Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Film about Yongsan disaster attracts large audience


A Korean film depicting a 2009 incident known as the "Yongsan disaster" has broken the 70,000 mark for audience numbers, official statistics showed Tuesday.

The documentary, entitled "2 Doors," had attracted 70,031 viewers, a large number for an independent film, on Monday, the 68th day since its opening, data from the Korean Film Council showed.

Civic activists coming to watch the film in groups accounted for a large portion of the audience, according to the movie's distributor.

The Yongsan disaster began when a 30-strong group of former residents evicted from a redevelopment zone in Seoul's Yongsan area occupied a dilapidated building to launch a sit-in protest in January 2009, demanding proper compensation for their forced relocation. A fire broke out when police raided the building to disperse the protesters, resulting in the deaths of six people, including a police officer.

The movie does not defend either side of the disaster but focuses on the fear temporarily shared by the protesters and those who tried to quell them. (Yonhap)

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