No. 152 / Jun 7, 2021
The Criminal Policy Institute recently surveyed 1,100 men and women aged 20 years and above, to determine whether they trust criminal justice agencies. Results showed that just 23.4% of respondents said they trust the court, while 42.4% indicated that they did not. Moreover, only 12.7% said they trust the prosecution, while 58.7% – approximately five times as many – had a negative assessment of distrust. The two elements central to this mistrust were unfair criminal justice processes and legal corruption.
Unfair sentencing, commonly referred to as “one law for the rich and another for the poor” has been extensively documented. Indeed, there have been many cases in which Korean courts have extended leniency to businessmen and civil servants in the form of ‘soft’ punishments such as probation and special release on parole.
Deviating from previous television drama trends, which primarily involves romance, criminal investigations that center prosecutors and police have emerged as a frequent drama subject in the last few years. For its part, this shift reflects social trends. As the general public’s interest in sociopolitical issues grows, the people’s desire to eliminate corruption does, too. This results in the emergence of works that delve into corruption and crime among high-ranking officials: depicting their own nefarious activities, as well as judging and punishing them. Here, it is worth noting that there is a new feature that stands out among this year’s dramas. It is the dark hero. Unlike the traditional hero, this is a character that easily ignores societal rules, norms, and moral issues. Though both types frequently seek justice, the traditional hero’s behavior does not deviate much from the rule of law, while the dark hero conquers evil with evil.
Total variety Network’s (TvN) drama, Vincenzo, is about a former lawyer for the Italian mafia, who sought refuge in Korea after being betrayed by the organization. The title character is far from good and punishes villains through criminal acts such as intimidation, kidnapping, and murder. The drama received record-breaking ratings. The Seoul Broadcasting System’s (SBS) drama, Taxi Driver, also embraces this trend. It is story about a veiled taxi company acting on behalf of an unjust victim. In it, villains are treated without mercy, providing viewers with catharsis as they watch perpetrators receive payback for making the victim suffer. Notably, this drama adds realism to its depiction by referencing real occurrences that caused major outrage in our society, such as the U-data employee assault incident, the case of the salted seafood factory slave, and that of the violence at Se-jeong High School. These are all recent crimes that took advantage of the blind spots in the law. Thus, one may deduce that the dark hero is a product of anger over the dysfunctional social system which proliferates the number of crimes that cannot be governed by law.
At the end of Taxi Driver appears the following phrase: “The law is far away and the fist is close.” This poignant sentence presents implications that may help society understand why the hero had to embrace darkness. In a tough world and a changing society, dark heroes are an expression of our latent desires and our calls for justice.
By Han Seo-hyeon, AG Reporter
kiki504@ajou.ac.kr
Comments