As both Seoul and Pyongyang mark the end of the Korean War 63 years ago Wednesday, a new movie depicts one of the most remarkable operations of the three year conflict.
Both sides still disagree on who won, more than six decades after they signed an armistice agreement ending hostilities, and as no peace treaty exists they are still technically at war.
As North Korea marks “Victory Day,” South Koreans will be able to watch “Operation Chromite,” the story of a scheme given 5000-to-one odds before it succeeded and changed the course of the war.
Operation Chromite
On September 15, 1950, 75,000 United Nations troops landed behind enemy lines at the narrow South Korean port of Inchon, pushing North Korean soldiers back to the Chinese border.
The operation was the brainchild of U.S. five star general Douglas MacArthur, who is played by Hollywood actor Liam Neeson in the South Korean production.
“He was a formidable soldier, incredibly brave and yet (with a) huge ego,” Neeson tells CNN of his character. “People loved him or hated him.”
The Oscar-winner admitted he had some reservations about North Korea’s possible reaction to the film, given its furious response after “The Interview” premiered in 2014. Washington said the movie, which tells the story of a fictional CIA plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un, was the motivation behind a giant North Korean hack attack against Sony Pictures. Pyongyang denies that it was behind the hack.
“It’s a horrifying situation,” Neeson said of North Korea. “I think in light of recent events, very recent events, we are all — not just as filmmakers but as citizens on this planet — we are all very concerned.”
“Operation Chromite” releases in the U.S. on August 12.