Yoon Suk-yeol

On December 3, 2024, in Seoul, the President of South Korea Yoon Sukyeol declares the martial law. Troops move toward the National Assembly to seize control. Meanwhile, citizens rush to the National Assembly to block the troops, while lawmakers break through police's barricades at the main gate, climb over the walls to attend the session that lifts the martial law.

On the night of December 3, 2024, South Korea was thrown into chaos. What the public first heard as "an insurrection" quickly became one of the most polarising political events in modern Korean history. This documentary revisits that night and asks a deeper question: Was it really a coup attempt or the result of a calculated political trap? Through interviews, legal analysis, and evidence, the film investigates the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol and the rapid collapse of his administration. It explores claims that an overwhelming opposition majority, built through alleged election manipulation, enabled a form of "legislative dictatorship" that mirrored the path that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment eight years earlier.

An ordinary day is suddenly disrupted by an unexpected declaration of martial law. In a race against time, citizens and members of the National Assembly rush to the parliament to defend it. Until 1:01 a.m., when martial law is finally lifted, a desperate confrontation unfolds between special forces under orders from Yongsan and civilians.

Kim Chang-in, a self-proclaimed ‘democratic socialist,’ and Kim Hyun-jin, who calls himself an ‘extremely centrist person,’ are ordinary young people in South Korea. While Chang-in became interested in politics because he was angry at the sight of bleeding workers at the Ssangyong Motors strike, Hyun-jin was angry at tax money being wasted on populist policies such as minimum wage and work incentives and decided to go into politics.

The film follows the 2023 raid by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on investigative outlet Newstapa. Director Kim Yongjin, its former head, traces a pattern of political prosecutions against critical journalists—from reports on Yoon Suk-yeol to Cho Kuk and Kim Keon-hee. Combining on-site footage, journalist testimonies, and legal records, the film reveals how special funds were used to pressure the media, silence dissent, and manipulate public opinion. It is a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle to protect press freedom and democratic values in South Korea.