[Current & Culture] Drone Killings and Shamans... Current & Culture's Picks for This Year's Domestic and International Films

"Eye in the Sky" and "The Wailing":
Death-God Drones in the Russia-Ukraine War
A Frenzied Shamanistic Ritual Mirrored in Korean Society

Reflecting on life. As the year draws to a close, scenes of human lives being crushed carelessly like flies or mosquitoes are being broadcast live. Not long ago, the youthful face of a North Korean soldier, who seemed barely twenty, appeared on the news. Standing on a snow-covered field, his expression was not so much terrified as resigned, as if he sensed his imminent end and had given up on everything. His premonition was correct. Soon, the death god drone struck him down. This is not a movie scene. It is the grim reality unfolding daily in the Russia-Ukraine war.

It seems like only yesterday that news broke of North Korean troops being deployed to Russia, yet reports say hundreds have already died. With the total deployment exceeding 10,000 and soldiers being sent daily as cannon fodder to the front lines, thousands of North Korean lives may vanish without a trace. To die by a drone, not even as a human, in a foreign land far from one’s homeland?could there be a more futile fate? Some readers of this article might think, “They are enemy soldiers dying, so isn’t that good for us?” If you think so, there is no need to waste your precious time reading further; please stop here.

Drones have now become indispensable weapons in modern warfare. It is said that killing with a gun causes less guilt than with a knife, and killing with artillery causes even less guilt than with a gun. The sense of guilt in killing is inversely proportional to the distance from the victim. From this perspective, drones, which attack targets from peaceful offices across mountains and seas while operators watch monitors like playing a game, may be the weapon that inflicts death with the least guilt. In fact, a film about combat drones and guilt was released in 2016. The movie Eye in the Sky has been selected by Sisa Culture as this year’s best foreign film. The selection criterion is not whether it was released this year, but how well it allows us to reflect on this year.

Sisa Culture’s choice for this year’s best Korean film is The Wailing. Coincidentally, this film was also released in 2016. It tells the story of shamans appearing and turning a peaceful village into chaos, which strikingly parallels South Korea in 2024, where various shamans suddenly appeared and threw the country into turmoil. Who is Cheongong Seonsaeng, and who is Geonjin Beopsa? It is said that several shamans are close to the First Lady. In this era of smartphones and electric cars, it is unimaginable to see shamans so rampant. Isn’t Myung Taegyun, who manipulates public opinion polls for money and engages in baseless prophecies and vile threats, also a political shaman?

The biggest difference between The Wailing and our reality lies in the protagonist’s attitude. In the film, police officer Jong-gu does his utmost to avoid being swept up by the forces of evil. He is a pitiable victim. However, President Yoon Suk-yeol has not only failed to resist but has actively led various cult-like groups in destroying the constitutional order. He even held a national address to spread fake news from far-right YouTubers, personally spoke with thugs to discuss state affairs, and conspired with the military to plan martial law. No matter how generously one tries to view it, he cannot be considered a victim. The only case where he might be a victim is in his relationship with his spouse, Kim Geon-hee. At least between the two of them, it seems he has suffered more, but that is none of our concern.

Yoon Suk-yeol became president in March 2022, around the same time the Russia-Ukraine war began. The year 2024 marked the worst phase for both the Yoon administration and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Will both end next year? Can the meaningless deaths and the frenzied shamanistic rituals be stopped? To all readers who endured this turbulent year inside and out, thank you for your efforts!

Lee Jae-ik, SBS Radio PD and Novelist