Social Context
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/0/5/2905287/5920263.png?1386274376)
by Nicolas Lee
Sandglass was a very influential and popular drama for its time. Sandglass incorporated not only classic melodramatic ideas; it also used remade Korean historical events as told by witnesses of the events. With this emphasis on events from history, Sandglass brought up and emphasized many social issues and ideas that the Korean people had either forgotten or ignored since those issues became important. Of the issues it brought up, corruption in the Korean government was one of the more major ones. Much of the plot and storyline was influenced immensely on corruption that was portrayed in the drama by the Korean government. The portrayal of the corruption not only made raised people’s awareness of the government, but it helped to start a discussion and eventually a whole questioning of the government’s integrity. The idea of corruption was not the main emphasis of the story, but without it, the whole character identity of the main character, Park Tae-Soo, would have to be rewritten entirely and Sandglass would be a completely different drama.
The drama presents corruption in a very slow manner. It starts out in the beginning with Park Tae-Soo in high school. He is always getting into fights and because of this, he becomes known as a notorious gang lord in his area. He eventually decides to become a gangster after high school and joins the gang lord. As he gets older, he eventually becomes one of the leaders in his gang and carries out orders for the lord. One of the underlying facts about the lord is that many of his businesses that he owns are mostly illegal, and to keep his businesses alive, he is constantly paying off local officials so that he never gets caught. From here you don’t really see the issue being resolved.
Later on in the series, the main female character, Yoon Hye-Rin, ends up inheriting her father’s casino business. At first she is very adverse to the idea because she knows how corrupt her father is; she knows the only way the casino is open is because of how much her father pays the government to never come and inspect the casino. Here is where real “resolution” is attempted. When inheriting her father’s business, she eventually becomes the head chairman of the board for the casino and thus tries to cleanse the casino of its illegal ways. However, the casino ends up being closed down since she stops paying the government officials. This in turn forces her to have the casino closed for a period of time due to penalties and punishment. Her business loses a large amount of money but she does end up reopening it and is able to run the casino in a more legal manner. This doesn't remove the issue of corruption, but this is where you get a sense of hope that it is possible to fight corruption and to clear it from the government.
At the time of the drama’s airing, much of the major events that were portrayed in the drama had happened almost 15 years prior. Many people had either put the memory off or forgotten because those 15 years were more focused on resolving the pain and damage that was caused by them. When the drama did air, many people began to realize that they had no sense of repayment or justice. They had forgotten that those who caused the corruption were thrown out but never prosecuted. For example, Chun Doo-Hwan who was president at the time of the dramas story had never been accused of the crimes he committed as president. It wasn’t until the same year as the debut of Sandglass that he was finally arrested and charged of his crimes. This drama was really just one of the many fans that was blowing the fire of anger the people had and the need for justice.
One of the many scenes that demonstrated corruption was in Episode 19. This is where Hye-Rin is meeting with the board of chairs to make a final decision on who will replace her father as the Head of the board. They do leave it to a vote since there is no one person that holds over 50% of the stocks of the company. They then go on to say we are sorry but running a tight ledger is not enough to be chairman. You have to be able to make good business relationships. She then goes back at them and says so you have to know who are the right people to pay and how much you should pay them. He then goes on to say “My goodness”, and doesn’t really reply back to her. One of the more important members speaks up and says y”ou shouldn’t talk about your father that way”, and asks why she says such things. She then uses an example of a market and shows that if the landowners increase the rent too much, eventually no one can afford and will leave the market, thus ruining the market and having the landowners to do something else with the land. This is obviously a clear metaphor for what will happen to the casino if the officials get too greedy and the board does nothing to stop it. The board member then acknowledges her wisdom and suggests they start the vote. They all vote and the obvious solution happens that Hye-Rin is not picked for chairman. Then, the same member that acknowledged her wisdom says in a sly way that he gives all his shares to Hye-Rin making her own over 50% of the casino and becoming the new chairman of the board by default.
This scene shows how corruption is something that is real and is something that people do. However, it also demonstrates that there are always going to be the right minded who will stand up and question the corruption. It shows that no matter what corruption will eventually be exposed and greed will always be a person’s downfall.
Many Koreans were opposed to corruption obviously, but not for obvious reasons. Korea had been under a democracy since the Korean War in some shape or form, but it didn't become a true democracy until after major government reform had happened. This was due to corruption in the government and greed for power. Koreans were slowly gaining their real voice slowly and slowly. By the airing of this drama, the Korean people had really started to actually be heard in the government and Korea had finally become the true democracy it was supposed to be. What this drama did to help gain that voice was to create a sense of power or at least strengthen it since it brought back these memories of corruption and greed that a majority of the population had to suffer from. It brought back the pain that everyone suffered during those times and it helped to rally the people too strengthen that voice.
I believed this drama was a very inspirational and influential drama on the people of Korea. It helped to motivate them to take back that voice by reminding them of where their pain and suffering had come from. It reminded them of the debt they were owed as citizens of the Republic of Korea.
Sandglass was a very influential and popular drama for its time. Sandglass incorporated not only classic melodramatic ideas; it also used remade Korean historical events as told by witnesses of the events. With this emphasis on events from history, Sandglass brought up and emphasized many social issues and ideas that the Korean people had either forgotten or ignored since those issues became important. Of the issues it brought up, corruption in the Korean government was one of the more major ones. Much of the plot and storyline was influenced immensely on corruption that was portrayed in the drama by the Korean government. The portrayal of the corruption not only made raised people’s awareness of the government, but it helped to start a discussion and eventually a whole questioning of the government’s integrity. The idea of corruption was not the main emphasis of the story, but without it, the whole character identity of the main character, Park Tae-Soo, would have to be rewritten entirely and Sandglass would be a completely different drama.
The drama presents corruption in a very slow manner. It starts out in the beginning with Park Tae-Soo in high school. He is always getting into fights and because of this, he becomes known as a notorious gang lord in his area. He eventually decides to become a gangster after high school and joins the gang lord. As he gets older, he eventually becomes one of the leaders in his gang and carries out orders for the lord. One of the underlying facts about the lord is that many of his businesses that he owns are mostly illegal, and to keep his businesses alive, he is constantly paying off local officials so that he never gets caught. From here you don’t really see the issue being resolved.
Later on in the series, the main female character, Yoon Hye-Rin, ends up inheriting her father’s casino business. At first she is very adverse to the idea because she knows how corrupt her father is; she knows the only way the casino is open is because of how much her father pays the government to never come and inspect the casino. Here is where real “resolution” is attempted. When inheriting her father’s business, she eventually becomes the head chairman of the board for the casino and thus tries to cleanse the casino of its illegal ways. However, the casino ends up being closed down since she stops paying the government officials. This in turn forces her to have the casino closed for a period of time due to penalties and punishment. Her business loses a large amount of money but she does end up reopening it and is able to run the casino in a more legal manner. This doesn't remove the issue of corruption, but this is where you get a sense of hope that it is possible to fight corruption and to clear it from the government.
At the time of the drama’s airing, much of the major events that were portrayed in the drama had happened almost 15 years prior. Many people had either put the memory off or forgotten because those 15 years were more focused on resolving the pain and damage that was caused by them. When the drama did air, many people began to realize that they had no sense of repayment or justice. They had forgotten that those who caused the corruption were thrown out but never prosecuted. For example, Chun Doo-Hwan who was president at the time of the dramas story had never been accused of the crimes he committed as president. It wasn’t until the same year as the debut of Sandglass that he was finally arrested and charged of his crimes. This drama was really just one of the many fans that was blowing the fire of anger the people had and the need for justice.
One of the many scenes that demonstrated corruption was in Episode 19. This is where Hye-Rin is meeting with the board of chairs to make a final decision on who will replace her father as the Head of the board. They do leave it to a vote since there is no one person that holds over 50% of the stocks of the company. They then go on to say we are sorry but running a tight ledger is not enough to be chairman. You have to be able to make good business relationships. She then goes back at them and says so you have to know who are the right people to pay and how much you should pay them. He then goes on to say “My goodness”, and doesn’t really reply back to her. One of the more important members speaks up and says y”ou shouldn’t talk about your father that way”, and asks why she says such things. She then uses an example of a market and shows that if the landowners increase the rent too much, eventually no one can afford and will leave the market, thus ruining the market and having the landowners to do something else with the land. This is obviously a clear metaphor for what will happen to the casino if the officials get too greedy and the board does nothing to stop it. The board member then acknowledges her wisdom and suggests they start the vote. They all vote and the obvious solution happens that Hye-Rin is not picked for chairman. Then, the same member that acknowledged her wisdom says in a sly way that he gives all his shares to Hye-Rin making her own over 50% of the casino and becoming the new chairman of the board by default.
This scene shows how corruption is something that is real and is something that people do. However, it also demonstrates that there are always going to be the right minded who will stand up and question the corruption. It shows that no matter what corruption will eventually be exposed and greed will always be a person’s downfall.
Many Koreans were opposed to corruption obviously, but not for obvious reasons. Korea had been under a democracy since the Korean War in some shape or form, but it didn't become a true democracy until after major government reform had happened. This was due to corruption in the government and greed for power. Koreans were slowly gaining their real voice slowly and slowly. By the airing of this drama, the Korean people had really started to actually be heard in the government and Korea had finally become the true democracy it was supposed to be. What this drama did to help gain that voice was to create a sense of power or at least strengthen it since it brought back these memories of corruption and greed that a majority of the population had to suffer from. It brought back the pain that everyone suffered during those times and it helped to rally the people too strengthen that voice.
I believed this drama was a very inspirational and influential drama on the people of Korea. It helped to motivate them to take back that voice by reminding them of where their pain and suffering had come from. It reminded them of the debt they were owed as citizens of the Republic of Korea.