Leaders use cinema visits to signal political, social agendas

From a movie about a state massacre to an independent film tackling youth employment, Korea’s top leadership has recently utilized cinema visits as a tool to communicate the current administration’s core values and policy directions. Over the past few months, President Lee Jae Myung, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young have each made appearances at theaters. These visits are being interpreted by industry observers as a strategic move to highlight sensitive historical issues and hidden social problems through the lens of popular culture. On April 15, Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung attended a screening of "My Name" at a theater in Seoul. The drama centers on a mother whose repressed memories of the Jeju April 3 massacre resurface after decades. The tragedy involved a violent state-led crackdown on the island between 1947 and 1954, resulting in the deaths of up to 30,000 residents. The president had previously promoted the film on social media, describing it as a work that delicately portrays the pain of an era and the process of healing. To emphasize public

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