[The Second Take] Yeon Sang-ho's "Hellbound": A Society That Believes in Belief, Not Truth

Jung Jin-soo's Claims in "Hellbound" Enter the Realm of Faith
Most Rely Without Verifying the Truth
A World Where Speculation and Narrow Views Are Called Moral Truth

In Netflix's "Hellbound" Season 1, Jung Jin-soo (Yoo Ah-in) expounds on the notice (告知) that foretells death. "An angel appears and prophesies. First, the recipient's name is announced. So-and-so, you will die at such and such date and time. And you will go to hell. When that time comes, the prophecy is fulfilled by the messengers of hell."

As explained, strange creatures appear throughout the city. They suddenly assault the recipients, emitting heat to burn them to death. Jung Jin-soo claims that the victims are sinners. He elaborates that humans deny the intention to sin, forget shame, guilt, atonement, and repentance, which leads to divine intervention. "God has conveyed messages in a transcendent way throughout human history. (Omitted) Now, we no longer have the right to neglect evil, and only the duty to do good remains."

Everyone dies. No one knows when or how. "Hellbound" uses the premise of foretelling that time to examine the anxieties of our society. Specifically, it focuses on extreme exclusivism and dogmatism. The New Truth Society, led by Jung Jin-soo, distorts and exaggerates specific incidents to secure legitimacy. They demand repentance from those who receive the notice, fostering hatred and despair, thereby aggravating social chaos.

It turns out Jung Jin-soo himself is a recipient of the notice. Not because he sinned. Even he does not know the reason. The believers do not doubt. Rather than revealing the truth, they try to believe what must be believed. Thus, Jung Jin-soo’s words ascend to the realm of faith, accepted without any conflict.

Humans tend to rely on those in higher positions without verifying what is true. This is even more so if it is moral. They regard it as universal and absolute truth. However, related guidelines are generally ambiguous and open to interpretation. They can also change over time. For example, Marie Stopes is famous as a feminist hero and birth control advocate. She was even selected as the "Woman of the Millennium" by readers of the UK Guardian.

However, she was once an anti-Semite and eugenicist. She claimed, "The proportion of unfit weak and sick people is alarmingly high, causing our race to deteriorate." She said, "If someone has mental or physical problems, they can pass on those problems to their children, so it is the community’s natural duty to prevent such people from becoming parents."

Voices opposing these shocking statements were rare. British journalist Will Storr explained in his book "The Status Game" as follows: "Moral truth is an act of imagination. And it is a concept we apply to the game. (Omitted) Our brain rationally explains the given reality, and when it discovers a game that proposes how rewards are given, it eagerly accepts the rules and symbols of that game."

In "Hellbound" Season 2, releasing on the 25th, Jung Jin-soo (Kim Sung-cheol), who was dragged to hell, is resurrected. Park Jung-ja (Kim Shin-rok), whom he pointed out as a sinner, also returns. Some will pour out more speculation and narrow views about them. Claiming that it is moral truth.