[In Focus] The Birth of Korean-Style SF... Eyes on the Drama 'SF8'

by Lee Jonggil

Published 27 Jul.2020 14:29(KST)

'Ganhojung' Still Cut

One of the most anticipated drama series in the broadcasting industry this year, 'SF8,' was pre-released on the domestic real-time video streaming service (OTT) platform Wavve ahead of its MBC broadcast scheduled for the 17th of next month.

Set in the near future, the SF omnibus series 'SF8' has attracted attention early on as an unprecedented crossover project between film and drama. Eight notable directors from the Korean Film Directors' Guild, including Min Kyoo-dong, Kim Ui-seok, Jang Cheol-soo, and Han Ga-ram, each directed a standalone episode, enhancing the series' quality. It has been praised for its fresh themes and attempts rarely seen in traditional TV dramas.

Among them, 'Ganhojung,' starring Lee Yoo-young and Ye Su-jeong, is the first story that opens the series. Directed by Min Kyoo-dong, who was also the overall project supervisor, this work is set in the near future where artificial intelligence (AI) robots have been commercialized. Jeong-in (Lee Yoon-young), who has been caring alone for her mother (Moon Sook), who became a vegetative state after a stroke, purchases a caregiving robot that looks exactly like her and names it 'Ganhojung.' The high-end caregiving robot Ganhojung (Lee Yoon-young) carefully tends not only to Jeong-in’s vegetative mother but also to Jeong-in herself. However, Jeong-in grows increasingly exhausted from hospital life with her mother, whose awakening time is uncertain, and Ganhojung, watching Jeong-in’s wavering state, falls into a dilemma.

As the first installment of one of the most ambitious projects in Korean drama history, 'Ganhojung' deals with quite heavy and serious themes. The opening of 'Ganhojung' begins by quoting the story of Cain, "The Lord asked Cain, 'What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground,'" from the Old Testament's Book of Genesis, hinting that this work is a story about life and ethics.

Killing a life is tantamount to destroying a world. It is a grave crime. But if a creature created merely for human convenience develops a human-like mind, how should they be treated? This is a longstanding question in the SF genre, dating back to Mary Shelley’s novel 'Frankenstein,' the pioneer of SF literature. 'Ganhojung' addresses this dilemma through the existence of a 'caregiving robot more human than humans.'

'In Nursing' Still Cut

Another interesting aspect of 'Ganhojung' is the point where the future depicted in the drama intersects with the current Korean situation. In the drama, the popularity of caregiving robots stems from the shadow of the imminent super-aged society our society is about to enter. A scene where Jeong-in’s former high school is demolished and replaced by a nursing hospital vividly illustrates this bleak reality.

The fact that all caregiving robots appearing in the drama are female-type also hints at a grim future. Even in a future society, caregiving labor remains the responsibility of women. The reality for women remains bleak. Including a scene where Jeong-in, who went for a job interview at a company, is insulted with the words, "What have you been doing at that age? You’re not even married," 'Ganhojung' emphasizes the 'tilted playing field' of future society in many places. Super-aging and gender-discriminatory realities form an important backdrop to the melancholy of Jeong-in, a young woman who must bear the burden of livelihood and caregiving alone.

Director Min Kyoo-dong of 'Ganhojung' emphasized the significance of creating SF, a genre perceived as "large, difficult, and monopolized by the West," during the 'SF8' production presentation. As he said, 'Ganhojung' successfully raises immersion by blending the unique themes of the SF tradition with Korean circumstances.

The rapid growth of global OTT platforms in Korea has been partly due to the stale content of legacy media. 'SF8' is meaningful as an effort by terrestrial broadcasters to go beyond existing boundaries and discover diverse and novel stories. Moreover, 'Ganhojung' takes a step further to attempt a deeper connection with the audience.