May 18 | |
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Theatrical poster |
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Hangul | ํ๋ คํ ํด๊ฐ |
RR | Hwaryeohan hyuga |
MR | Hwaryลhan hyuga |
Directed by | Kim Ji-hun |
Produced by | Yoo In-taek |
Written by | Park Sang-yeon |
Starring | Ahn Sung-ki Lee Jun Ki Kim Sang Gyeong Lee Yo Won |
Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release date(s) | July 27, 2007 |
Running time | 118 min. |
Country | South Korea |
Language | Korean |
Budget | $10.9 million US est. |
Admissions | 6,831,917 |
May 18 (ํ๋ คํ ํด๊ฐ - Hwaryeohan hyuga lit. Elaborate Holiday) is a South Korean film released in 2007.
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The film is based on the massacre at Gwangju on May 18. It occurred when President Chun Doo-hwan tried to eliminate any rebels by using military force.
Min Woo leads a relatively peaceful life with his younger brother Jin Wooโuntil the day the soldiers go on the rampage against the citizens. The citizens form a militia determined to protect their loved ones, and Min-woo finds himself in the middle of it all.
After the Coup d'รฉtat of December Twelfth (1979) in Seoul, ROK Army Lieutenant General Chun Doo-hwan, commander of Security Command, declared martial law on May 17, 1980 to suppress student demonstrations around the country. The next day, students in Gwangju protested at the gate of Chonnam National University against the closing of the university, when armed forces blocking the university responded with violent means. After the incident, students moved into the downtown area, where they were joined by the citizens of the city. The growing crowd was met by the use of force, including gunfire, that caused some fatalities.
As the news of the fatalities spread, on May 20, protesters burned down the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation local station which, under effective government control, portrayed the protests as hooligans led by Communist agents. By May 21, some 300,000 people had joined the protest against the General's power; weapons depots and police stations were looted of their weapons and the civil militias, known as the Citizen Army, beat back the armed forces, killing several soldiers.
With all routes and communications leading in and out of the city blocked by armed forces, a civilian body was formed to maintain order and conduct negotiations with the government. Although order was well maintained, a number of negotiations to resolve the situation failed to achieve any results.
On May 27, airborne and army troops from five divisions were inserted and defeated the civil militias in the downtown area in only 90 minutes.
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