In gun-free South Korea, a bold K-drama, Trigger, has stirred robust debate about weapons and norms within Korean civil society.
In a nation where civilian gun ownership is nearly unheard of, Trigger, a Netflix production, has triggered plenty of debate across the country.
Reviving memories post-Korean War, when gun violence was all too common across South Korea, the series appears to have inspired calls for stricter control over homemade firearms.
The 10-episode Netflix series Trigger premiered just days after a tragic gun incident in Songdo, Incheon, where a man fatally shot his son with a homemade firearm. In a nation with strict gun control, the show’s intense storyline combined with the real-life event has sparked strong engagement across social platforms.
In South Korea, private guns are stored at police stations and tightly regulated by the Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords, Explosives. With most civilians never seeing real firearms outside military service or TV, Trigger’s portrayal of gun-filled chaos feels especially jarring.
Critics praise Trigger for its high production, suspense, and timely social themes. In South Korea, viewers are engaged but divided. Many viewers say the drama made them reflect on the fragility of peace and what they might do in the same situation. Others worry it risks glamorising gun culture or reinforcing harmful stereotypes
A question keeps echoing: Is Trigger tapping into a deeper national anxiety? For a generation raised in a country where even the sight of a civilian with a gun is unthinkable, does the show embody a collective fear of a gun culture they often hear about in other countries...to read more, click here.