There is a strong criticism against Jung Hae-in and Ji-soo, the main characters of “Snowdrop”, and their lack of historical awareness. The actors’ responsibility seems to be rising.
The current history distortion situation of “Snowdrop” is actually a predicted controversy. In March, nine months before the first broadcast of “Snowdrop,” its leaked synopsis was under fire. Now that the situation is getting worse after the first 2 episodes went on air, the “actor responsibility theory” seems to be arising. Opinions are gathered that they should have refused the offer from “Snowdrop”.
As content creators, a good sense of history and responsibility are required when creating dramas that many might watch. It is true that it is not easy for scripts that are insensitive to these matters to cast actors. In this era, we are seeing content such as dramas, movies, and online video service (OTT) works flooding the industry. An actor should have an eye of wisdom to see the offered scripts properly. This is why not only the creators but also the cast members are required to have a proper view of history and a sense of responsibility.
The democratization movement in the 1980s is a heartbreaking history and a history that we must remember. We should not forget the spirit and name of many democratic activists who have sacrificed themselves to change the world, and we must remember it correctly. This can be understood even by a secondary high school student.
Didn’t Jung Hae-in and BLACKPINK Ji-soo know about this? Why did they put their acting career on the line to join this?
“Snowdrop” is a new drama prepared by the production team of JTBC’s hit drama “Sky Castle.” As an actor, it is convenient to work with a production team which has already gained trust from viewers through its previous success.
However, one should not be misled by it, but should grasp the contents of the script closely. Furthermore, shouldn’t verification be even more strict if the work was set in the harsh 1980s?
The decision to appear can be seen as meaning that they agree with the beliefs that are laced in the work and their roles. The fact that the background of the democratization movement against the military regime in the 1980s was simply viewed as a fictional background of the drama is like revealing that it was not deeply contemplated beforehand.
Wouldn’t they know about it if it’s another SF thriller or a newly created hero story? This is a complacent attitude that overlooked the influence of the popular culture community as actors when they regarded such historical background as something as simple as a decoration while acting as a spy and a female college student.
The criticism against actor Jung Hae-in is also strong. The viewer is disappointed that he showed such a short view of history when he has been mentioning and promoting that he is a descendant of Joseon philosopher Jeong Yak-yong.
According to JTBC’s official website of “Snowpiercer,” Lim Soo-ho, played by Jung Hae-in, “is known as a graduate student of the Department of Economics at the University of Berlin preparing a master’s thesis under the theme of “Park Jung-hee’s Economic Development Policy” but is in fact a spy from North Korea.”
In addition, when his father, a genius musician, was accused of being a reactionary and exiled to the Musan coal mine in North Hamgyeong Province, his mother, who was the daughter of a key executive of the central party, chose to divorce and abandoned his sister and father.
Through this, it reminds the viewers of composer Yoon Yi-sang, who died without stepping on South Korean soil because he was framed to be a spy by the government, and the drama is once again criticized for carelessly portraying him as a North Korean.
Anyone can guess the crooked history view of “Snowdrop” just by the characters’ introduction. If Jung Hae-in didn’t see any problem even after seeing this, can viewers continue to trust the work he appears in the future?
