The President Of Korea Couldn’t Stop Crying While Watching This New Korean Movie

A new film, titled 1987: When The Day Comes, is making waves in South Korea that even left President Moon Jae In in tears while watching it.

It is a powerful film about the democratic movement that’s a must watch if you want to know more about how democracy sprung in South Korea, amidst one of its darkest times. It’s also filled with top Korean actors like Kim Yoon Seok, Ha Jung Woo, and Kang Dong Won.

The year 1987 was a year of chaos and confusion in South Korea. The democratic movement was sparked by the torturous death of a University student, which then called for the end of the then military-backed government.

After the film screening, President Moon shared his personal thoughts and experience from the era. He himself played a major role as a human rights lawyer at the time. He was also part of a pro-democracy campaign a decade before the country was under rule by dictator Park Chung Hee, so the film brought out memories of the struggles and difficult times he faced.

“I cried all throughout the movie and was touched by it. During the struggle, what held back people who fought for the democratic government the most was the question of whether the world would actually change (with their campaign) … and now there are some who raise the question of whether there would be any difference after the change of government. I believe this movie is the answer to that question. The movie shows that when we muster up our power… the world will change.”

— Moon Jae In, President of South Korea 

As the president recounted his story, lead actor Kang Dong Won could not hold back his tears either as he expressed what he felt while preparing for this role.

“While I was preparing for this movie I thought to myself: ‘Living well like this right now is because of a huge debt.’ I participated as a small payback towards this debt but it wasn’t enough to ease the emotional pain. I will continue to work hard in the future and return the favor with good films.”

— Kang Dong Won, Actor