up he has false news reports created, accusing the singers of sexually assaulting minors. Meanwhile, more pop stars are rounded up by the authorities who are now aided by another singer, Ju Yeong-hun, who decides to betray his friends in order to save himself.

Angered by their tarnished reputations, Jang-hoon and Kyung-min acquire a gun from a shady weapons dealer, and with Min-ji's help they are able to take the Chief Secretary and his staff hostage. They take their captives to the park, where Min-ji has organized a mass demonstration with her friends and other music fans. The army arrive on the scene and engage the demonstrators in conflict, finally capturing Jang-hoon and Kyung-min. The Chief Secretary is able to walk free in all the chaos, but he is appalled by the violence and orders the fighting to stop, convincing the President to repeal the emergency act and restoring peace.