With the release of the Netflix original documentary ‘I Am a Survivor’, the Busan Brothers' Welfare Center incident is once again drawing attention, and PD Cho Sung-hyun criticized the family of the late director Park In-geun, who has been identified as a perpetrator, saying, “They seem to have no regret.”
On the 22nd, PD Cho Sung-hyun stated in an interview with Maeil Business Star Today, “I am aware that there has been a Google Maps rating attack on the business of Park's family since the release of ‘I Am a Survivor’.”
Released on the 15th, ‘I Am a Survivor’ (directed by Cho Sung-hyun) is a sequel to last year's hit ‘I Am God’ and contains testimonies from survivors of four incidents, including JMS, the Jisunpa incident, and the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store. In particular, as testimonies related to the Brothers' Welfare Center incident were revealed, criticism of Park's family poured in.
The sports center operated by the family in Milperra, Sydney, Australia, is receiving rating attacks and a barrage of comments on Google Maps. Internet users left sharp reactions such as, “Watch ‘I Am a Survivor’. Do not treat the victims carelessly,” “Family of a murderer,” and “A facility built with blood-stained money.”
PD Cho pointed out, “The person who passed by in a car smiling in ‘I Am a Survivor’ is Park's nephew. He said, ‘It’s been decades, and why are you doing this now?’” and added, “He only spoke in English to the production team, but I received reports that he speaks Korean very well. However, he insisted on using English when the victim came, which indicates he was trying to distance himself by pretending not to understand Korean well.”
He also stated, “That person is in the jewelry business, and he has closed his website. He has demanded the production team to take down the video, but we have completed legal review and will not delete it,” criticizing, “If there had been any regret, he wouldn’t have made such demands in the first place.”
The Australian newspaper The Australian reported on the 17th that Park's family is under pressure to return a large sum of money in Australia. The media reported that Park had smuggled out about $40 million (approximately 53 billion won) during his escape, and survivors are demanding its return.
During his lifetime, Park operated a church in Australia and purchased a golf driving range and comprehensive sports facility in western Sydney for 1.9 million Australian dollars (approximately 1.8 billion won) in 1995. This facility, which includes a gym, tennis courts, and squash courts, covers about 80,000 square meters and is currently owned by his youngest daughter and son-in-law. As of 2020, the rental income was about 400,000 Australian dollars (approximately 37 million won) per year.
There are testimonies that some of Park's family members were involved, and the foundation of their wealthy life is the criminal proceeds obtained through the ‘Brothers' Welfare Center’. However, there are concerns that this could lead to secondary victimization or that it may be seen as a form of collective punishment against the family rather than Park himself.
In response, PD Cho said, “While the rating attack seems like a private sanction, I felt that this is the only way to impose sanctions due to the structural problems in Korean society,” and added, “Foreign media give opportunities for testimonies or rebuttals before revealing faces, but in Korea, even now, we cannot even reveal their faces. I began to ponder where this cultural difference originates.”
He continued, “An Australian journalist asked, ‘Why don’t you reveal the faces of the perpetrators?’ I explained that we cannot do so due to defamation controversies, but they did not understand. Australian media already cover their identities, businesses, sources of wealth, and statements more quickly and deeply. In contrast, Korean media have access to more information but still cannot disclose it. This reflects the reality of Korean media.”
PD Cho also pointed out, “Media outlets, including broadcasting companies, are applying increasingly higher standards. Ultimately, it raises the question of who can be protected. Protection should be for the weak, but the structure is such that victims cannot even raise their voices, making it difficult to reflect their stories in society. Why should perpetrators be legally protected?”
As ‘I Am a Survivor’ reaches global audiences, related issues are emerging not only domestically but also internationally. Regarding this, he expressed satisfaction with the distribution through Netflix, saying, “Since it is released through Netflix, global viewers can watch it immediately.”
However, he added, “There are domestic viewers who are not familiar with Netflix. Due to the paid subscription structure, some victims do not know how to access it. It pains me that there are people who cannot access it.”
Meanwhile, ‘I Am a Survivor’ has consistently ranked high in the ‘Top 10 Series in South Korea’ since its release on the 15th. After ranking 3rd in the Top 10 Series the day after its release, it reached 1st place on the 17th. It maintained 2nd place for three days and then ranked 1st again on the 21st and 22nd.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
