“The Killing Vote” on Prime Video is an apt representation of today’s “cancel culture,” where justice is left in the hands of viral videos and controversial posts. In this engaging thriller, the accused who is able to avoid legal punishment is subjected to a “killing vote” where the public decides whether the person should be killed by the vigilante who goes by the name Dog Mask.
The series boasts of an incredibly talented cast including Park Hae-jin as Kim Moo-chan, a police investigator on the hunt for the person behind Dog Mask.
Park Hae-jin describes his role, “‘Kim Moo-chan’ is a character who solves cases by any means necessary. He also leads the story by continuing to show good and evil in our series that are centered on various events.”
Lim Ji-yeon is back with another thriller, this time as the righteous police officer Joo Hyun.
“Joo Hyun is a lieutenant working in the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Safety Bureau for her fifth year. She was once an ace but is now known as a nuisance. Her righteousness is charming and her uniqueness shines. This character is very similar to my personality,” she says.
Meanwhile, Park Sung-woong plays another intense character as Kwon Seok-joo, an inmate who killed the rapist of his daughter.
“Kwon Seok-ju may look like a villain, but he is not a villain. Kwon Seok-ju is related to a series of events in various ways, and it would be good to look at the story centered on Kwon Seok-ju,” he describes.
‘The Killing Vote’ on Prime Video brings justice at the forefront
These three characters personify different opinions as the series asks, “What is your idea of justice?”
The death penalty sentencing by ordinary people is quite disconcerting. However, it is somehow similar to what’s happening online, where people are quick to make judgments.
“I think I’d be concerned about human dignity, about who dares to make such reckless judgments and implement them, and about who gave them such qualifications to do so. We have some parts about this in our series,” according to Park Hae-jin.
Whether “The Killing Vote” system is right or not, one could not dismiss the instant gratification it brings.
As Park Sung-woong describes, “I think it is a system that can relieve people’s feelings of frustration. Social issues continue to occur, but there are not many ways in which people can directly participate in solving them themselves. It’s hard to say it’s the right way, but I think it’s a good system in terms of results.”
Fighting for justice takes money and time. Those looking for a quick retribution resort to trial by publicity. For Lim Ji-yeon, “The Killing Vote” on Prime Video gives an opportunity to reflect on our society’s preoccupation with everything that’s controversial regardless of the truth.
“I think it’s unfortunate. As social media and the internet spread, faster information and the truth can be found but false news is also spreading, so there can be people who suffer because of it. I think our drama provides an opportunity to think about this a little more,” she explains.
The drama posts an even more important question, as mentioned by Park Hae-jin. “I think the message is ‘Is your justice really correct?’”
“The Killing Vote” is now streaming on Prime Video.