The second story of Netflix's documentary 'I Am God', 'I Am a Survivor', examines the structural flaws in our society through the stories of survivors from four incidents that shook South Korea.
'I Am a Survivor' is the second story of 'I Am God', a documentary series that records the voices of those who survived four horrific incidents that shocked South Korea, and the stories of that day that should never be repeated.
Director Jo Sung-hyun and the production team captured the voices of survivors vividly through two years of in-depth research. You can encounter the real stories that no one knew within incidents that everyone thinks they know.
The released main trailer contains the ongoing pain of Maple, who faced off against the leader of JMS (Christian Gospel Mission) Jung Myung-seok, revealing her face through 'I Am God' in 2023. Maple fought desperately against the threats of a powerful force trying to protect JMS and Jung Myung-seok, despite the uncomfortable gaze.
An interview with Maple reveals that 21 victims have sued Jung Myung-seok after finding courage in themselves through 'I Am God', and another victim's testimony about "the day I was first victimized in the second year of middle school" is shocking. Following the words of Jung Jo-eun, the second-in-command of JMS, "Season 2 will deal with minors. We must stop this, everyone. It ends with us," someone is following the production team, and a police officer who is a member of JMS appears, tracking down 'the truth they want to hide'. This series reflects on how our society and public authority have protected unjust forces through the struggles of Maple against the still-operating JMS.
It's not just JMS. 'I Am a Survivor' consists of a total of 8 episodes covering four incidents. Through the voices of survivors who were in those four hells that day, it warns of the ongoing and potentially repeating tragedies of the future. "The story we tell every week is that you are human trash," and despite 40 years passing, the cries of survivors from the Busan Brothers Home, who still live in pain, are heartbreaking. It examines how public authority has condoned crimes in the worst human rights violation incident in modern Korean history, where thousands died or went missing due to illegal exercise of public power.
"I am filled with resentment for not being able to kill the people I really want to kill," and through the case of the Jisunpa, which built a murder factory out of hatred for the wealthy and committed serial murders, we hear how people pushed to the brink by our society became monsters and the courage of a survivor who stopped the serial murders. The collapse of the Sampoong Department Store is the worst man-made disaster caused by poor construction, corruption, and the irresponsibility of supervisory agencies. "I think it's something we must not forget. For those who have lost children, is this in the past for them?" This question from a survivor of the Sampoong Department Store disaster highlights why tragedies have continued to recur in our society and sounds a strong alarm about painful structural flaws.
Director Jo Sung-hyun of 'I Am a Survivor' stated, "The four most tragic incidents in South Korea are not concluded in the past but are ongoing," adding, "Under the protection of our society's system and public authority, the names and locations of incidents are repeated in different tragedies. In a world where human beings have become the least valuable option, 'I Am a Survivor' is not a documentary that records the past but a warning about the coming world and future tragedies."
The real stories conveyed by survivors in four ongoing tragedies, and the sharp questions posed to our society, 'I Am a Survivor', will be released exclusively on Netflix on August 15 (Friday).
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
