[AKP] Questionable line in SBS drama 'Yong Pal' that seems to imply rape victims are at fault sparks heated debate

[Mccuish]

SBS's new drama Yong Pal (starring Kim Tae Hee and Joo Won) has been criticized for fanning the wrongful and misguided views that society holds on rape, which all began with a line in the drama that seemed to lay the blame on a rape victim. 

 

The August 13 airing of the drama told the story of one woman who was hospitalized after being sexually assaulted by a Hallyu star named Cha Seh Yoon. The woman, knowing Cha Seh Yoon was also hospitalized in the same hospital, hatched her vendetta by planning to blow up the entire hospital, with the hope of killing her rapist in the process. The scene in question showed Joo Won, who plays a surgeon named Kim Tae Hyun, trying the persuade the woman to abandon her destructive vendetta. 

 

His exact lines were, "Cha Seh Yoon deserves to die for what he did to you but that doesn't mean your wrongdoing for willingly following him into the hotel, so that you can find an easy way to become a celebrity, just disappears. You can't kill innocent people just to cover up your guilty conscience." 

 

After the airing of that episode, many posts were uploaded on internet forum DC Inside(likened to 4chan or Reddit), protesting and heavily criticizing the drama. Some of the comments read, "Does it make sense to say that the rape victim is trying to 'cover up her guilty conscience,'" "Isn't the line 'you willingly followed him in,' taking the side of the rapist?" There were also comments that the lines in the drama demonstrate the general attitude and the overall level of awareness society has towards rape. 

Choi Ran, the director of the 'Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, proclaimed, "One of our society's deep-seated conventional perception is that the rape victims are at fault, as well. This line [in the drama] brings to the forefront our distorted and wrongful perception of sexual violence. That there is a line laying the blame on the rape victim in a drama that has a great social influence, is a problem. Some may argue that it is just one line but there may be the possible side effects of the victim projecting [the blame] upon themselves."

 

SBS responded with a statement of their own, explaining, "It wasn't our intention to imply that the blame lies on rape victims. There is the possibility that due to the editing cutting out the scenes before and after, the context wasn't delivered well."

 

Credit: Allkpop http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/08/questionable-line-in-sbs-drama-yong-pal-that-seems-to-imply-rape-victims-are-at-fault-sparks-heated-debate

[SAYAKA]

that line is really problematic

[mumble_loud]

.

 

There is the possibility that due to the editing cutting out the scenes before and after, the context wasn't delivered well.   

[ethereal]

yikes

[Manic]

i dont know korean nor have i watched the drama

but by all means bring attention to these kinds of messages as much as possible

[ErikaEGO]

SBS responded with a statement of their own, explaining, "It wasn't our intention to imply that the blame lies on rape victims. There is the possibility that due to the editing cutting out the scenes before and after, the context wasn't delivered well."

 

SEE SBS , WHY YOU GOTTA BE LIKE DAT? JUST ADMIT YOU'RE AT FAULT SHEESH

 

[eloquence]

that line is messed up

[ImNumber9_9999]

Messssss

[ToujoursSistar]

That line is fucked up

[HerShe]

Yup truly messed up, but I am so happy that the viewers are dragging the writers/editors for this. I've watched so many problematic/sexist/prejudiced scenes and lines in Kdramas that it is refreshing they are finally being called out on their bullshit.

Keep fighting the good fight, Knetz.

[Kissung]

What the actual fuck? 

[Jcey]

When I heard that line on the drama..I was like "what u sayin boy?"

 

Then I thought he was saying that cuz the Girl knew the bad guy had bad intentions but she still went with him and so she feels guilty for doing so. I still knew that line was Problematic tho. Glad its being brought up.

[양 지]

That line ecckk >.< Dayum nasty

 

Btw fuck what she need to be guilty for? -.- getting raped? Dat logic doe.

[topaz]

SBS pls

[aiyuu]

When I heard that line I was like ???????? Wtf is he trying to imply ?????????? Dumb ass move, dumb ass script

[twinky]

i was all   when i heard that line in that episode. seriously YongPal writers?

[AYOSHIARI]

Yes, that line is wrong and problematic, but it's a drama script tho? I mean, it doesnt mean what Joowon said has to be right either. Probably Joowon character indeed taking sides of the rapist? Or am I missing something here?

[mgl]

It's a fucked up thing to say, but unfortunately probably in line with the way of thinking of quite a few people there...

[dishdash]

i know this ot but im just shocked that she was willing to blow up an entire hospital just to kill one person like what about the other people in the hospital? or did she have some plan to only make sure he was the only one killed?

 

 

back ot. this line is messed up- and honestly that shouldn't have even been in the script at all like what even? i was surprised just reading it but i guess i shouldn't be surprised because kdrama scripts say problematic things like this all the time

[ohsolively]

That's not what he said though-

 

He was talking about her willingly walking into that basement (where the radiation bomb was kept) and basically trying to kill innocent people while the guy who raped her had already left the building.

 

Edit: that was the actual line 

[gummybear_dragon]

The irony though. Crappy scrip says that you should admit it was your fault, SBS is making excuses. Hypocrites.

[PockyAddict1989]

Just saw the drama in question and that line is so side-eye worthy.  

[Cyan]

Yuck wtf. They deserve all the dragging.

 

((didn't even know KTH & JW had a new drama))

[hipployta]

So many people challenged me elsewhere when I said the line was fucked up and Rape Culture 101...yesss I love vindication

[marsinblue]

Yeah, that line was seriously twisted and ignorant. I was shocked Joo Won's character would say something like that.