South Korea’s film industry personnel call for Pres. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment

This handout photo taken and released on Dec. 7, 2024, by the South Korean Presidential Office shows South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol delivering an address at the Presidential Office in Seoul. South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk-yeol stopped short of resigning on December 7 over his declaration of martial law, with a vote to impeach him hours away and mass street protests planned in Seoul. Image: Handout/South Korean Presidential Office/AFP

South Korean film industry professionals, including actors Kang Dong-won, Kim Go-eun, and Jeon Do-yeon have called for the dismissal and arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

A statement released Saturday morning, endorsed by 2,518 individual film professionals representing 77 industry organizations, including the Screen Actors Guild of Korea, Directors Guild of Korea, and Producers Guild of Korea, condemned Yoon’s sudden declaration of martial law and demanded his resignation.

The statement denounced Yoon’s actions as unlawful and expressed concerns about the proper functioning of the executive branch. “Reports on Dec. 4 suggesting Yoon Suk Yeol’s motives for the declaration was to intimidate the opposition party are simply incomprehensible,” the statement said.

“What has unfolded defies common sense, presenting an absurdity that even the wildest cinematic imaginations would dismiss as fiction,” the statement continued.

It also pointed to the detrimental impact of the recent events on the global perception of Korea.

“Foreign media, which once praised Korea’s democratic progress and freedom of speech as the foundation of its cultural and artistic success, now highlight its declining international image and predict a drop in tourism. Fans are expressing concern for the safety of their favorite Korean artists, and there are even reports of Korean citizens being refused foreign currency exchanges abroad.”

The film industry professionals declared, “If impeachment is the swiftest solution, it must be pursued without delay. If other methods exist to remove him from office, they must be executed as quickly as possible.”