The highly anticipated follow-up to 'I Am God', 'I Am a Survivor' aims to address the structural harms in society.
On the 15th at 4 PM, the Netflix documentary 'I Am a Survivor' (directed by Jo Sung-hyun) was released worldwide. Prior to this, three requests for a broadcasting ban had been filed by the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) and former members, creating uncertainty about the release. However, on the 14th, the Seoul Western District Court ruled to dismiss all requests, allowing the documentary to meet its viewers.
'I Am a Survivor' is a sequel to 'I Am God', which was released in March 2023. The previous work was a documentary that traced the 'Messiahs' in modern Korean history and the events and people behind them, highlighting JMS led by Jeong Myung-seok, the Five Oceans led by Park Soon-ja, Agadongsan led by Kim Gi-soon, and the Manmin Central Church led by Lee Jae-rok. It gained attention both domestically and internationally, ranking 5th in global viewership and 1st in South Korea after its release. PD Jo Sung-hyun, who raised important social issues, received the Presidential Citation at the 2023 Korea Content Awards for contributions to the development of the broadcasting and video industry.
This work, which includes testimonies from survivors of four incidents including JMS, Busan Brothers Home, the Jisunpa incident, and the Sampoong Department Store collapse, is also quite shocking. The JMS and Busan Brothers Home episodes were released first through a pre-screening for the media.
While 'I Am God' focused on the crimes of the perpetrators, this season emphasizes the stories of victims, or 'survivors', who suffered at the hands of the perpetrators. In particular, the JMS episode broadens the focus from a single perpetrator to include those who upheld the system that allowed such abuses to continue, as well as the accomplices who produced victims.
It also portrays the stories of the 'survivors' who managed to escape, not stopping at merely raising issues but highlighting the changes brought about by the previous season and showing further results.
From the perspective of a journalist who viewed the work in advance, it seems that this piece will also become a topic of discussion. Just as the previous work sparked controversy over its portrayal of sexual abuse and assault, this time it does so through violent sensationalism instead of sexual content.
The situation where even basic human rights are trampled upon was revealed without reservation. Throughout the viewing, there was a strong urge to look away from the horror and devastation presented.
However, if asked whether this part should have been omitted, I would say no. For the victims who still live in hell and wish to bring forgotten incidents back to light and receive at least a single apology, as well as for the public who have only encountered these facts through a few lines of articles or news clips presented in 'refined' language.
The public's right to know often clashes with the protection of privacy. This is also a fate that documentary makers bear as they strive to show more facts, raise awareness, and issue warnings. The struggles of the production team in deciding how much to include in this delicate balancing act are evident.
PD Jo Sung-hyun has faced legal troubles since the release of the previous season. He has been subjected to multiple requests for broadcasting bans and has been charged with violations of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, as well as receiving death threats and threats against his family. Nevertheless, it was a work that had to be made.
At a previous press conference, PD Jo revealed, "I requested personal protection for my wife from the police, which was accepted, and I received a smartwatch. I had many concerns about whether I should force my family to sacrifice for my work."
Despite this, the reason he felt compelled to continue production was due to his promise to the victims. PD Jo stated, "It is because of the promise I made to the survivors who trusted me and my team and testified about their hellish lives in front of the camera. There were victims who agreed that 'we need to inform society of this tragedy', and because of them, I never once thought of giving up."
The horrific 'truth' that those who sought to hide it by filing broadcasting ban requests and threatening the PD wanted to keep from being revealed can be confirmed in 'I Am a Survivor', which was released on Netflix on the 15th.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
