[The Editors' Verdict] The Paradox of Private Revenge Drama Success

Catharsis from Illegal Acts of Revenge
A Question Mark on the System of Fairness and Justice

"A meticulous revenge is carried out to punish the perpetrators."

This is the storyline of the drama The Glory introduced by Netflix. Public opinion on private revenge dramas is favorable. Part 2, which corresponds to the second part of The Glory, was at the center of attention even before its release. As expected, the drama became a huge hit. When The Glory was released on the 10th, it immediately rose to the top spot among dramas.

The protagonist Moon Dong-eun (actress Song Hye-kyo) was bullied during her high school years. She was alone. Even her biological mother participated in pushing Moon Dong-eun into hell. The painful time that a high school girl alone could not endure. Moon Dong-eun reached the brink of death but changed her mind.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

She puts into action a plan to punish the school violence perpetrators. The perpetrators struggling in the revenge trap set by Moon Dong-eun are all targets of retribution. Some even lost their lives. Some have had their reputations, built over time, ruined. Some must live with severe disabilities. Some have had everything taken away from their lives. It is a life that is no life at all.

Viewers experience catharsis through the revenge drama prepared by Moon Dong-eun. The problem lies in the method of revenge. In fact, Moon Dong-eun incites murder and encourages violence. Her actions are clearly illegal. Because of the plan she prepared, someone lost their life. However, viewers cannot hate Moon Dong-eun for causing this. There is a shared belief that illegal acts should be overlooked because it is a process of punishing evil.

Article 31 of the Criminal Act punishes instigators with the same penalty as those who commit the crime. But viewers have no interest in such laws. The Glory thus contributes to diluting critical awareness regarding private revenge.

The SBS drama series Taxi Driver also centers on private revenge. The taxi company Rainbow Transportation punishes heinous criminals who make the powerless and poor suffer through violence. Instead of bringing them to legal judgment, they directly punish them. Taxi driver Kim Do-gi (actor Lee Je-hoon), a former special forces officer, leads the punishment of evil with excellent martial arts skills and strategy.

The leader of an organization that practically enslaved orphans ended up dead and buried in a junkyard. The wealth accumulated over time was also confiscated. From the perspective of current law, this is a continuous series of illegal acts, including special assault and theft. However, viewers only feel catharsis from Rainbow Transportation’s activities.

There is no room for the question, "Private revenge should not be done..." The straightforward and certain punishment is regarded as the realization of justice rather than the complicated legal procedures of investigation and judgment.

The concept of justice reflects the times. However, there is also a line that must not be crossed. The foundation of the rule of law is the rejection of private sanctions. The reality of becoming insensitive to private revenge means that the solidarity of trust toward the rule of law is shaking.

The more the belief grows that the judgment standards of investigative authorities are skewed and the scales of justice have lost balance, the more private revenge approaches as a thrilling catharsis.

Why has the shared belief that neglected justice must be corrected even through private revenge arisen? The success of The Glory is a question mark toward our society’s system of fairness and justice.