“The Killing Vote” (국민사형투표)

By Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
November 16, 2023

☆☆☆☆
Kim Moo-chan (played by Park Hae-jin)
Kwon Seok-joo (played by Park Sung-woon)
Joo Hyeon (played by Lim Ji-yeon)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

“The Killing Vote” (국민사형투표 ) reunites Park Hae-jin (“Cheese in the Trap”) and his Man to Man co-star Park Sung-woon (“Bloodhounds”). The former portrays a rules-bending police officer, while the latter tackles the role of a once-esteemed law professor who is in prison for murdering his daughter’s killer. Korean speakers will recognize immediately that the two share a history — the younger police officer refers to the prisoner as hyung or older brother. Though they’re not related, the term indicates that they have a close relationship.

Based on the webtoon of the same name, the premise revolves around a masked man who uses the pseudonym Gaetal/게탈 — which translates into dog mask — to mete out justice for those who they feel deserved stronger punishment for their crimes. Hiding his face behind a cute dog mask, Gaetal plays judge, jury and executioner, while putting the onus on the Korean public to determine each victim’s fate (by voting on their smartphones). Press yes for death or no for salvation. Simple, right? When you create a scenario that dehumanizes people, it’s not difficult to get the verdict you want, regardless of the truth. Make no mistake about it — those selected to die are horrific scum. But should the public be turned into de facto vigilantes in order to bring about justice?

You may guess the identity of the mastermind behind this heinous app, but I can guarantee that there will be other surprises. “The Killing Vote” is one of the few K-dramas with no romantic overtones. As the series’ moral compass, female lead Lim Ji-yeon (“The Glory”) is wonderful as a cyber security officer who can empathize with victims, while visualizing the bigger picture.

Airdates: Twelve 75-minute episodes aired on SBS from August 10 to November 16, 2023. (I watched this on Prime Video.)

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