[Current & Culture] Lessons from "The Sacred Spider"

The Failure of Elite President Yoon Suk-yeol
"Self-Brainwashing" Seems to Be the Cause
We Must Reexamine the Boundaries of Common Sense and Normalcy

Most of the foreign films we watch are either Hollywood productions or Japanese and Chinese movies. Occasionally, there are European films. Due to my profession, I have seen quite a variety of films from different countries. In particular, I have watched many Middle Eastern films, with Iran as a representative. Among them, I would like to introduce a work called The Sacred Spider, which was as impressive as the Lebanese film Capernaum.

The story of The Sacred Spider needs to start by clearing up some misunderstandings. First, the title might seem childish, like a cheap knockoff of Spider-Man, but this film actually competed for the Palme d'Or, the grand prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, against Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave. Ultimately, the award went to another film, Triangle of Sadness, but it would not have been surprising if The Sacred Spider had won, as it is an outstanding work. Another misunderstanding: although the film is based on real events that took place in Iran, features Iranian actors, and was directed by an Iranian director, it is officially classified as a Swedish film. Huh? Doesn’t that spark some curiosity? It’s truly a great film, so I highly recommend you check it out.

Without spoilers, here is a brief summary. Said, an ordinary Iranian laborer, considers himself a faithful servant of Allah and, under the pretext of purifying society, sequentially murders 16 women. Despite this, many people support Said, the (still at large) killer nicknamed "Spider." The tension heightens as a journalist investigating the case pursues him. The film reveals the culprit from the beginning yet does not lose either its entertainment value or thematic depth. Watching the downfall of a figure named Yoon Seok-yeol reminded me of this film.

He was born to ultra-elite parents?a father who was a professor of applied statistics and a mother in the chemistry field?during a time when the majority of the population suffered from severe poverty and could not even enter university. He graduated from Seoul National University’s law school, served as Prosecutor General, and rose to the presidency. From birth to success, he walked the path of the top 0.01% in South Korea, but now he faces legal penalties heavier than murder. How did it come to this?

There are many interpretations, but I want to explain it as “self-brainwashing.” In this regard, Yoon Seok-yeol is like Said from The Sacred Spider. Said brainwashed himself with misguided religious beliefs, while Yoon Seok-yeol brainwashed himself with superstition and far-right media. Said’s strong brainwashing did not break even during his arrest and trial. The same goes for Yoon Seok-yeol. Videos and writings he left before being arrested show that he still believes the Democratic Party colluded with North Korea and that there was an organized rigged election. He believes all his absurd decisions were patriotic resolutions and that he voluntarily appeared despite being broadcast live during his arrest. He even advised ruling party lawmakers to watch far-right YouTube channels carefully.

At this point, I reflect on the scope of common sense and normalcy. And I look back on myself. How much am I living sensibly and normally? Am I maintaining boundaries that do not harm those around me? I fear that while I may think so, some parts of me might be biased and brainwashed. It would be great if there were a test to self-diagnose how normal I am. Should I try making one?

I hope Yoon Seok-yeol’s ending differs from that of The Sacred Spider. More than hope, I demand it. You must break free from brainwashing, at least during the trial process. Only then will reflection and apology be possible. We deserve a genuine apology from you, not a fake one.

Lee Jae-ik, SBS Radio PD and Novelist

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