Photo source: SBS
SBS drama ‘Space Merime’ is being criticized for its violent scenes. In episode 9, a scene where the ex-fiancé threatened the female protagonist and attempted to assault her became controversial.
After Kim Woo-joo (played by Seo Beom-jun) receives a marriage certificate and confirms his relationship with Yoo Mary (played by Jung So-min), he learns that she used a fake husband to receive prizes. Kim Woo-joo threatened Mary and grabbed her wrist, but the male protagonist stopped him and the incident ended. However, controversy is growing as the violent narrative continues.
In episode 6, Kim Woo-joo followed Mary, broke into her house, and started a fight. The scene was criticized for lightly depicting the seriousness of dating violence.
In addition to 'Cosmic Marriage', dating violence also appeared as a major theme in 'Esquire: Lawyers Aspiring to Become Lawyers'.
Seol Eun-young (played by Cheon Hee-joo) lost her modeling job after being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. The case was concluded with a settlement, and it was pointed out that the seriousness of social violence was diluted.
The number of social violence crimes is increasing. According to a report by the National Assembly Research Service, reports of stalking increased rapidly from 4,513 cases in 2020 to 31,947 cases in 2024. There is criticism that the current law is difficult to respond to long-term and repetitive social violence.
The way to deal with social violence is important. There is a need to verify whether this narrative is necessary and whether it was handled properly.
Critic Deok-Hyeon Jeong said, "Dating violence should not be a wasteful device for romance or dramatic twists. If the victims' emotions are not handled carefully, it can cause secondary damage." Recently, there has been an increasing tendency for some content to deal with violence carefully from the victim's perspective.