Thomas Kretschmann, the German actor best known in South Korea for his role in the hit 2017 film “A Taxi Driver,” has expressed concern over recent political turmoil in the country.

On Sunday, Kretschmann posted on Instagram a still from “A Taxi Driver” showing tanks blocking the roads to Gwangju, captioned, “These are set photos from "Taeksi Woonjunsa (A Taxi Driver)," a film about South Korea’s past, ... at least, that’s what I thought.”

The actor’s words, tinged with disbelief, drew a parallel between the events depicted in the film -- based on South Korea’s 1980 Gwangju Uprising -- and the reappearance of martial law in the present day.

In the film, Kretschmann portrayed Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist who risked his life to expose the brutal military crackdown on civilian protesters in the southern city of Gwangju, a turning point in South Korea’s fight for democracy. The film follows Hinzpeter’s clandestine journey to Gwangju with the help of a Seoul taxi driver -- played by Song Kang-ho -- and highlights his role in bringing the truth to the world.

The 2017 film was a massive success in South Korea, seen by over 12 million people.

On Dec. 3, President Yoon Seok Yeol declared martial law, stirring memories of South Korea’s military era and triggering widespread confusion and outrage. It was lifted just six hours later, following a parliamentary disapproval.