Netflix’s D.P. stirs memories for South Korean ex-soldiers, from bullying to PTSD

The series has been praised as a sobering reflection of life in the service, which has a history of abuse and cover-ups

While the defence ministry has moved to quell criticism of the military following the series’ release, former soldiers say too little has changed

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D.P. writer Kim Bo-tong wants to “fight the oblivious notion that the military is better now”. Photo: Netflix

Published: 6:00pm, 9 Sep 2021Updated: 8:55pm, 10 Sep 2021

When they turn 18, almost all South Korean men receive a letter informing them to prepare for a stint in the military. A year later, they undergo a physical test to prove they are capable of serving, and at 20, they are able to enlist in the army, air force, navy, or Marines.

Before the age of 28, those eligible for active duty are required to serve up to a year and nine months depending on which branch they are assigned. A trip to the barber for a shaved head, a last night out on the town with close friends, and a heartfelt farewell with tearful parents before it’s time for the infamous boot camp – it’s a time in a young man’s life that is a popular subject in film and music.

Few of these, however, have left a mark on the South Korean psyche like the recent Netflix original series D.P., which has maintained its No 1 perch on the platform since its release in the East Asian nation last month.

The series is about two members of the military police tasked with pursuing and capturing deserters. Created by Kim Bo-tong, a webtoon writer who wanted to “fight the oblivious notion that the military is better now”, D.P. has reopened a sensitive debate in South Korea about whether a culture of bullying and harassment still exists within the service.

In the first of six episodes, new recruits are casually slapped in the face, boots are thrown at their heads, and a senior comrade attempts to spit into the mouth of a new recruit just because he “doesn’t like how he looks”.

The series has been lauded on social media by South Koreans for its accuracy, while others say military service has become too easy nowadays. To the former soldiers who spoke to This Week in Asia, it is a vivid reminder of their harsh experiences.

Han, a 28-year-old engineer who asked to be known by a pseudonym, still remembers when he first met a senior comrade at an Air Force base 10 years ago.

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