[In-Depth Review] The Contradictions of the Era Revealed by the Epidemic

Netflix Drama 'Kingdom' Season 2

The king has returned. It is a comeback after 1 year and 2 months. The first Korean original drama on Netflix, "Kingdom," which sparked a Joseon-era zombie craze by simultaneously premiering in 190 countries worldwide last year, released its second season on the 13th. The script was written by the master of genre works, writer Kim Eun-hee. The "Kingdom" series depicts a world in a fictional Joseon dynasty where a strange plague causes the dead to come back to life. Its unique imagination, combining the most Korean traditional drama genre, the historical drama, with the Western representative genre of zombie apocalypse, is a masterpiece. In fact, overseas it is often regarded as a work where the fantasy political era drama "Game of Thrones" meets the iconic zombie series "The Walking Dead."

In the first season, the story follows Prince Lee Chang (played by Ju Ji-hoon), who was ousted by the Haewon Cho family, the de facto rulers of Joseon, as he uncovers their conspiracy and encounters the mysterious plague called "Saengsayeok." The era was devastated by two wars and the greed of the Cho family. The starving people even resorted to eating human flesh, and from then on, an unknown plague spread. In season 2, the Cho family attempts to exploit the more rampant plague, and Lee Chang’s full-scale confrontation to end them and protect the people unfolds. During the investigation into the plague’s true nature, the efforts of the medical officer Seo-bi (played by Bae Doo-na), who tries to save the people by different means, also come to light. The mystery becomes more thrilling, and the tension in the action scenes is greatly amplified.

What is most impressive is that the thematic consciousness running through the seasons has become much clearer. The tragedy of "Kingdom" begins with the lowest class of people. In season 1, those first infected with Saengsayeok were patients at Jiyulheon, who were dying from hunger and pain. The lifeless faces and tattered clothes of those resurrected as zombies are not much different from their living appearances. The scene where officials confronted with them cry out in fear, "Commoners are attacking the yangban (nobles)," is a subtle and poignant satire of the class society. This awareness of social issues becomes even clearer in season 2 when the story of the plague’s origin three years ago is revealed. The first zombies were the people who served as human shields in the war. "Kingdom" thus exposes the cruel truth of an unequal society under the guise of a zombie story.

The theme of "Kingdom" resonates even more meaningfully in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. What humanity has learned through many disasters is that suffering is never applied equally. The survival-of-the-fittest logic that emerges every time a disaster occurs works to the disadvantage of vulnerable groups. This contradiction is especially pronounced in infectious disasters. For example, low-income groups, who often live in crowded spaces, are highly exposed to infection risks. The "social distancing" recommended as a preventive measure is only an added hardship for the elderly, children, and disabled who need others’ help. In infectious disaster situations, socially vulnerable groups become safety-vulnerable groups. A clear example is that the greatest victims of COVID-19 cluster infections in Korea were elderly patients long confined to closed wards. The plague in "Kingdom," which first strikes the sick and poor, is a sharp metaphor for the injustices in our society.

"Kingdom" also does not miss the paradoxical hope that infectious disasters convey. The current situation, where contact with others must be avoided, ironically reveals how closely connected our society is as a community. Therefore, the salvation in "Kingdom" comes not from isolation and survival-of-the-fittest principles that firmly close the door to others, but from noble devotion that opens the door to help one another. Those who cut off bridges and escape to prevent others from approaching are annihilated. On the other hand, those who join forces to seek an exit endure longer. The hopeful line, "No matter how terrible the disease, there is a way to stop it," ultimately belongs to those who stayed by each other until the end.

Kim Sun-young, Popular Culture Critic

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.