With the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol by a unanimous decision of all eight Constitutional Court justices on the 4th, movies that are riding the ‘impeachment mood’ are being released one after another in theaters.As the impeachment of the president has led to an early presidential election, attention is focused on how these movies will be received.

The most eye-catching work is the documentary film ‘Adult Kim Jang-ha’, which has confirmed its re-release in April.It is a documentary about the life of Kim Jang-ha, a herbalist who ran a herbal medicine shop in Jinju, Gyeongnam for 60 years and lived his entire life giving scholarships to underprivileged students.It was produced as a two-part special documentary by MBC Gyeongnam in 2022, and won the Baeksang Arts Awards ‘Best Educational Work Award in the TV category as the first local terrestrial content, and was also released as a movie that year.

The reason this documentary, which is far from politics, is being reexamined is because it was revealed that Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Moon Hyung-bae studied with the’ Kim Jang-ha Scholarship ‘.In online communities, a scene from’ Adult Kim Jang-ha ‘where Acting President Moon attends Kim Jang-ha’s birthday celebration and expresses his gratitude in a tearful voice has become a hot topic.

With the interest in the film skyrocketing and audience requests continuing, distributor Cinemadal has decided to return “Adult Kim Jang Ha” to theaters this month.It is very unusual for a film to return to theaters after just 1 year and 6 months since its release, and it will be screened at independent movie theaters nationwide starting with CGV.

On the 23rd, the movie ‘Search and Seizure: The Beginning of Civil War’ produced by the investigative journalism media outlet Newstapa will be released.The movie contains the process of the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s prosecution’s search and seizure of Newstapa and other media control.Ahead of the release, the prosecution requested the court to ban the screening of the movie on the grounds that “it was illegally made in violation of the Criminal Procedure Act,” which has actually increased interest in the movie.

Documentary films that highlight politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties amid the early presidential election are also being prepared for release one after another.’Ha Bo-u-man’s Promise ‘, which highlights the achievements of the first president, Syngman Rhee, and President Park Chung-hee, will be released on the 16th of this month, and’ We’ll Meet Again, Cho Kuk’, which covers the story of former leader Cho Kuk of the Cho Kuk Revolutionary Party from its founding to the declaration of martial law on December 3, is set for release on May 14th.


Reporter Seungmi smlee@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.