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?
Director Kwon Oh-seung, fully aware of the sensitivities surrounding gun violence, has made it clear that the show’s purpose is not to glorify weapons. “This work tells a story of guns becoming widespread in Korea, where firearms are still illegal. It encapsulates the thought of ‘What if things we only imagined became reality’.”
Lead actor Kim Nam-gil, who portrays a conflicted police officer in the series, echoed the show’s deeper intent. “It explores how people would react if they had a tool to unleash their inner trigger, a trigger everyone carries within them or if we were to possess a gun. Through this, the series explores empathy, understanding, consideration and restraint.”
As per a recent data from the Korean National Police Agency four incidents involving illicit homemade firearms were reported-two in 2023, and one each in 2022 and 2021.
Despite initial calls for boycotts, Trigger shot to the No. 2 spot globally in Netflix’s non-English category and broke into the Top 10 across 20 countries, from Thailand and Kuwait to Romania and Indonesia. It also topped Netflix charts across Asia, including South Korea itself, a sign that controversy has only fueled curiosity.
Trigger managed to earn a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes, which reflects unanimous positive reviews from professional critics (based on at least four reviews), a rare feat for any TV series, especially a debut one.
While Trigger has sparked conversations around empathy, inequality, emotional volatility, mental health, and social alienation, it has also stressed the need for the government to take a stronger action against online content that teaches people how to assemble homemade guns.
Experts caution that as long as the basic materials remain easily accessible, enforcement will remain a challenge, and the risk of similar incidents could persist despite legal barriers.
