Petition calls for suspension of SBS drama over May 18 content

A petition was uploaded to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea's electronic public consent petition board on the 24th, demanding the suspension of the SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia'. The petitioner argues that episode 6 contains politically controversial content related to the May 18 Democratization Movement that lacks connection to the medical narrative.

The SBS drama 'Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia', which directly addresses the May 18 Democratization Movement, is facing demands for its broadcast to be suspended. Some viewers have protested, claiming that politically controversial historical events have been brought into a medical drama. With a petition appearing on the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea's public consent petition board, the controversy surrounding the historical representation in the drama appears to be expanding from the screen into the public sphere.

On the 24th, a post titled "Petition regarding the suspension of the SBS drama 'Doctor X'" was uploaded to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea's electronic public consent petition board. The petitioner raised issues stating that the currently airing 'Doctor X' contains specific political content that may cause discomfort to viewers. The argument is that the appropriateness of combining the drama's narrative with historical events must be examined.

The petitioner specifically took issue with scenes related to the May 18 Democratization Movement appearing in episode 6. "Content related to May 18, which has no connection to the story in the drama, appeared and caused many viewers to frown," the petitioner claimed, adding, "While I know May 18 is a painful part of our history, it is difficult to accept the use of a politically controversial issue in a medical drama." Rather than denying the historical tragedy itself, the petitioner questioned the manner in which the event was handled within a medical drama.

Differences from the original Japanese work were also cited as a reason for the petition. The petitioner argued that while the original work focused on the individual abilities of doctors, the addition of May 18-related content in the Korean version appeared to be a setting intended to reveal a specific political stance. The petitioner further emphasized, "All dramas that are not political dramas must maintain strict political neutrality," and demanded verification of the production process and the suspension of the broadcast. However, this is based on the petitioner's interpretation and claims, and whether the scenes were actually inserted to enforce a specific political position is a matter for separate judgment.

The petition met the preliminary requirement of 100 supporters for public release within a single day and has entered the stage of reviewing whether to make it public. Currently, the consent process is temporarily restricted, and it is expected to take up to seven days to determine whether to make the petition public. As it has not yet been confirmed whether the formal public release and full consent process will proceed, it is necessary to distinguish between the progress of the petition and the actual suspension of the broadcast.

The scene at the center of the controversy was depicted in episode 6, which aired on the 24th. In the drama, Oh Sang-beom is a victim who suffered a gunshot wound to the head during the May 18 Democratization Movement and suffers from lifelong pain and hallucinations due to the bullet remaining in his head. The doctor Gye Su-jeong (played by Kim Ji-won) steps forward to personally perform the high-risk surgery, but Oh Sang-beom refuses the surgery because he fears that after receiving it, he may no longer be able to see the hallucinations of his deceased older brother. The setting creates a conflict between treatment to eliminate physical pain and the desire to preserve traces of a deceased family member.

In the latter part of the episode, a fictional former president, Ji Du-seok, who is reminiscent of former President Chun Doo-hwan, is transported to the hospital in an unconscious state. During this process, a scene unfolds where Oh Sang-beom, a victim of the May 18 Democratization Movement, and Ji Du-seok, who is depicted as the perpetrator, face each other in the same space. It is a direction that overlays the history of state violence and the memories of victims onto the hospital, a space dealing with individual illness and life. This scene became the focus of the controversy in that it brought historical responsibility, wounds, and the relationship between perpetrator and victim into the narrative, moving beyond the scope of a medical drama.

This issue asks how much political neutrality can be demanded of a drama and what it means to utilize historical events in a fictional narrative. A medical drama does not necessarily have to deal only with medical technology and the patient treatment process; it can also include the social and historical context surrounding illness and life in its narrative. Conversely, when utilizing actual historical tragedies as dramatic devices, critical review is required regarding how factual relationships and the experiences of victims are reproduced, and what messages the setting of characters and events creates.

Ultimately, the point of contention lies not just in the fact that May 18 was dealt with, but in how the event was placed within the drama's narrative and what it intended to convey. It has not yet been confirmed what procedures the petitioner's demand for broadcast suspension will lead to. It is expected that the debate over the drama's narrative choices, along with viewer reactions, will continue as 'Doctor X' manages the controversy surrounding its use of historical material.

Read the original (Korean)