South Korean drama ‘Hijack 1971,’ inspired by true events, hits select U.S. and Canadian theaters this month – The Nerds of Color

In 1971, a Korean Air Lines domestic flight from Gangneung to Seoul was hijacked by a man who threatened to blow up the plane if it did not divert to North Korea. The terrifying hour-long incident was closely followed by Korean and international media, leading to changes in South Korea’s aviation policy.

Director Kim Sung-han was inspired to tell this story because it is part of Korean history.

In his directorial debut Hijacking 1971Released in select U.S. and Canadian theaters on July 5, Yong-dae (Yeo Jin-goo), a North Korean sympathizer, hijacks a national airliner carrying 51 passengers. He demands that the pilots, Tae-in (Ha Jung-woo) and Gyu-sik (Sung Dong-il), reroute their flight to North Korea or Yong-dae will blow up the plane (including himself).

This real-life incident made headlines because the hijacker, Kim Sang-tae, planned to defect to North Korea and “give” the South Korean plane and its passengers to the North Korean regime. While the film takes several creative liberties, it faithfully captures the real-life terror that the pilot, crew, and passengers experienced. It also highlights the courage of the pilots throughout the situation.

Hijacking 1971 marks the directorial debut of Kim, who previously served as assistant director on the 2019 film Ash fall. Written by Kim Kyung-chan (Hit and Run Squad), the film opened in Korea on June 21, selling over a million tickets domestically. The film also stars Chae Soo-bin as a flight attendant and is produced by Jung Won-chan and Sony Pictures International Productions.

Hijacking 1971 will premiere July 5 in 60 North American theaters.