Democratic vigilante justice in first teaser for The Killing Vote MGG

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Democratic vigilante justice in first teaser for The Killing Vote

by solstices

If the law lets heinous criminals off scot-free, would you vote to have them executed? In the first teaser for SBS’s upcoming crime noir The Killing Vote, we’re given a glimpse into the vigilante Gaetal’s modus operandi. Right off the bat, we see a man, stripped down and trussed up, awaiting his fate in a room encircled by candles. His identity isn’t revealed just yet, but he’s likely one of many criminal offenders that slip through the gaps of the law.

Another such felon is currently being escorted out of jail by Park Hae-jin (Showtime Begins!), who plays the detective Kim Mu-chan. Surrounded by aggrieved protesters who clamor for the death penalty, it’s clear the scoundrel didn’t get his comeuppance. Mu-chan doesn’t look particularly pleased about having to release such a man, but the law is the law.

The courtroom is no stranger to such injustice, either. At a trial with Mu-chan in the gallery, the defendant is declared not guilty. In the aftermath, we see Park Sung-woong (Bloodhounds) wailing in anguish — he’s the jurist Kwon Seok-joo, and his eight-year-old daughter is the victim of a horrific assault. Left without legal recourse, Seok-joo decides to claim his own form of justice by murdering his daughter’s rapist with his own two hands.

Seok-joo isn’t the only one with such ideas, and we soon see Gaetal set their plans in motion. In a supermarket, bewildered shoppers receive the same popup on their phones — an invitation to participate in a national killing vote. In voiceover, an arrogant criminal dares anyone to kill him if they can. Donning a deceptively innocent-looking mask, Gaetal — whose name literally means “dog mask” — cocks their head ever so slightly, as if accepting the challenge.

To kill, or to save? That is the question for voters, but not for Mu-chan, whose duty calls for a quick apprehension of the unorthodox vigilante. Partnering up with him is the police officer Joo Hyun, played by Im Ji-yeon (Lies Hidden in My Garden). With five years of experience in cyber crimes, her expertise ought to play a key role in combating Gaetal’s voting software and shutting it down.

Of course, morality is never so black and white. Gaetal’s methods may be extreme, but on the other hand, ought society let unrepentant criminals go unpunished? What is the weight of a life, and do the people have the right to mete out retributive justice if the state has failed to protect them?

Notably, this drama marks a reunion between Park Hae-jin and Park Sung-woong, who last starred in the 2017 action-comedy Man to Man, so expectations are high for their costar chemistry. Will they join hands, or will they find themselves at loggerheads? And will they condemn Gaetal, or condone their actions?

Directed by Park Shin-woo (White Night) with scripts written by Jo Yoon-young (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo), the webtoon adaptation The Killing Vote premieres on August 10 in a new Thursday slot.