Kim Bo Tong deep-dives into creation process and central question in creating “D.P,” “I wondered if it was a structural problem of conscription”
Kim Bo Tong joined talks of his inspiration for “D.P.,” its realism, and the nagging question that formed the drama.
On August 4, “D.P” Kim Bo Tong appeared on SBS Power FM’s “Park Ha Sun’s Cinetown.”
Regarding his adapted webtoon into a Netflix original series “D.P.,” writer Kim Bo Tong said, “Many people may not have seen the original work,” adding, “It was the second work I drew since ‘Amanza,’ and it was first serialized in a Korean newspaper and moved on to a webtoon platform.” “If the drama is about a corporal and a private, the webtoon is a story after the corporal, so there isn’t that much overlap,” the writer introduced.
Asked whether he expected this much popularity, he revealed feeling surprised when he saw his creation receiving so much attention. He revealed that his “personal desire” had more to do with the creation of the story rather than his expectation of it being popular. After the webtoon was serialized, it was so successful that his juniors in the military contacted and asked, “Isn’t this about you?” to which he responded, “I glorified it a little.”
When asked how true to reality the story is, the writer explained, “The situation itself is a true story. I didn’t know that people had military police chasing deserters and anyone who knew D.P. in the army didn’t know what they were going out for and doing.” In addition, he said, “Only D.P. knows through what mechanism desertion takes place, so I took my actual experience,” however, “all the individual stories of deserters have been created.”
Kim Bo Tong further elaborated on his inspiration for the series. It came from his curiosity about the nature of the deserter, whether they are good or evil. He added that, in reality, the deserters were not villains; they simply could not handle the environment inside training camps due to their lack of social skills and impatience, explained Kim Bo Tong.
Moreover, the “D.P.” writer said, “I thought it might be a structural problem of conscription. Isn’t it difficult in itself to drive dozens of boys in their early 20s into a limited space and hope there are no problems?” Kim Bo Tong expressed his belief in a more complex social problem rather than a question of one individual’s nature.
Source: Daum
