Choi scandal opens floodgates for political mockery
K-pop singer Lee Seung-hwan sings his popular song with rearranged lyrics to carry an anti-Park Geun hye message during a mass rally, where some 1 million people turned up, calling for her resignation, in downtown Seoul, on Nov. 12. / Yonhap
By Park Jin-hai
In the third mass anti-president rally in downtown Seoul on Nov. 12, where 1 million citizens holding candles chanted slogans calling for scandal-plagued President Park Geun-hye’s immediate resignation, K-pop singer Lee Seung-hwan graced the finale of a street concert.
Saying that he nowadays suffers severely because of President Park and her band of corrupt confidants, Lee sang his popular song with rearranged lyrics to carry an anti-Park message.
Lee, who previously hung a placard calling for ousting the president on his own company building in Seoul, might be one of the most vocal critics, but he is not alone.
Many celebrities, including TV hostess Kim Mi-hwa and show host Kim Je-dong who were on an alleged government blacklist of 9,000 artists by the culture ministry for their critical views of the government, also joined the mass protest at the site.
TV show host Kim Je-dong speaks during the third anti-president protest at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, Nov. 12. / Yonhap
In the latest anti-president rally Saturday, actors Lee Jun and Yoo Ah-in also shared photos from the peaceful demonstration. Others who could not join the protest left supporting message on their SNS accounts.
In the face of the unprecedented mammoth corruption scandal involving President Park, celebrities have been regarded as virtuous for keeping ample distance from state affairs.
Lee previously said in an interview, “In the U.S., stars don’t shy away from saying not to vote for Trump. If Robert DeNiro says not to vote for Trump, people say he is cool. But, if we (Korean celebrities) say so, it is called instigation.”
That has all changed, thanks to the scandal and many critics say it broke the unwritten rule of entertainment, ushering in a new age of political mockery in the media.
Political mockery on TV shows
Political satire and mockery have been revived after being nearly dissipated on the small screen, after SNL Korea was pressured to censor its “Yeouido Teletubbies Return” under the Park administration.
MBC’s flagship variety show “Infinite Challenge” in its “History X Hip Hop Project” episode aired during the nationwide public protest calling for President Park to step down on Nov. 12, said “History is what gives an answer to daunting tasks of today.”
Cable network JTBC’s sharp-tongued political talk show “Sseoljeon,” meaning talk fight, garnered double- digit viewership when it tackled the Choi Soon-sil scandal. It is popular for its blunt discussion of current issues because two critics with differing political opinions criticize opposing parties. / Screen captured from JTBC
KBS’s “Gag Concert” ran its own political mockery for the first time in nearly one year, directly mentioning President Park and her former presidential secretary ― the most vocal criticism by the broadcaster, which has remained low profile since it was sued by the Korea Parent Federation for its mockery of the far-right civic group, which allegedly has received funds from Korea’s largest business lobby group the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) in exchange for staging pro-government demonstrations.
SNL Korea also aired a skit featuring comedians costumed as Choi Soon-sil and her horse-riding daughter.
Experts say the people’s desire to express political satire has exploded all at once. “The people’s desire to mock politics and express their feelings about the current deplorable situation, which thus had been muffled, have been unleashed. Now television shows have been reflecting the changed mood,” said Jang Duk-geun, a comedy show writer.
KBS flagship comedy show “Gag Concert” ran its own political mockery, directly mentioning President Park Geun-hye and her former presidential secretary. / Screen captured from KBS
Looking into the present situation, which is more surreal than most movies, moviemakers are preparing to release a band of politically sensitive movies that express harsh criticism of the government. The movie “Special Citizen” reveals the two faces of politics through the eyes of a two-term Seoul mayor, played by Choi Min-sik, who runs for a third term, and military secrets and a corruption scandal are tackled in “Top Secret” which awaits local release. Director Shin Dong-yeob plans to make a political satire of the ongoing influence-peddling scandal in his movie titled “Gate.”
Regarding the inundation of political satire on the small screen, experts said the tide has turned from celebrities to entertainment shows.
“People envy American celebrities who openly express their political views and feel regrets for Korean society which turns a weary eye to those politically sensitive local celebrities,” columnist Kim Kyo-suk said. “As a responsible member of society, those artists should also raise their voices to social and political issues. But it has been difficult, because people tend to perceive those artists not as people with careers but as public figures and deem neutrality as a virtue. It has required great courage on the part of artists, since it is tantamount to saying they are willing to take all the disadvantages entailed by it.”
Kim said this has changed. “We are now living in an era where those celebrities should join the pervasive spirit of the times and show upfront that they too are in touch with the public.”
Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said political satire was made possible because people have delivered one unified message. “Since all the citizens are of one mind concerning the Choi scandal, those television shows could carry much weight,” he said.