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.
Netflix’s ‘The Echoes of Survivors’ spurs global outrage over Korean tragedies
Scenes from the Netflix documentary "The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea's Tragedies" / Courtesy of Netflix
By Park Jin-hai
The Netflix documentary series "The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea's Tragedies," released on Aug. 15, continues to generate strong reactions from global audiences.
While the first season "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal" released in 2023 focused on Jesus Morning Star (JMS) leader Jeong Myeong-seok and how JMS was able to exert influence across various parts of society, the second season provides a look "behind the scenes" of JMS.
The documentary also covers some of the worst human rights abuses in modern Korean history, including the Brothers' Home in Busan, the Jijon gang serial murder case — a killing spree sparked by hatred of the wealthy — and the Sampoong Department Store collapse caused by poor construction, corruption and the negligence of supervisory agencies.
The Brothers' Home scandal, highlighted in the opening episodes, has sparked intense public outrage. Once thought to be a government-run welfare center for the homeless in Busan from 1975 to 1987 under former military dictator Chun Doo-hwan, it was later revealed that innocent children were abducted, falsely labeled as "vagrants" and forcibly confined.
Investigations exposed years of forced labor and widespread abuse, with a 2022 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report confirming at least 657 deaths at the facility. The ongoing release of documentaries continues to draw global attention to this dark period in Korean history.
The facility, which has been compared to the Netflix show "Squid Game," operated as a "house of horrors" during the 1970s and 80s, where thousands of inmates were subjected to forced labor and torture.
A survivor of Brothers' Home speaks in the Netflix documentary series "The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea's Tragedies." Captured from Netflix
A Korean American posting on the social media platform Reddit recalled a near-abduction in Seoul in 1986 when he was 7 years old, describing how a stranger in a van offered him and his cousin a ride before locking them inside with several anxious children.
“Almost 40 years later, I still think about the turn of events, how 1 minute can change the trajectory of life, how fortunate we were, what might have happened if we never jumped out. This documentary really brought that memory back and I remember it like it was last year," he said describing how they escaped by unzipping a tarp and jumping out while the vehicle was moving.
Another ethnic Korean said, "I’m 20 minutes in episode 1 and I am completely sobbing! I don’t understand why. Why did this happen?"
The story has been widely covered by various international media outlets, amplifying the push for accountability. Time magazine said the series is "an examination of the lengths people will go for money in a society that allows for, encourages, or rewards the accumulation of wealth above all else." India Times said the series delves into some of "the most haunting chapters of Korea’s past, bringing to light painful truths that continue to burden survivors."
An article in the media outlet The Australian focused on the lives of Brothers' Home director Park In-geun’s family, who now live in Sydney, and the global call for justice. It reported on Aug. 17 that survivors of Brothers' Home are seeking $40 million in reparations from the family.
Park's family currently manage sports facilities such as a golf driving range in Milperra, west of Sydney, which was reportedly purchased with embezzled funds from Brothers' Home.
Controversy over sensationalism
While the series highlights the bravery of survivors reclaiming their voices, some criticized the show for sensational and exploitative scenes.
In one scene, a survivor enters a set that perfectly recreates the Brothers' Home facility and sobs, saying, "It’s exactly the same — even the blankets. It feels like being caught and taken back to the 1980s."
International viewers also questioned why the producers re-created the barracks and had survivors wear the same Brothers' Home tracksuits they were forced to wear during interviews. One viewer compared it as "getting a Holocaust survivor to wear striped pyjamas."
Cultural critic Jung Duk-hyun explained that while the show's first season focused on exposing the scandals, this new installment digs deeper into the structural causes. Most importantly, he emphasized the perspective of seeing the victims not as people who suffered in the past, but as survivors who are still struggling to endure today.
"Reality here is more like a movie than a movie itself. When you look deeply into the bottom of these incidents, you realize that these are not just past events but ongoing issues even today," he said.