Already 2 million ‘Spring in Seoul’…What kind of life did the real people who experienced the turbulence of history live?

Seoul Spring movie reveals the lives of characters in the filmSeoul Spring, directed by Kim Sung-soo, has surpassed 2 million viewers in just 6 days since its release, showing a rapid success. There is growing interest in the lives of the characters in the movie. In particular, there is great interest in the real-life models of Lieutenant Colonel Lee Tae-shin, played by actor Jung Woo-sung, and Lieutenant Colonel Oh Jin-ho, played by actor Jung Hae-in.According to director Kim Sung-soo, “Lee Tae-shin is portrayed as a firm and composed scholar in the movie, but in reality, Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-wan, who is the real model, had a fiery personality.”After the military rebellion on December 12, Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-wan, who served as the commander of the Capital Defense Security, faced difficulties for 45 days in Seobinggo, and was forcibly conscripted. Even after being released, he lived on a pension for 6 months. His father, discouraged by these facts, cut off contact and only drank alcohol, eventually passing away in 1980. During his pension life, his son, who had studied hard, was admitted to Seoul National University. In 1982, his son left home saying he would go to school, but was found dead next to his grandfather’s oxygen tank.Lieutenant Colonel Jang said at his son’s gravesite, “Our lives as a couple ended on January 9, 1982, when our beloved son Seong-ho passed away. Now, for the sake of our pitiful illegitimate daughter Hyun-ri, I have decided to endure everything and live, cursing the 12.12 incident that ruined three generations of our family.”Lieutenant Colonel Jang accepted the appointment as the CEO of the Korea Securities Computer Company by former President Chun Doo-hwan, who was the head of the military government. However, this acceptance was not forgiveness. After the civilian government took office, he filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office on July 19, 1993, accusing Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo of rebellion and insurrection. In 1996, he left a message saying, “We used to be comrades who devoted ourselves to national defense, but I don’t know how it came to this,” during the trial.In the year 2000, during the Kim Dae-jung administration, he was elected as a member of the 16th National Assembly for the Millennium Democratic Party and continued his career as a politician. However, the tragedy of the hero did not end there. Lieutenant Colonel Jang passed away at the age of 79 on July 26, 2010, and two years later, his wife also made a drastic choice, leaving a suicide note. The police revealed that she had been suffering from depression.In the movie, Lieutenant Colonel Oh Jin-ho, played by actor Jung Hae-in, who fiercely protected Lieutenant Colonel Gong Su-hyeok, played by actor Jung Man-sik, until the end, has also attracted public attention. Lieutenant Colonel Oh Jin-ho is based on Lieutenant Colonel Kim Orang, who was the real-life model and was a secretary to the special forces commander. Lieutenant Colonel Kim stuck by Lieutenant Colonel Gong Su-hyeok’s side, vowing to protect him, even when the situation was dire for the rebels. He resisted with only one pistol and eventually died from gunfire.Lieutenant Colonel Park Soo-jong, who also appeared in the movie, was based on Lieutenant Colonel Park Jong-gyu, who was a close friend of Lieutenant Colonel Kim. Before his death, Lieutenant Colonel Park said, “I will go to Orang and apologize for my mistakes.” Kim Orang’s nephew, Kim Young-jin, expressed his heartfelt feelings for his uncle, saying, “Our faces are quite similar, especially when he was young. When I wore a beret and did my hair like him, I felt a strong connection. He became someone that all Koreans know, so I want to thank the person who made this movie.”Lieutenant Colonel Kim was initially buried in a secret location near the Special Forces Headquarters, but due to objections from his colleagues, he was reburied in the Seoul National Cemetery in 1980. In 1990, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.