Image source: SBS
SBS The Friday-Saturday drama 'Space Merime' was at the center of controversy due to its violent scenes. The drama was criticized for scenes including illegal filming and dating violence in previous episodes, and in episode 9, a scene where the ex-fiancé threatened and attempted violence against the female protagonist became a problem.
In the broadcast, ex-fiance Kim Woo-joo (played by Seo Beom-jun) confirmed his marital relationship with Mary Yoo (played by Jung So-min) and then threatened Mary by revealing that she had received a high-end townhouse as a prize through her fake husband. There was a scene where Kim Woo-joo grabbed Mary's wrist and attempted to threaten or commit violence, but the male protagonist stopped this and the incident ended. Controversy is spreading as this violent plot continues to be repeated.
In episode 6, a scene was aired in which the ex-fiance followed Mary and trespassed into her house, causing conflict. He pushed Mary and got into a physical fight, and controversy arose because the production portrayed the home invasion situation in a playful way.
Using dating violence as a plot point is not a problem unique to 'Space Mary Me'. Dating violence also appeared as a major theme in JTBC's weekend drama 'Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Becoming a Lawyer'.
In the drama, the client Seol Eun-yeong (played by Cheon Hee-joo) suffered a coercive relationship and assault from her ex-boyfriend Jeong Han-seok (played by Choi Jeong-woo), leaving scars, and filed a lawsuit for personal injury. However, the case was concluded with an agreement between both sides, and criticism was raised that it had minimized the seriousness of social violence.
Meanwhile, the number of social violence crimes is actually gradually increasing. According to a report by the National Assembly Research Service, the number of stalking reports increased approximately seven-fold from 4,513 in 2020 to 31,947 in 2024. The report pointed out that incidents of stalking and social violence occur repeatedly and continuously, but the victim protection system is not sufficient.
How to deal with the topic of social violence is an important point. There is a need to review whether this narrative is absolutely necessary and whether it is being handled correctly.
Pop culture critic Jeong Deok-hyun said, “Dating violence is an issue that has a serious impact on the victims, so it is inappropriate to use it as a means of romance or dramatic development.” He added, “How it is handled is more important than the material.” He added, “If the victims’ emotions are not treated seriously, the content can cause secondary damage,” adding, “If this material is not essential, the choice itself is wrong.” In addition, he said, "Recently, in addition to dating violence, there is an increasing movement to carefully deal with topics such as sexual violence and domestic violence," and explained that positive changes are occurring, citing the movie 'Masters of the World' and the Netflix drama 'You Killed' as examples.