Spring 2024 SDLC112
Monthly Learning Journal #2
David Kim
30262888
david.kim123@richmond.edu
My language partners and I continued watching the Korean drama A Killer Paradox on Netflix. The second episode starts with the surrounding situations and people around the main characters murder college student Lee Tang and detective Jang Nan-gam. Detective Jang Nan-gam visits his father who is ill and laying down at a hospital. By looking at him having arguments with his mother, it seems like he does not have the best relationship with his parents. Meanwhile, Lee Tang goes to church with his mother. She kept nagging him about school and Working Holiday. As soon as other church members approached her, she started to brag about her daughter getting married and her son going on a Working Holiday.
When Lee Tang was working at the convenience store, the blind woman entered the store and told Lee Tang to give him a pack of cigarettes and 2 million won (around $1,518.66). Lee Tang was confused and acted like he did not know her. However, it turned out that only one of her eyes was blind and she could still see. Lee Tang did not even have one-tenth of the amount she asked. He gathers money from every bank and he even receives his part-time job payment in advance. He is so busy and pressured, so he does not take his midterms. Lee Tang gets invited to the women’s house. She suggests a deal of keeping Lee Tang’s crime as a secret and giving back the hammer if Lee Tang gives her 2 million won every month. Lee Tang says it is unfair and tries to get away with the hammer, but she threatens him with his personal information about his family and own dreams. Lee Tang acts like he was listening to her, but eventually kills her with the same hammer.
After a while, a milkman reports to the police that she was murdered. The police investigate her house and look for clues, but everything was erased because of the guide dog’s saliva. Instead, they found two full bodies of skeletons buried in her backyard.
Lee Tang felt very guilty after killing the man in the first episode and the woman a few days ago. He almost tried to kill himself, but his friend Kyung-hwan visited Lee Tang. However, Lee Tang ended up fighting with his friend who even forgave his mistake.
The highschool students who got nagged by the police in the first episode were drunk and realized one officer was taking the guide dog for a walk. One of the highschool students, Jae-jun, stabs the police officer with a broken alcohol bottle. While they were running away, they met Lee Tang and tried to steal cigarettes from him. However, they ended up getting killed by Lee Tang. The episode ends with Lee Tang receiving a note written ‘text me if you need help.’
I was not expecting the story to progress this fast, but it keeps the audience interested. One Korean term I learned is 가불 (ga-bul), which means receiving payment in advance. Lee Tang uses this to gather money. I wonder if Lee Tang will eventually get caught after several murders.
Comments
I also watched this show and I really liked it, I think it did an interesting job of portraying the different types of Justices : Blind justice, Justice by law (objective), Subjective justice? etc. I'm also a huge fan of Son Suk-ku, and I thought he did great in the show