[Interview①] 'Human Class' Director Kim Jin-min "Concerned About Youth Copycat Crimes? Approaching Carefully"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] “I did not intend to justify the villains or artificially set provocative devices. Naturally, I expected that opinions would be divided.”

Director Kim Jin-min responded to various concerns and criticisms surrounding 'Human Class.'

In a recent video interview, Director Kim shared various stories about the Netflix original series 'Human Class.'

'Human Class' is a controversial work depicting high school students who choose the path of crime without guilt to make money and pay an irreversible harsh price as a result. Rising actors Kim Dong-hee, Park Joo-hyun, Jung Da-bin, and Nam Yoon-su lead the drama, with Choi Min-soo, Park Hyuk-kwon, Kim Yeo-jin, and Kim Kwang-kyu providing strong support.

Directed by Kim Jin-min, who also helmed 'Lawless Lawyer' and 'Time Between Dog and Wolf,' and written by newcomer writer Jin Han-sae, the series was recently released on Netflix in over 190 countries.

Director Kim Jin-min started his career with the weekend drama 'Love to Death' in 2003 and directed dramas at MBC until 2016. After leaving the company, he returned with Netflix's 'Human Class' after three years. Kim said, “Broadcast networks produce with consideration for viewers' discomfort from the planning stage, including the subject matter and intensity. Netflix allows a wider range, but I did not want to include unnecessarily provocative elements.”

Regarding criticism that the recent nationwide outrage over the 'Nth Room' crimes overlaps with scenes from 'Human Class,' Director Kim Jin-min said, “Human imagination cannot keep up with reality. In reality, things beyond imagination happen. While reading the script, I speculated that such things could happen, but I did not start because of provocative elements. I naturally expected divided opinions. I hoped the issues raised by the work would be discussed positively, and if I made a mistake, I expected to be strongly criticized.”

Photo by 'Ingan Sueop' still

'Human Class' received mixed reactions immediately after its release. In particular, there were criticisms about the high intensity of many scenes, including teenagers' use of profanity and smoking. Regarding this, Director Kim Jin-min said, “The level of expression was divided into visual and auditory. I thought there would be parts that could be avoided and parts that could not. I hoped it would not be repetitive, and above all, I told the team not to give it too much meaning. The profanity was toned down more than I expected. Sometimes real kids swear, and sometimes they don't.”

Director Kim Jin-min also emphasized caution against provocative directing. He said, “There was no part intentionally brought in to create the drama's color. The result was made by the judgment on set and the preparation of the production team. For example, I never thought, ‘We need to splash more blood here.’ If it was excessive on set, it was cut down, but I felt there might be parts that could be uncomfortable for viewers.”

'Human Class' is rated for adults only on Netflix, requiring a separate verification process such as entering an adult authentication password to watch the work. However, since it is online content, the possibility of teenagers accessing it is high. There are also voices concerned about copycat crimes.

Director Kim Jin-min said, “I agree that in today's world, if teenagers decide to watch, they will find a way to do so. I consciously pondered deeply and hoped the theme, which contains the meaning of reward and punishment, would not be distorted. Of course, I cannot say there is no possibility of copycat crimes in the drama. From the first time I read the script, I expected discussions about copycat crimes.”

He added, “There are more teenagers who study hard and share friendships than those who dream of crime. Since the former are the main drivers of society, I approached it very cautiously. The director's thoughts are also reflected in the drama, so I looked into my own mind and directed while being critical.”

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