Drama ‘DP’, does it Reflect the True Army Situation Nowadays?

Reporter Lee Jun-woo

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 “In order to change anything, I must do something.” This was the last line of the Netflix Original Drama ‘DP’, before the show ended with a series of gunfires. ‘DP’ is an abbreviation of ‘Deserter Pursuit’. It is an actual branch in the military police, tasked with the role of capturing deserters who have abandoned their position in the army. The drama was a major hit in Korea because it showed how appalling the situation of the army was. It showed violence between the seniority and juniority that made many viewers cringe, and there were many scenes that seemed to question the humanity of the soldiers involved. Although the drama is set in the year 2014, it stirred many thoughts about the military in today’s society.

 In Korea, the fulfillment of military service is mandatory for men over the age of 19. Due to the ongoing dispute with North Korea, men are obliged to fulfill their service in protecting the country. However, the drama ‘DP’ has revealed how fogged up the whole concept was. The reason why so many people were immersed in the drama was because of the perfect reflection of the former military service experience. As mentioned earlier, the drama is set in the year 2014, the same year when the two actual events of Private Yun’s beating to death and Sergeant Lim’s shooting spree took place. The two cases shook the whole of Korean society, with a bitter meme even being created, saying “If one endures, he becomes private Yun, and if one does not, he becomes Sergeant Lim.” Although many people say that the army nowadays is nothing like the past, statistics say otherwise. 96 beatings, 273 verbal harassment and 71 sexual assault claims were sent to the Center for Military Human Rights. Not only that, we must also remember that numbers are just numbers. It is almost certain that for many soldiers being abused there is the fear that any attempt to report the abuse will worsen the situation.

 It is clear that the drama DP stirred a wave of cautiousness. There was even a lot of interest from politicians regarding the drama. Some presidential candidates have promised to enact strict protection guidelines in the army and others even claimed that voluntary military service is necessary. I believe it is essential we learn from the past, and make sure the army becomes clean and secure.