I would argue that 12:30 hours after midpoint is exactly that: there is the midpoint, and then you add 12 hours and 30 minutes. So 12:30 PM would be 00.30 military time according to that logic.
As a non-native am/pm user: it's confusing. Even with that rule.
Translation: After midpoint, before midpoint.
Also the difference in the cycles comes from analog clocks.
I can explain all of this but it's still confusing and stupid to have to deal with it in 2022