Earlier this week, the South Korean government declared martial law on Tuesday, December 3rd, resulting in a mass outcry, including a notable petition and protest by the film industry of Korea and a march through the capital of Seoul. Martial law was lifted after 6 hours, and efforts to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol began. On Thursday through Friday, December 5th through 6th, a petition supporting the impeachment was signed by 2,518 Korean Filmmakers, including notable directors and actors. Bong Joon-ho, the director of the academy-acclaimed film Parasite, is one of the most notable names. Park Eun-bin, Gang Dong-won, and Son Ye Jin are also among the signers.

Korean filmmaking organizations also expressed support for the petition, with 77 choosing to back the petition. The petition calling President Yeol’s attempt as follows

“The emergency martial law declaration on Tuesday is something that is beyond common sense. Even when applying movie-making’s imagination, this would still be considered a delusion, but it nonetheless happened in our reality,” the petition was available for 30 hours to sign.

During these events, thousands of protesters gathered at South Korea’s National Assembly for protest while attempts were made by the non-ruling party to begin the impeachment process. In Korea, 2/3 of sitting government officials are needed to enforce impeachment, this process having been stalled by President Yeol’s party fleeing the chamber. President Yeol addressed the public on Saturday, December 7th, stating that he regrets his actions and the stress that has caused his country but will not be resigning, which has sparked more outcry.

The Korean film industry, as an internationally recognized voice, brought attention to the proceedings and continues to call for impeachment. The petition signed by the Korean filmmakers also called for the supporters of martial law and those who had enacted it to be treasonous.

Korean filmmakers rallied and used the petition as a public display of their support for the continued reforms of the Korean government after the military dictatorship of the ’80s, with the petition going on to say, “The primary step in reclaiming Korea’s reputation in the world and overcoming this chaotic situation is suspending Yoon from serving as president.”