Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
INTERVIEW Kim Nam-gil says 'Trigger' is about people, not guns
KIm Nam-gil poses prior to an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Netflix
By Park Jin-hai
Drama coincides with real-life shooting tragedy, feels uncomfortably real
Netflix series "Trigger," which was released Friday, is a gun disaster action thriller that tells the story of two men who take up arms for their own reasons amid a continuous stream of gun incidents and the delivery of illegal firearms from unknown sources in Korea, a country widely perceived as being gun-free.
With its release coming just days after a rare and shocking shooting in Korea involving a man in his 60s who killed his son with a homemade gun on July 20, the story presented by "Trigger" became highly timely, to the point where it can no longer be dismissed as unrealistic.
Lead actor Kim Nam-gil was surprised and felt very sorry for the victims when he heard the news of the real-life shooting.
"I only learned about the incident through the news and since I don't know the full circumstances, it's hard to say anything definitive. However, I was surprised that such an incident occurred in our country. I thought this only happened in other countries," he said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul on Tuesday.
"As a real-life incident occurred, my attitude toward this work became heavier and more cautious."
The 45-year-old actor plays Lee Do, a former military sniper-turned-police officer who once again takes up a gun to uphold justice. As gun-related incidents become rampant, he struggles to disarm people with his weapon.
Kim described his character as "a soldier who fought in conflict zones, but no longer wants to carry a gun." He becomes a police officer with the conviction that peace can be maintained without firearms, but ultimately uses a gun to protect people.
A scene from the Netflix series "Trigger" / Courtesy of Netflix
Mirror of Korea’s hidden social wounds
The series delves into pervasive social issues mirroring those in our own communities. Each episode features characters driven to take up arms for personal reasons: a mother seeking justice for her son who died in an accident caused by extreme labor exploitation at his company; a man living in despair due to the blatant disrespect from others in his cramped hostel room; students with no adult support contemplating suicide due to severe school violence; and a father grieving his daughter's death by suicide, tormented by the loss of his life savings to fraud.
This is why "Trigger" is an engrossing series that forces viewers to ask many questions from beginning to end, leading to empathy or anger.
Immediately after its release, the drama topped Netflix Korea's TV category, quickly becoming a top choice for viewers. As of Tuesday, it has ranked first in a total of five countries, including Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, according to FlixPatrol.
Kim stressed that he did not take "Trigger" lightly.
"Roughly half our population is capable of handling firearms [due to mandatory military service]. I wanted to ensure that international viewers would understand Koreans' professional gun proficiency, rather than just pulling a trigger, to lower any potential barriers to acceptance," he explained.
"I also worried about how people in other countries, who are experiencing similar real-life disasters, would react to this drama depicting such events in Korea. I questioned if the message would be appropriate for nations undergoing those struggles."
A scene from the Netflix series "Trigger" / Courtesy of Netflix
The actor said this work isn't about guns, but rather a story about people.
"Guns are merely tools that represent desires, anger and various ideological social issues. This is a story about how we should live — how much consideration, understanding and compromise we should show each other. It's about the hell that unfolds if we simply abandon those principles and live without them," Kim said.
He also shared his concerns regarding the use of firearms as a means of personal revenge within the drama.
"The situations in the drama are structured in a way that viewers can't help but sympathize with the characters who use guns, aren't they? Guns are delivered to those who consider themselves socially vulnerable and I hoped it wouldn't be perceived universally as 'this is what happens when vulnerable people get guns.' I wanted to talk about the inherent nature of humanity, regardless of whether one is weak or strong."
Kim, known for his action roles in "The Fiery Priest" and "The Pirates," emphasized that he crafted the action sequences in the series meticulously with a focus on restraint.
"Given that it's a Netflix production, we had the freedom to depict direct action in disaster scenarios. But, from an anti-gun stance, I aimed to portray restrained and defensive action. I approached the role with the belief that it shouldn't be seen as vigilante justice, where a gun is used to eliminate villains," he said.
When asked if he considers himself a righteous person, the actor, who has also led the cultural arts nongovernmental organization Gilstory for over a decade, shared that his long-term involvement with the civic group has led him to contemplate what it truly means for people to live well together.
"As times change, people's thoughts shift subtly. Things that were once right are now wrong, and things that were once wrong are now right. While we should adapt with societal changes, I often think it's best if the fundamental essence of humanity remains unchanged," he said.