Historical Truth Behind The Controversial KDramas Snowdrop!
In this article we will share to you the history behind the hits controversial historical korean dramas Snowdrop. Let’s dive right into it.
Before Snowdrop Release, up to 300,000 korean netizens sign a petition to the blue house hoping to cancel the broadcasting of this kdramas. People are mad due to it’s total distortion of the real issues and historical stories that happened during the democratic movement in 1987.
Female College Student in love with a Spy
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
Snowdrop korean dramas tells revolves around the life of female college student namely Eun Young ro (Jisoo) and University of Berlin economic student name Im Soo Hoo (Jung Hae In). One day Eun Young ro (Jisoo) find him filled with blood wounded try to escape from government officers. Little did she knew that he is a spy that the government are looking for.
1987 Democratic Movement
January 1987 is a moment most korean will never forget, because this is the time where Bak Jong Cheol, president of student council department of linguistics in Seoul National University (SNU) was arrested due to supporting the Gwangju uprising.
Authorities keep torture and asking him to tell of who and where his subordinates live in order to kill them all and stop the uprising. He ended up died by waterboarding torture by the authority. This action cause the patriotic south koreans rage all over the country demand democratization.
June Democracy Movement
Roh Tae Woo, the presidential candidate gave a very powerful speech exactly at June 29 which pushed democracy, transparency of presidential elections, human rights, party activities protections and amnesty of political prisoners.
As the pressure keep arising as it goes near to the Seoul Olympics 1989, they eventually give up and follow the people’s demand of democracy, believing that Roh Tae Woo will eventually win.
National Security Agency
National Security Agency or NSA refer to the national security planning department that was established in 1980s which today will be better known as National Intelligence agency. NSA is also considered as the henchmen of dictatorship regime.
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
NSA was originally created to maintain the security and help the government collecting information related to threats by north korea. However, as the people began to hope for democracy, NSA turn from outside threats security agent, into an internal military agent that torturing and killing South Korea activist, stated them as North Korean Spies.
Generally, Snowdrop didn’t expose on NSA so much and what they do in the historical democratic movement. However, this JTBC dramas is frame NSA in a very positive light compare to the reality that happened, which cause anger from the people who go through the 1987 movement.
Glorify Nazis
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
Fans stated that they’re not just mad over the plot twist and distortion of korean history, but also of propaganda. They worried that Snowdrop intent to portray Nazis as an adorable and lovable agent.
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
Furthermore, some fan also explain that the government intelligent are not actually tasked with catching the North Korean Spies but to kill and torture the south korean pro democratic youth (students) under the reason of causing social unrest, or they were north koreans without proof.
Plot Twist
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
Snowdrop Korean dramas get a lot of critics and controversy is because of the plot twist, korean netizen think that the plot should not be twisted as this show the disrespect to the patriots that died during the movement.
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
Snowdrop tells the story of Jisoo helping Soo Hoo as she thought he is an injured student activist, not knowing that he is a real spy. This spark an anger to people as it seems to insult the martyr of democratic movement who was falsely accused as north korean spies.
There are a lot of life gone in fighting the dictatorship government and pursuing the democratic Korea. There are countless case of torture, arrest and execution of South Korean activist by the so called ‘security agent’ in order to keep their dictatorship regime.
JTBC Statement
JTBC has already stated that the kdramas will have a different story with what really happened in history. This dramas is a fiction story, not a documentary to show what really happened. The main characters in Snowdrop are NOT necessarily the activist and those who participate the democratic movement. The era is just use for the background and not the real plot.
They also response to the angry netizens stating that Snowdrop korean dramas really has no intentions of belittle those patriots that was killed, tortured and strive during the democratic movement.
Fiction and Reality
The original Character name and life story is so close to the real history which blur the line between the truth and the fiction. This is really disturbing for netizen. For example, Jisoo Character originally name Young Cho, same with the name of activist during the democracy movement. Im Soo Hoo’s background is also really close to the truth.
History behind Snowdrop korean dramas
Credit to JTBC Snowdrop
Here’s all we know about democratic movement in 1987 portray in the snowdrop korean dramas. How do you think about it? Do you think they’re just insensitive or the netizens are too sensitive? Let us know in the comment sections below!
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