Netflix's new K-drama facing boycott in South Korea turns global smash hit with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

Indian Express

5 days ago

Netflix recently dropped a new dystopian K-drama set in a fictional South Korea where the country's strict gun laws go out the window. Starring Kim Nam Gil, Kim Young Kwang, Park Hoon and others, this new show titled Trigger sparked massive boycott calls even before its release. Many believed it was loosely inspired by the recent shooting incident in Songdo, Incheon. The director denied any such link, but that didn't stop the speculation. Trigger stayed a burning topic even after it hit screens. Meanwhile, globally, it's become one of Netflix's most-watched non-English shows, beating titles like Letters From the Past, Angela, and more.
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The K-drama dropped on July 25 and instantly shot to the second spot in Netflix's non-English global category. Now in its second week, the show, despite slipping a few positions, still holds strong at number 4, pulling in over 2.9 million views this week and securing its spot in the top 10 across 20 countries, including regions like Romania, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Thailand, and, surprisingly, even South Korea. The number one spot is still being held by Squid Game 3 for five weeks straight, and with 28.5 million hours viewed. The animated series My Melody & Kuromi: Season 1 sits at number 2, while fan-favourite anime DAN DA DAN: Season 2 lands at number 3.
Trigger imagines a South Korea where guns are easily available, and all hell breaks loose when a revenge-driven man, on the edge of death with a terminal illness, decides to flood the country with illegal firearms. It theme of the show alone serves as a warning and leans hard into the kind of turmoil South Korean screens rarely show. Even though the series didn't get much attention at first, it slowly became a critic's favourite too and one of the rare K-dramas to receive a Rotten Tomatoes score. For now, it has a 100% rating. The massive global reaction just proves how strong K-dramas still are for the platform. Netflix has already been stepping up its K-content game, moving beyond the usual rom-coms and exploring more psychological, thriller, and action-driven stories. Mercy for None dropped earlier this year, and Beyond the Bar is lined up for August 2.
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At home, the series has sparked boycott calls. Some feel the show exaggerates or sensationalises gun violence in a way Koreans aren't ready to digest just yet. Others, though, appreciated its raw tone, especially given the world inching closer to real wars. Earlier, a Chosun Biz report revealed that a 62-year-old man was arrested for allegedly shooting his own son with a makeshift shotgun while prepping for a birthday celebration. In a country where getting a gun license is nothing like it is in the US, the case hit a nerve. Trigger's director Kwon Oh-seung later said, 'I feel heartbroken about the recent unfortunate incident. I regret it. I hope that such things do not happen in the future,' adding that 'the connection between this incident and Trigger is a different issue.' Still, despite the clarification, the show's fan event live broadcast was suddenly scrapped—no reason given.