Park Hae-jin rushes to block The Killing Vote

by solstices

Crime and punishment, sin and atonement. What is the appropriate consequence for the most heinous of felonies? Does the public have the right to end a criminal’s life? The upcoming SBS crime noir The Killing Vote seeks to ponder upon these moral quandaries, as a vigilante enlists the public in his quest to eliminate the stains on society.

Fed up of the legal system and its bureaucratic red tape, the mysterious masked persona Gaetal chooses to take matters into their own hands. Opening up a national vote, Gaetal invites the public to determine the fate of reprehensible criminals. Should they be killed, or do they deserve to be spared? If the consensus endorses the former, Gaetal ends their life without a shred of mercy.

Needless to say, Gaetal’s unorthodox methods don’t go over well with law enforcement. Park Hae-jin (From Now On, Showtime!) stars as Kim Mu-chan, a dogged detective who will pursue a lead at all costs once he senses a case is afoot. With his steely determination, he holds the title of the quickest promotion to team leader. Mu-chan has a staunch moral compass, and it’s certainly served him well in his pursuit of criminal offenders — but will it lead him astray on this chase?

Joining him is Im Ji-yeon (Lies Hidden in My Garden) as the cyber crimes cop Joo Hyun, who has five years of experience under her belt. Though she was once lauded as the ace of her department, she’s now shunned as the resident black sheep. It isn’t clear yet what she did to draw her teammates’ ire, but perhaps her no-holds-barred approach isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

On the opposite side of the law, we have Park Sung-woong (Bloodhounds) as the prisoner Kwon Seok-joo, who turned himself in after murdering the rapist of his eight-year-old daughter. Prior to his incarceration, Seok-joo was a renowned jurist with an extensive knowledge of the legal system, and his incisive mind makes it difficult for anyone to pull a fast one on him.

Given Seok-joo’s history, it seems like he may find himself in Gaetal’s crosshairs — and that makes me curious what he’d think of Gaetal’s methods, since he once meted out his own form of retributive justice. How ought a crime be judged, and who has the right to make that judgment?

Gaetal may be the executioner, but through the killing vote, society is the adjudicator laying down judgment on a person’s life. Between the state imposing capital punishment on a felon deemed deserving of it by a judge or jury, and a rogue vigilante murdering a criminal in accordance with the demands of the citizens, can any person be justified to take another individual’s life?

Helmed by PD Park Shin-woo (White Night) with scripts penned by Jo Yoon-young (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo), The Killing Vote will air once a week in SBS’s new Thursday slot. Adapted from a webtoon of the same name, the 12-episode drama is slated for an August 10 premiere.

Via Edaily, MBC, News1, OSEN, Sports DongA (1, 2), Sports Kyunghyang (1, 2)
 
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