Prominent directors and filmmakers, including Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and actors and actresses -- Kang Dong-won, Jeon Ji-hyun, and Son Ye-jin -- have signed a statement calling for President Yoon Seok-yeol to be dismissed and arrested amid continuing martial law tensions.
According to TV Report, today, 77 groups, including film directors, actors, students, and 2,518 filmmakers, issued a statement declaring Yoon a "criminal of sedition."
The group demanded he be suspended from presidential duties "without delay" to deal with what they called the "chaotic situation in South Korea."
The statement read:
"The first step to overcoming the present disorder is to incapacitate Yoon Seok-yeol as president. Impeachment, if that is the quickest route, then we should go with that; if there is another way we can get him out of office, then let's go that way."
The film's producers said it is natural that a standard of punishment and judgment should be applied to Yoon and also to National Defense Minister Lee Jong-suk.
In a statement made during a live national broadcast recently, the two were swept beneath the veritable tsunami of being called "criminals of sedition."
During an earlier public address that day, President Yoon defended himself, insisting he had imposed martial law on December 3 after resorting to death-spiral measures.
Shortly after the Cabinet meeting on December 4, he said he had ordered the military to withdraw and lifted martial law.
Yoon, late last month, said, "I will not escape legal and political responsibility for this declaration. "There will never be a second Martial law."
The political atmosphere from six opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, has moved to propose an impeachment motion against Yoon. Today at 5 pm, there will be a vote on this motion.
Such a massive criticism coming from the film industry is indicative of the widening frustration against Yoon's presidency amid allegations of government encroachment and dwindling public credibility.
Signatories of the statement included influential figures from the South Korean film industry, such as Byun Young-joo and Jang Joon-hwan, as well as actress Moon So-ri.
