The 2023 highest-grossing film at the Korean box office ‘12.12: The Day’ has been selected as South Korea’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The historical drama film directed by Kim Sung-su tells the story of the 12.12 political coup after the assassination of Park Chung Hee, the former president of South Korea in 1979.

The synopsis of the film reads: Jeon Doo-Gwang (Hwang Jung-Min) is the commander of the Defense Security Command and founder of the secret military club Hanahoe. Over a period of 9 hours on December 12, 1979 in Seoul, South Korea, Jeon Doo-Gwang leads the “12.12 Military Insurrection” and orders the arrest of a general without the authorization from the president. Lee Tae-Shin (Jung Woo-Sung), who is a commander of the Capital Security Command, stands against the military insurrection.

‘12.12: The Day’ was released last year in South Korea on November 22, 2024. It became the highest-grossing film in Korea that year and is currently the fourth highest-grossing Korean film of all time. The film has also won several awards in the Asian Film Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Director’s Cut Awards.

Watch the trailer for ‘12.12: The Day’.

A short list of the submissions from all the countries participating in the Oscar race will be unveiled on December 17, 2024, before revealing the official nominations on January 17, 2025.