South Korean Film: Exposing Corrupted Government - Research Paper Example

?Sang woo An Writing II. Prof. Perry 05. 13. 13 South Korean Film: Exposing Corrupted Government South Korean film industry has over the past few decades experienced a boost and several significant improvements. These changes are partly attributed to the efforts of the Korean government in promoting its citizens’ talents. Its success is widely attributed to Hollywood blockbuster (Jin, 168). In 2010, popularity of the Korean film industry saw a worldwide boost of 6% following a 6.5% increase of Box Office the same year (Jin 267). Secretly and Greatly, a 2013 Korean Production is one example of many films that have gained prominence through Hollywood blockbuster. This boom in popularity of Korean film has put productions of the country into great public scrutiny. Productions depict Korean society’s stand on various issues affecting the people. Subjects such as corruption and poor governance are some of the issues movie directors attempt to illuminate in thriller films. Acts of dishonesty and misuse of public offices are various concerns the thriller movies dissect in detail. This work attempts to discover how Korean film productions depict and satirize the society. It dissects the technique used by some selected films to ridicule heinous acts of powerful government officials. One Korean production that uses genius ways to ridicule and sensitize the Korean public on the true situation of their institutions is The Chaser. The 2008 production directed by Na Hong Jin is a mirror image of the rotten nature of the Korean society. The film stars Ha Jung Woo and Kim Yoon Seok. It was inspired by the actions of a Korean serial killer, Yoo Young Chul. It is a depiction of how dishonest government officials use public offices for personal interests and selfish gains. The film further illuminates several evils and moral degradations afflicting Korean society. Prostitution and sex molestation is one such moral dilapidation. The administrative frameworks of the country are not particular on fighting such crimes, and instead protect criminals (Lee, 61). Eom Joong Ho, a retired ex-detective, is a dishonest pimp star in financial trouble. He is a commercial sex broker who has missed track of two of his girls. He is troubled by the realization that the client he sends his remaining girl is the one behind the other lost girls. On realizing that he might as well loose Mi Jin, the ex- detective goes out in search of the third girl. Paradox sets in when the ex-detective asks for help from the police force to help recapture his lost girl despite being involved in an illegal and inhumane trade. Instead of apprehending Eom Joong Ho for illicit activities, the police force was ready to help but had more pressing issues to attend. This act of the police force depicts the government agencies of Korea as inclined to impressing the influential personalities than protecting the rights of the weak. Intention of showing willingness to help the ex-detective was not in the interest of the girl but to safeguard the financial position of the pimp. Police force does not act in the interest of the public which bills its costs and bears its expenses. A further rot in the government institutions is evident in the incident that occurs the same day the ex-detective sought police help to trace Mi Jin. The Mayor of Seoul had been attacked and soiled with human feces during a walk out. The police task force could, therefore, not help because they were dealing with an urgent and delicate security issue. Acts of hooliganism such as soiling the mayor with human faces is indeed a depiction of public discontent with the functioning of a system. The public is not happy with the way mayors and other elected officials undertake their duties. The movie director intends to bring out the public feeling over operations of elected government officials. Soiling a respected leader of the people with feces is a show of lost trust and reverence in his capabilities. Furthermore, the police abandon the public to attend to the interest of one leader in a bid to save face of an embarrassing situation. The movie illustrates the extent of shoddiness police department of Korea is. In spite committing up to 9 murders, Yeong Ming was not pinned down for any of the murders. He successfully carried out a series of murders, most of them on prostitutes. The detectives and investigations department of the country could not link him to any of the murders until he confessed committing the heinous acts. This puts the competence and dedication of the Korean Police Force in question. The movie is a reflection of what happens on the ground in the country. Police force intensifies its investigations on issues that have become obvious to it. Its efforts are up to no good as it only looks for excuses to ascertain the truth of the confessions and claims of the defendants. The producer takes this movie as a forum for ridicule and hopefully correction of these shoddy and hap-hazard investigations by concerned arms of the government (Lee, 62). The Chaser dissects police department’s pretentious camouflage at length. The police force of the country does a lot of harm to its citizens by striving to portray the transparent side of the force than serving the people. The police is more concerned about revealing a good image to the public than protecting the rights and security of people. After suffering a dented media image over the soiling of the mayor with human feces, the police chief was mad with his juniors for injuries on Yeong Min’s body. The serial killer got better protection from the police boss than the people he killed and the families he caused pain. In order to maintain a superior public image, the police release the self confessed serial killer for lack of evidence. To cover up for Yeong Ming, they arrested Joong Ho for physically assaulting the suspect (Lee, 75). Analysis of the movie is a clear delineation of how corrupt and self seeking the police force of Korea is. The police force of any country is a crucial part of the citizen’s survival. Without a sensitive police body, security of such a country is certainly unsure. It is improper to talk of a state where citizens are aliens in their own land for lack of security. The second movie that creates awareness of Korean systems is the Unjust. It is a denunciation of the corrupt ways that have become part of the judicial system of South Korea. The 2010 production directed by Ryu Seung Wan is a South Korean crime movie that attempts to denounce corruption in the country. It is an award winning film that brings out the bitter truth behind the judicial system of South Korea. The country has had a long history of unresolved grave cases, and the producer took the trouble to ridicule the worrying situation in his clear-cut and precise production. The plot of the film begins with rape and subsequent murder of five elementary school girls. After several days of waiting, the police were not able to apprehend the suspects of the grave murder. The serial killer was still at large and the public grew impatient at the slow pace of justice dispensation. Then one of the suspects, Yu Min Cheol, was shot dead. This raised public uproar although there was no conclusive evidence on whether or not the suspect was guilty. The president of the country became worried of the public push for justice and appealed to the police to solve the case as soon as they could. Calls to resolve the heinous murders set pace forth the corrupt dealings that the judicial system of the country displays. The first step taken by corrupt government officials is to sideline effective and righteous officers of the government. This ensures that these officers are not in any way obstructing the execution of corrupt deals within the watch of senior officials. They are intimidate and belittled to discourage their fight for justice. In the movie, Choi Cheol Gi is a brilliant and honest detective at the Metropolitan Investigations Service. He is a shrewd officer bent down to ensuring the right procedure and justice prevails (Hee-Yeon, 59). After several and laborious attempts, the detective manages to bring down properties acquired through corrupt means by Kim Yang Su. The corrupt godfathers of the metropolitan worked behind the scenes to ensure the case against Kim was terminated. Choi was instead assigned new duties of investigating and apprehending serial murderers after Kim was released and his case closed. His bosses further promised him of a promotion if he could bring the murder case to a satisfying conclusion and take the police department off the hook. Events of the film reveal some disturbing character traits of the country’s top leadership. The president was not in a position to care for the raped and murdered juniors until there was an intense public outcry concerning the unfortunate occurrence. He did not care to put pressure on the police force to resolve the murders and bring the concerned to book. Once a suspect was gunned down, the public became weary of the country’s security situation and tension arose. It was only then that the president of the state joined in the concerns of everyone to pursue the matter. This is a clear depiction that the top leadership of South Korea is not true leadership. It merely apes the feelings of the public instead of providing guidance to the nation. The movie ridicules this act of leaders trailing the sentiments of their electorates without being in a position to offer servant leadership desired of them. Biding and awarding of contracts is another thorny issue that the movie attempts to bring to the light. According to the plot of the film, it is evident that the targeted society does not value competence in awarding of contracts. Quarks win crucial contracts that are of great strategy to the development of various jurisdictions. In the Korean society, what matters is not how well one can perform a particular responsibility, but how well he is connected. Kim Yang Su is a perfect example of incompetent contractors who win strategic government projects. Strict and revered officers like Choi are often in the forefront to fight for the interest of the public although the system I so corrupt that they end up paying for being too agile. Choi risks his job by exposing corrupt deals of Kim and he manages to snatch a metropolitan project from Kim. Government officials who are bent down to serving the selfish interests of these influential bullies frustrate efforts of reform of upright officers. Once Choi took over investigation of the rape and murder of five elementary school children, Joo Yang, a Seoul District Public Prosecutor constantly monitored his steps to ensure he failed. He was determined to revenge on behalf of his friend, Kim for the lost contract (Kotkin, 92). Nameless Gangster is the third film that labors with significant success to air the corruption situation in Korea. The 2012 production was directed by Yoon Jong-bin. The gangster film features Ha Jung Woo and Choi Min Sik. It is set in the 1980s and 1990s. This period in South Korean history was characterized by rampant corruption in the country’s system. The prevalence of corruption in the state was so much that the government named it a national disaster. It thereafter came out clear with stringent policies to stem corruption at all levels of government institutions and private sectors. This move by the government was successful although elements of corruption remained encroached in the national institutions and private sector. These fraudulent practices grew in prevalence over the years between the 1990s and 2012. It thereafter became a source of worry for the public that the director and producers of the movie, Nameless Gangster decided to ridicule the situation in a bid to correct the nation. The foremost ridicule in the film is the events of October 13 1990. The president of South Korea, Roh Tae Who declared a fight on organized crime and corruption. This was after the country’s crime rate had reached intolerable levels (Hee-Yeon, 56). According to many analysts, the move by the president at the time would be justified and considered an act of statesmanship. Several viewers see this declaration against corruption and organized crime a plausible move and a sure way to eradicate fraud in Korea at the time. What does not make sense to deep and critical thinkers is why the system could not institute frameworks to prevent prevalence to such magnitudes. It beats logic why the government and established systems had to wait until the situation ran out of hand before trying to salvage it. It is unacceptable to let the citizens of a country to go through the situations such as those that preceded the declaration before coming to their rescue. Reliable schemes and systems should be put in place to cushion citizens against such misplaced thoughts and deeds. Choi Ik Hun was a customs’ officer before embezzling enough funds to get into full time business. During his tenure as a customs officer, he stole enough money from the public basket to establish a strong business foundation. He also took bribes and pilfered goods into the country. He is a representation of other countless public officials who use their positions to enrich themselves through fraudulent means (Jin, 54). Korean films have managed to disclose corrupt means of government officials in a mega way. Both big and small thieves are ridiculed in the same way without fear. Producers have used this tactic to open the eyes of critical thinkers. In the long run, their desired effects are bound to be seen. A persistence of this culture of mockery through films is a sure way to eradicate the rampant corruption in Korea. Works Cited. Hee-Yeon Choo. Contemporary South Korean Society. Kansas City, Mo: Andrews McMeel Pub, 2012. Print. Kotkin S. Political Corruption in Transition: A skeptic’s Handbook. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2012. Internet resource. Jin Hee Choi. The South Korean Film Renaissance. Wesleyan University Press, 2007. Print. The Chaser. Dir. Na Hong Jin. Perf. Ha Jung Woo and Kim Yoon Seok. Twentieth Century Fox, 2008. Film Nameless Gangster. Dir. Yoon Jong Bin. Perf. Ha Jung Woo and Choi Min Sik. Polygram, 2012. Film The Unjust. Dir. Ryu Seung Wan. Perf. Yu Min Cheol. Polygram. 2010. Film Lee, Hyangjin. Contemporary Korean Cinema: Identity, Culture and Politics. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester Univ. Press, 2012. Print. Read More