Why are people protesting Snowdrop? Why is 1987 so important?

What is Snowdrop?  Why are people in South Korea protesting the drama Snowdrop?  Why the petitions, why the sponsors dropping it?

 The headlines say the controversy is over distorting history.  It's fiction so what is wrong with that?  so many think.  The problem is that Snowdrop is a historical fiction drama and as such should increase understanding of true history instead of turning it on it's head.  
 Until I learned the details from Korean articles, I thought it was some silly kerfuffle too.  

This drama is drawn on the year 1987,  a hugely important year for South Korea.  
How important?
It's the year when democracy came to South Korea.  Before that it was a military dictatorship.
To people who lived through the real history of 1987, Snowdrop makes the oppressors (NSA) the good guys, when in fact the NSA tortured, raped, waterboarded, electrocuted and dis-appeared students. The NSA  would claim these students were suspected North Korean agents to justify their murders. This was to oppress the democracy movement.

The Main Characters as written distort the history of the democratic movement:

The female lead character 
The writer originally named the female lead "Young Cho", the name of a well known historical figure during the Democratic Movements in South Korea.
Eventually the writer changed the female lead name to "Young Ro".
In this drama, female lead's father is the head of the NSA.
In real life, Young Cho fought fought hard for the democratic movement, and her husband was tortured to death by the NSA under false accusations of being a North Korean spy.

The male lead is depicted as a North Korean, likely a spy.  

The female lead's father is the head of the NSA.  
Jisoo's father's character description is that he's a military man who runs a torture agency but he also likes poetry, majored in literature which makes him a sensitive guy.

The second male lead is a team leader of the NSA “who only walked on one path to catch the bad guys.”

The NSA claimed to be hunting down North Korean spies, but actually used that as an excuse to hunt down democratic activists.

The North Korean Spies plot is a distortion of history. Even it is "fiction" as they claimed to downplay the situation. People died after accused of been a North Korean spy. There wasn't any North Korean spy to begin with. It is the military dictatorship regime that want to use this narrative to kill and suppressed the public back then.

The South Koreans are upset because during the time of this drama, the time of the democratic movement,  the military dictatorship used the narrative that they were just going after North Korean Spies.  In reality they were going after pro democracy activists.  They tortured, raped, disappeared and murdered activists claiming the activists were North Korean spies.
The NSA wanted to suppress the public after they ask for a fair election.

In short, there wasn't any involvement of North Korean Spies.   So for this drama to include the plot of NK spy is as good as insulting the public and distorting the history.
Even if they claim is a "fiction" storyline, they're gaslighting you.  This drama takes a real era,  calls this a period romance, inserts well known historical figure as female lead, (and later changes one word of her name).  It takes key points of history and turns them completely around.

Below are a few articles about objections to the drama/plot explaining why South Koreans, especially surviving victims of the NSA, their families and also people who care about democracy are upset about this drama.

I'll leave it to you, I will make no further comment:  

JTBC threatens legal action against those critical of 'Snowdrop'
While the court may have ruled in favor of Snowdrop, the JTBC show still receives negative reviews from several Korean viewers. In response, the broadcasting channel has issued an official warning threatening legal action against the naysayers.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/news-jtbc-threatens-legal-action-critical-snowdrop 

Court Rules That “Snowdrop” Can Continue Airing After Civic Group Files For Injunction
Here's what the court said in explaining it's decision:
 “Even if ‘Snowdrop’ is based on a distortion of history, the probability that the public will blindly accept [those distortions as fact] is low.”
The court went on to state that there was also currently no law in existence that protected the pro-democracy movement from historical distortion..."
https://www.soompi.com/article/1506042wpp/court-rules-that-snowdrop-can-continue-airing-after-civic-group-files-for-injunction 

Are snowflakes being too critical of 'Snowdrop' or are bigger issues at play?
"...'Snowdrop' is set in Seoul in 1987, when Korea was in the midst of democratization protests against the military dictatorship...
...
'Period dramas that deal with a time period so sensitive and recent should be extra cautious,” Ban added. “Since many victims of the regime or their families are still alive, such controversial storylines can be hurtful to them. Because it was so recent, the controversy is bound to be highly politicized or misused by certain political forces.'
...
On the other hand, politically conservative viewers are also condemning 'Snowdrop' but for entirely different reasons. They say the series glamorizes a North Korean spy as the handsome and romantic protagonist. In the show, Soo-ho is said to have kidnapped and murdered many South Koreans in Europe.  
As of now, 'Snowdrop' seems to be under fire from all sides of Korea’s political spectrum.  
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/12/28/entertainment/television/snowdrop-snowdrop-history-distortion-Angibu/20211228165052883.html 

WHY SNOWDROP is DISTURBING… 
HOW was DEMOCRACY ACHIEVED in SOUTH KOREA?   
This is probably the best video or write up so far.  (In Spanish, has multiple language subtitles)   https://youtu.be/aRQ0CWa_LhM 

Why the KDrama "Snowdrop" is EXTREMELY Problematic.
"As a fellow Korean, watching the first episode of the drama was simply painful. It actually hurts.
...
To put it into context: What would be your reaction if you saw a romance Netflix Series that portrays the Nazis as somewhat likable and glorifies them?

That would be almost the equivalent of what is going on. The "Central/government intelligence" agents that appear is this drama, called "Ahn-ghi-boo" (안기부) WERE NOT PEOPLE who were attempting to catch North Korean spies.

They are a group who killed SO many innocent people—especially young students at the time who were protesting against the oppression..."
https://www.reddit.com/r/korea/comments/rjri40/why_the_kdrama_snowdrop_is_extremely_problematic/ 

'Snowdrop' production staff member says "We made the project bearing in mind NSA agents were ordinary people too"
"On December 27th, an interview with one of the drama's production staff members surfaced which had many netizens baffled and reignited the controversy."
https://www.allkpop.com/article/2021/12/snowdrop-production-staff-member-says-we-made-the-project-bearing-in-mind-nsa-agents-were-ordinary-people-too 

'Snowdrop' ranked "3rd most controversial" drama with 871 complaints filed in just 7 days + "special review committee" under consideration
https://dailynaver.blogspot.com/2021/12/snowdrop-ranked-3rd-most-controversial.html

Presidential Candidate Sim Sang Jung’s Heartfelt Post About ‘Snowdrop’
"We must constantly reflect on whether the era of Chun Doo Hwan is over. Watching the controversy over the drama Snowdrop, I realize that what I said is now a reality, not a warning anymore. I’m sensing that [the drama] is attempting to re-evaluate the harsh era behind Chun Doo Hwan as well as Chun Doo Hwan himself....
...
If we are to shine a light in this harsh era, the protagonists should be ordinary citizens who shed blood, sweat, and tears for the democracy of the Republic of Korea, not on the NSA of the South in the dictatorship and spies. There is already a good precedent: Youth of May. Creative freedom should be humble in the face of the wounds of history."
https://zapzee.net/2021/12/23/president-candidate-sim-sang-jungs-heartfelt-post-about-snowdrop-is-getting-heated-responses-from-all-over-the-world/ 

An NSA torture victim's family reveals testimony + accuses 'Snowdrop' of "second assault" on victims
https://dailynaver.blogspot.com/2021/12/an-nsa-torture-victims-family-reveals.html

Teazen, Hans Electronics, Ganisong, Ssarijai, Do Pyoung Ceramics and Puradak Chicken —
ranging from food to fashion — withdrew their sponsorships for “Snowdrop.”
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/12/21/entertainment/television/snowdrop-Jung-Haein-jisoo-blackpink/20211221103207614.html

The family of Park Jong-cheol, who was the student who died after brutal water torture by the NSA, has spoken out about how #Snowdrop is causing harm to victims of the NSA.
Park’s family point out that there are still-living families of those who were accused of being North Korean spies and tortured, and the drama recreates the narrative that was used against victims
Essentially, it justifies why the NSA did what they did.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1472778855165628416.html

"A man who only walked on one path to catch the bad guys” who works for the NSA
F*#@#! let me tell you what the NSA did to scores of innocent people:

"My mother doesn’t speak of her memories of the 70s-80s too much bc it’s trauma. Full trauma. What she has told me is horror.
'People died. Your friends disappeared and showed up dead the next week. A terrifying time.' 

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1471205914174967808.html

June Struggle - The June Democratic Struggle (Korean: 6월 민주항쟁; Hanja: 六月民主抗爭), also known as the June Democracy Movement and June Democratic Uprising was a nationwide democracy movement in South Korea that generated mass protests from June 10 to June 29, 1987. The demonstrations forced the ruling government to hold elections and institute other democratic reforms which led to the establishment of the Sixth Republic, the present day government of South Korea.
https://dbpedia.org/page/June_Struggle 

Movie made about it:
SOUTH KOREA: DEMOCRACY IS BORN IN ‘1987: WHEN THE DAY COMES
Based on the real-life events surrounding the June Democratic Uprising, “1987: When the Day Comes” invites audiences to the experience some of the struggle and sacrifice that South Koreans made to gain democracy....
The movie centers around the death of Park Jong-chul, a 22-year-old student at Seoul National University who was tortured to death during an interrogation after being arrested by the Anti-Communist Investigations Bureau (ACIB). As Park refused to sell out his fellow activists, the authorities used water torture to get the information, which eventually led to his death on January 14.
https://asiamedia.lmu.edu/2018/02/08/south-korea-democracy-is-born-in-1987-when-the-day-comes/ 

Watch this clip of the movie 1987, which shows what they were actually like. Waterboarding a college student—Park Jong Cheol, a student at Seoul National University.
https://youtu.be/ZseojPcP1X4?t=25 

U DIDNT EVEN TYPE THIS LMFAO

wait are u talking to me or

Ya know what? I'm bored. Got my gifts under the tree and got some free time so let's pick this apart shall we.  First of all I'm not against criticism, or people feeling their feelings. I am against them thinking their feelings mean I have to feel those feelings?? or that I'm not allowed to watch this drama because of their feelings. 

That would be almost the equivalent of what is going on. The "Central/government intelligence" agents that appear is this drama, called "Ahn-ghi-boo" (안기부) WERE NOT PEOPLE who were attempting to catch North Korean spies.

This was a huge organisation in charge of both domestic and foreign intelligence during the cold war, do you really think the only thing it was doing was suppressing domestic activists? 

"A man who only walked on one path to catch the bad guys” who works for the NSA 

A just man can't work for a corrupt organisation? The drama having a just ANSP agent means the it will never address the brutalities? They do briefly touch on it in Episode 1 and 3 and likely will more later on. 

The timeline of this drama is after the June Struggle, weeks away from the December election. It shows the ruling party colluding with North Korea to smear their opponents.

I think its best to stay neutral right now and wait till the drama ends airing or halfway there. things will start clearing up then

Thanks for giving more of a background! I've noticed all of the controversies around Snowdrop. Now I have a better understanding. 

Anyways, even with the insight of what happened in 1987, I do feel that the Knetz have been unreasonably harsh towards this drama. The drama wasn't even aired and people signed petitions for it to be banned or taken down, not even giving the drama a chance, especially, since it was stated again and again that the people and storyline are purely fictional, and only the love story takes place in 1987. 

It's like saying that you don't like a dish but you've never even tried it. Toddlers and children show this kind of behavior, not adults fully capable of starting and signing petitions. 

I really hope JTBC will not bail out and keeps airing the drama.  Kinda had enough of the whole drama in recent years around creative works of fiction. If South Korea is a democratic country then it should just stand by the spirit of freedom of creation. It did piss me off the comparison made to the Nazis. I live in a country which had the same issues during the Soviet Era yet I do not declare every cinematography which uses full creative freedom in depicting that period as disrespectul towards history or the people who have lived through those turbulent times. 

 MiissBlahBlah:

Thanks for giving more of a background! I've noticed all of the controversies around Snowdrop. Now I have a better understanding. 

Anyways, even with the insight of what happened in 1987, I do feel that the Knetz have been unreasonably harsh towards this drama. The drama wasn't even aired and people signed petitions for it to be banned or taken down, not even giving the drama a chance, especially, since it was stated again and again that the people and storyline are purely fictional, and only the love story takes place in 1987. 

It's like saying that you don't like a dish but you've never even tried it. Toddlers and children show this kind of behavior, not adults fully capable of starting and signing petitions. 

Hey your comparison to spoiled food doesn't make sense.

Only in regards that people died in Korean history (1980s) and from spoiled food. 

To state SK people who signed petitions (because they have been real life and real history victims) behave like children and toddlers, is on the same level, as saying Jews who feel offended by the Holocaust denial are childish.