[Movie 2011] Silenced (Crucible) / Dogani / 도가니

[celest1al]

Wow, I can't believe the abusers received such minimal amount of jail time. I will definitely watch this movie. I really love the cast, and am excited to see Gong Yoo in a meatier role... but ultimately, I want to watch it because I'm intrigued by the story.

[Guest aalhl]

Here is the movie trailer with English/Spanish subtitles done by Julieta@GY thread and her Korean friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO54fQ3jSyc

And a few more pics from VIP Premiere

*** Source: dogani Twitter ***

*** Credit as labeled ***

I believe there are more on VIP especially the guests coming in, but I've yet to go through them.

++Edit:

Currently going through the rest of the pics from media premiere.

*** Credit as labeled ***

[Guest aalhl]

Continues....

Sorry if there are duplicates.

*** Credit as labeled ***

[Guest aalhl]

Last batch for tonight.

*** Credit as labeled ***

[Guest aalhl]

Saw this English article posted to author Gong Ji Young's twitter.

Source: http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/495639.html

Real life case of child abuse explored in 'The Crucible'

Film tackles the devious tactics of the powerful and is a searing indictment of popular indifference

By Song Ho-jin

When actor Gong Yoo joined the military at the age of 29, he was given a book by his commander as a gift for his promotion to sergeant. It was Gong Ji-yeong's roman a clef "The Crucible," which the author reportedly wrote after reading an article containing the line, "The moment [the assailants'] release on a suspended sentence was interpreted into sign language, the court erupted in an incomprehensible roar from the hearing impaired individuals present."

On his last leave before his discharge, Gong Yoo suggested to the head of a film production company that the novel be adapted into a movie.

"I felt this sense of resentment and anger with myself, thinking, 'It took me this long to realize that things like that happen in the world we live in?'" the now 33-year-old actor recalled. "My heart was pounding."

Samgeori Pictures President Eom Yong-hun said, "We were the last of the production companies that wanted to adapt it to submit a proposal to the publishing company."

"I think that Gong Ji-yeong saw the 27-page proposal expressing Gong Yoo's thoughts and was impressed with the genuineness of his desire to adapt the film," Eom added.

Set to premiere on Sept. 22, the film "The Crucible" (rated for viewers 18 and over) is based on a novel that dramatizes the true story of the sexual abuse of hearing impaired and mentally impaired students aged 7 to 22 by a principal and teachers at Gwangju Inhwa School between 2000 and 2004. As in the novel, the film brings the forgotten incident back to life against the backdrop of the Benevolence Academy in the fictional city of Mujin, North Jeolla.

Gong plays the school's new art teacher, Gang In-ho, who finds a group of children who have lost the light in their eyes, much like the fog-shrouded provincial city of Mujin. At a school where the words of the students are difficult to understand, the first sounds In-ho hears are the screams of a female student coming from the bathroom.

Throughout the film, "The Crucible" pierces the hearts of viewers, who are forced to witness children enduring terrible abuses at the hands of merciless adults, then being hurt once again as their reasonable hope that the assailants would be punished is thwarted by depraved members of the social elite. The experience may be even more unbearable for viewers who wish to believe this is a fictional story when they consider that it was based on an actual incident.

"The Crucible" contains none of the humorous elements so common in other movies. But the 125-minute film is powerful enough to draw audiences in numbers to match the novel, which was viewed 16 million times when serialized on the Internet and sold over 400 thousand copies as a book.

The film directly tackles the devious tactics of the powerful: the assailants who try to use money to cover the incident up, the preferential ruling for the defense lawyer was a senior judge in the same court, and the prosecutors who in the end abandon justice. It inspires tears and applause at the courage of the children in the courtroom calmly describing the abuses in sign language. Gong Yoo and actress Jung Yu-mi, who plays a human rights center secretary who aids the children in their fight, gained an opportunity to expand the breadth of their acting abilities substantially with their roles.

As they leave the theater, viewers will find themselves more infuriated by the fact that the battle is not yet over. Some of the assailants, all of whom were released with suspended sentences, subsequently returned to their positions at the school. Employees who blew the whistle were dismissed, and promises of therapy and compensation for the victims were not kept. The school continues to receive billions of won in budgetary support.

In cinematic terms, there is a sense of oversimplification, with the bad characters portrayed as utterly evil and fearsome. But this is unlikely to be a major problem for viewers who are aware that the real individuals did things that were even more terrible.

Some may be put off by scenes in which child actors are subjected to sexual assault.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said, "In the scenes with child actors, their parents were always present, and we took pains to ensure that they were not hurt."

"I hope that viewers will realize through this film that these things actually happened," Hwang added.

In contrast to the book, in which Gang In-ho flees Mujin before the battle is finished, the film version of the character is seen crying out to the people as he is knocked over by a police water cannon. "These are children who can't hear or speak," he yells.

These words come across as an indictment of popular indifference: our unwillingness to hear the things the children wished to communicate through sign language, or to join them in their expression of anger.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

[Guest aalhl]

[26-Sep-2011] "The Crucibles" knocks "Arrow" off top of local box office

Source: http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011092609223421786

Korean drama "The Crucibles" took the No. 1 spot on the local box office over the weekend, pushing down former winner "Arrow The Ultimate Weapon" to second place during the fourth week of September.

According to the Korean Box Office System (KOBIS) on Monday, "The Crucibles" starring Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-mi, came in first place after attracting 685,784 moviegoers for the weekend of September 23 to 25.

In "The Crucibles," Gong Yoo plays a school teacher who comes across a sexual violence case committed in a school for hearing-impaired people. Jung takes on the role of a human rights activist that joins in the efforts to publicize the case against the school's staff and other officers.

"Arrow The Ultimate Weapon," starring Park Hae-il and Moon Chae-won, dropped a spot to second place with 149,183 admissions followed by Hollywood blockbuster "Contagion" with 111,932 tickets sold since opening in local theaters on September 22.

Other films on the top ten include "Mr. Popper's Penguin," "Unstoppable Family," "Killer Elite," "The Client," "Countdown," "Pain" and "Champ."

10 아시아 Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@

10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@

[CHART] Weekend Box Office: September 23-25

http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?sec=ent5&idxno=2011092609362947599

[rubie]

September 27, 2011

Film ignites call for probe into assaults

By Kim Rahn rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

A still cut from the film "The Crucible"

A group of netizens are calling for the reinvestigation of sexual assaults committed against hearing-impaired children at a regional school following the release of a film based on the events.

As of Tuesday evening, more than 40,000 Internet users had signed a petition demanding a new probe into sexual assaults perpetrated by teachers and school staff on students at Gwangju Inhwa School for years from 2000.

Following the calls, the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education organized a team to inspect the school six years after the incidents took place.

“The school foundation should apologize for the sexual assault and come up with measures to prevent such things from recurring. Local authorities in charge should also reinvestigate the assaults and other human rights infringements at the school and punish those who neglected the case,” a member of a civic group said on Daum’s online petition site.

The film “The Crucible,” based on Gong Ji-young’s bestselling novel of the same title, deals with the true story that came to light in 2005.

According to the investigation at that time, six people including the headmaster sexually harassed or raped at least nine of their deaf students.

Of the six perpetrators, four received prison terms, while the other two escaped punishment because the statute of limitations for their crimes had expired. Among those jailed, two were released later after their terms were suspended.

The families of the victims did not appeal the case after the first trial; and some of the perpetrators are still working at the school.

Signing up for the petition, blogger “Bless” said, “There are people who are shameless. I call for due punishment for the wrongdoers and I hope the law enforcement authorities will make a decision out of good conscience.”

The civic group began the petition Sunday and plans to collect 50,000 signatures by Oct. 20. Calls from citizens are also flooding local authorities for reinvestigation into the case and a special inspection of the school.

But legal experts said that it’s impossible to reopen a case that has been closed with a court verdict.

The Gwangsan District Office, where the school is located, recently sent an official letter to the school foundation, requesting a change of its board of directors.

“The directors were not experts in school and disabled affairs, so we asked the foundation to replace them. We don’t have judicial powers, but we are devising proper inspection measures according to the law,” an official of the district office said.

The regional educational office issued an apology Tuesday and said, “As the office in charge of education for the disabled, we apologize for not having dealt with the case more actively.”

It said when a special public school for the disabled opens in 2013 it will move students from Inhwa to the new facility, with the original facility closing. About 20 students are currently at Inhwa.

The office also formed a special team to address the issue, but faced criticism for the belated action six years after the incident.

“Legal proceedings for those involved are all finished and they can’t be prosecuted for the same charges according to the law. What can the educational office do? Some perpetrators are still at the school, and the office has irresponsibly neglected the incident,” a blogger “Wow” said.

In a related development, Daum Communications has launched a 1-million signature-collecting campaign to change the criminal law so that statute of limitations for sexual crimes involving children will be abolished.

[rubie]

September 28, 2011

'The Crucible' Brings Demons of Child Molestation Case Back to Life

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

A slew of sex crimes against children with disabilities that took place from 2000 to 2005 at a special institute for deaf youngsters remain unsolved six years after they were first brought to light, sparking anger among social groups.

Author Gong Ji-young in 2009 published a novel inspired by the case that reignited public interest in it. Now a new film adaptation is once again stirring controversy among viewers, who are calling for the case to be reinvestigated.

Hwang Dong-hyeok

"I expected the film would generate discussion and debate, but I didn’t think the response would be this quick and explosive," said director Hwang Dong-hyeok, clearly dismayed by all the controversy his movie has provoked.

"The issues portrayed in the movie -- sexual violence against children, corrupt ties between police and influential families, negligence of duty by civil servants -- is not fictitious, but can be seen regularly on the daily news," he said on Tuesday.

"The growing repulsion and rage that people feel every time they hear about such injustices seem to have come to a boil with my movie."

"The Crucible" has been met with criticism as a disturbing film with little to redeem it due to the graphic scenes portraying children being sexually molested and its depressing ending.

Many people tried to persuade Hwang to change the ending, telling him that he should have the protagonists win their case as people like happy endings. But the director would not be swayed. He said he wasn't trying to make a feel-good movie, but rather present reality.

"I did it intentionally to make people feel uncomfortable," he said. "I thought about two things when making this film. First, I wanted to let the world know about this horrific incident. Secondly, I wanted to expose the structural problems of society as revealed during the process of how the case was buried. The scenes of sexual violence and the morbid, unhappy ending were therefore inevitable."

For some members of the group campaigning for the victims of the case, however, the film did not go far enough in revealing the extent of the horrors that took place.

"Novelist Gong told me that she only managed to depict one third of what actually happened in her novel," said the director. "And my film couldn't even deal with all that was written in her book."

Hwang, a media graduate from Seoul National University, said, "I was greatly interested in social issues as an undergraduate so I would often take part in demonstrations. I took up filmmaking because I was so frustrated by all these unresolved social issues I saw."

"We can see through films how much we are changed by the world. You can't change society with just one movie, but looking at the repercussion of the release of this film, we can think about the power film has in terms of positively affecting society," he said.

"Of course, it is impossible to reopen the case, put the offenders back on trial and punish them now. But we can show how the victims have suffered and try to do something to help them. They haven’t even received an apology yet."

[rubie]

September 29, 2011

Bestseller-turned-movie reveals real-life case of widespread child abuse

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldm.com) koreaherald.com

'The Crucible' to release in September starring Gong Yoo and Jung Yoo-mi

When popular novelist Gong Ji-young started publishing her online serial novel “Dogani” (The Crucible) in 2008, readers were shocked that it was based on a real-life story. Inspired by the mass sexual abuse at a school for hearing impaired children in Gwangju from 2000 to 2004, the novel attracted more than 16 million online readers.

The novel’s film adaptation, which stars actor Gong Yoo and actress Jung Yoo-mi, aims to once again raise awareness on the shocking real-life case in which the offenders ― the teachers of the school including its principal ― received probation and 10-month prison sentences.

Actor Gong Yoo and actress Jung Yoo-mi pose for a photo during a press meeting promoting their upcoming film,

“The Crucible,” in Seoul, Monday. (Yonhap News)

Director Hwang Dong-hyeok, whose last film “My Father” (2007) was also based on a true story of a Korean-American adoptee, said he had to think over for a month to decide whether or not he should direct the upcoming movie.

“I was hesitant because it was a based on a true story,” Hwang told reporters during a press meeting held in Seoul, Monday. “And ironically, I decided to go with it because it deals with a true story. It had the right reason to be told to the world.”

For actor Gong Yoo, who is still best known as the cocky yet charming cafe owner in the 2007 MBC hit drama show “Coffee Prince,” the upcoming film could very likely be a turning point in his career. He stars as Kang In-ho, a newly-appointed art teacher at the school for hearing-impaired children. The character eventually becomes aware of the terrible physical and sexual abuse that his students have been enduring, and tries to unveil the case against his fellow teachers and superiors along with human rights activist Seo Yoo-jin (Jung Yoo-mi).

It was Gong, after all, who initiated the whole project. He read the hard copy edition of author Gong Ji-young’s novel while he was serving his military duty, as his superior gave him the book as a gift when Gong got promoted as a sergeant. “My superior told me he thought the book would ‘suit’ my taste,” Gong told reporters.

“I was totally hooked when I read the book, and my heart was beating hard as I finished reading. During my last military vacation, I contacted author Gong and asked her if this story can ever be made into a movie.”

Often called “romantic” and “sweet,” Gong said he is not fully comfortable with the way he has been described by the media and the public. “I think these adjectives have a lot to do with the characters I played in films and shows (more than me),” he said. “I try to focus on each and every film that I am given. I don’t plan ahead to play certain characters to be perceived in a certain way.”

Gong said that in the original novel the Kang In-ho character is portrayed as a much more ordinary, weak-kneed individual who is conflicted between his conscience and the need to financially support his daughter. “I didn’t want to be portrayed as a hero, but the movie required some action scenes,” Gong said.

“There are scenes where my character tries to attack fellow teachers with a flowerpot and break the window in anger. And that anger was a complex one, one which contained all kinds of emotions and grudges against the world and himself. Expressing such anger was certainly challenging.”

Jung Yoo-mi, who is famous for her effortless acting style and performances in “Oki’s Movie” (2010) and “Caf Noir” (2010), said the acting itself wasn’t very difficult. “I just had a lot of break time compared to others, and many days off,” she said. “I think that was rather challenging.”

Director Hwang said though he did not talk to any of the real-life offenders or victims, some of the extras who appear in the film in fact went to the school in Gwangju. “Author Gong said her novel contained only the half of what actually happened, as the real case was too gruesome and terrible,” Hwang said.

“The movie ― because it contains both sound and visuals ― depicts even less than the half. But it still is shocking and powerful.”

According to the film organizers, the school principal died of cancer in 2011, while the rest of teachers continue to work at the same school.

“The Crucible” opens in theaters on Sept. 22.

[rubie]

September 29, 2011

Film sparks call for revision of laws

By Kim Rahn rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

The entrance of Gwangju Inhwa School

for deaf students is closed, Thursday.

A film based on the sexual assaults

that took place at the special school

for the disabled students is igniting

a fury that the punishment of the offenders was insufficient. / Yonhap

A movie currently running in cinemas is sparking a growing call for the revision of laws governing sexual crimes against the disabled and minors.

“The Crucible,” a film based on the true story about school staff sexually assaulting hearing impaired students, is adding mounting pressure on policymakers and politicians to change the laws on sexual assaults on children and welfare foundations.

Amid hectic public and media attention on the film with the Korean title “Dogani,” depicts how teachers at Gwangju Inhwa School, a special school for the deaf, sexually assaulted or harassed the students for years. The case didn’t draw much attention when it was disclosed in 2005, but now the public says the loose legal system gave the perpetrators light penalties that don’t properly fit their crimes.

Civic groups and bloggers are organizing a campaign to abolish the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children, as some of the accused teachers weren’t even punished at all as the legal time line expired.

An online petition for the abolishment began Tuesday by the father of a female victim who has suffered from serious physical and mental agony after being raped three years ago. According to the relevant law revised in April last year, the statute of limitations for child victims begins when the victim becomes an adult, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said. The limitations differ according to each crime.

“Sexual assault on a child is like murdering a soul. The physical or mental wound remains forever, but the offender can avoid punishment after a certain period. The statute of limitation for such assaults should be abolished,” the father said.

With the goal to collect 1 million signatures for the petition, about 10,000 have already signed.

Rep. Park Min-shik of the Grand National Party (GNP) also submitted a revision bill Wednesday.

The second legal issue is a clause about “inability to resist.” The clause was originally meant to punish sexual assaulters on people who are in a physical or mental state unable to resist normally.

But civic groups claimed the law is rather unfavorable for the disabled.

In the Inhwa school case, a local court cleared two of the perpetrators of the charges, ruling that two hearing-impaired victims, 13 and 14, were “not in a situation that they were unable to resist.”

Prosecutors appealed and claimed that the victims were unable to resist because they had not only hearing but also mental problems and could express only simple opinions in sign language.

They added the students were afraid of the teachers who had frequently beaten them, and the victims couldn’t resist by shouting.

But the high court also acquitted the teachers.

Civic groups for the disabled have demanded the removal of the clause from the Special Law on Sexual Crimes.

Rep. Choi Young-hee of the opposition Democratic Party has submitted a revision bill, designed to remove the controversial clause, to the National Assembly, but it is still pending at parliament.

Another legal loophole in the Inhwa case is the clause that an investigation into a sexual assault could be launched only when the victim files a petition. At that time, one of the offenders received suspended terms as he came to an agreement with the victim on compensation and the victim dropped the petition.

The law was changed last year, so that a probe into sexual crimes on children can be launched without a victim’s petitions.

On top of the legal hurdles, government and lawmakers are moving to address moral problems surrounding welfare foundations and institutions for the disabled.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday that it will inspect through the 119 service to check on such facilities nationwide to probe possible human rights infringement.

Rep. Chin Soo-hee of the GNP plans to propose a bill to secure transparency and prevent “nepotism” at welfare foundations. At Inhwa, relatives of the foundation’s founder have taken almost all of the high-ranking positions at the school and the board of directors, hushing up the illegalities.

According to Chin’s proposal, welfare foundations must report their accounting and donation lists in detail to the relevant authorities and amend the director appointment system, while the central and local authorities will have to strengthen inspections on them.

[rubie]

September 29, 2011

Opinion: Molesters of students

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

Zero-tolerance against abuse of physically challenged

A movie rekindled public debate over the judicial leniency on the perpetrators of sexual abuse of hearing and speech impaired students at a school in Gwanjgu in 2005. Police must initiate a full-sale reinvestigation. The government must stop subsidizing the special school.

The movie, titled “The Crucible,” depicts a real story of the systematic and pervasive sexual assaults of at least nine physically-challenged students by a school headmaster, teachers and administrators at a family-run school. Only two were charged, with seven still working as either teachers or support staff.

A whistle blower divulged the collective sexual violence on the deaf and dumb students through cooperation with human rights activists.

It is noteworthy that a movie animates debate for social justice. The film condemns collusive ties between lawyers and judges for the defense of the beast-like molesters. It also depicts the law enforcement authorities’ dumbness on the plight of the social weak. It also questions the morality of parents of some victims who did not appeal the case in return for money.

The movie is the brain child of an online bestseller book by Gong Ji-young. In less than five days after its release, more than one million viewed the movie. The Internet is abuzz with comments criticizing the court for having exonerated most of the perpetrators. The moviegoers began a petition for legislation on removing the statute of limitations on molesters.

Under the double jeopardy rule, however, a defendant enjoys legal exemption from facing retrial on the same or similar charges following a court ruling.

A reexamination is necessary to check whether the harassment was an isolated case or whether the crimes have been ongoing. Penalization is possible by digging up undetected crimes at the problematic school.

Before the movie came out, NGO members had waged a 242-day sit-in protest to demand the dismissal of the school administrators. Frustrated students boycotted the school for 66 days.

The movie also highlighted the legal loopholes on the child molesters. It is the obligation of children to verify how they were sexually victimized under the current law.

The former opposition Grand National Party blocked in 2007 the revision of the law intended to promote transparency of the special-purpose schools for the disabled.

Judiciary lenience for rapists of juveniles is also problematic. About 35.5 percent of child rapists and 50.8 percent of child molesters are out of prison and are on probation.

The court should adopt the principle of zero tolerance against child molesters. Electronic ankle bracelets and chemical castration are not enough as 13 children in Seoul are victims of molesters daily. Legislation is necessary to exclude molesters from enjoying statute of limitations or parole. The government must conduct regular audits of all state-funded facilities for the physically challenged.

[the girl who!]

OMG ... goood news for the cast and production team!

Movie, ‘Crucible’ reaches 2 million views within just 10 days!

Korean movie, ‘Crucible‘ featuring actor Gong Yoo and actress Jung Yoo Mi has held its first place spot at the box office by selling 2 million tickets in just 10 days since its release!

On October 2nd, the Tickets Integrated Computer Network of Korean Film Council announced that ‘Crucible’ sold 349,041 tickets on October 1st alone. The film’s cumulative attendance total is 2,141,960 people.

The movie is based on a novel of the same name, written by Gong Ji Young. The film depicts the true story of disabled children being abused and harassed by teachers at a school in Gwangju back in 2005. The movie has been praised for its successful transition from novel to a well-made motion picture.

Furthermore, the movie covered its entire production cost in the first 8 days of release, by selling 1.5 million tickets. The film has already been highlighted in several news programs.

On other movie news, ‘The Client‘, which features actor Jang Hyuk, Ha Jung Woo, and Park Hee Soon has earned itself the second spot with a cumulative attendance of 446,088 people. ‘Countdown‘ , ‘The Ultimate Weapon‘, and ‘Abduction‘ are currently following behind as 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively.

Source : Allkpop

I'm seriously happy ..... as Jung Yumi diehard fan I'm seriously amazed with the poeple's response!

[rubie]

September 29, 2011

Box-office hit sheds new light on sex crimes against disabled students

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

A local box-office hit based on a true story of years-long sexual assaults against disabled students by teachers sparked public outcry over lenient court rulings and the government's improper countermeasures, prompting police to reexamine the case and lawmakers to introduce bills for human rights of the vulnerable.

The film called "Dogani," or "The Crucible" in English, was a screen adaptation of a bestselling novel written by the country's big-name female writer Kong Jee-young in 2009. She depicts the real case where more than eight disabled students aged 7 to 22 at Gwangju Inhwa School, a special-education institution for the hearing-impaired and located about 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul, were raped by several faculty members there for five years, starting in 2000.

Upon the report about the tragedy by an insider to a counseling center for sexual abuse against the disabled in 2006, dozens of civic groups in the country launched a special committee to bring the offenders to justice in cooperation with the country's Human Rights Commission.

Among the six suspects being indicted, including the school's principal surnamed Kim, only two of them received jail terms of less than a year. Kim and another of the suspects were put on probation from the appellate court in 2007 as they reached agreement with the victims' families. The remaining two went unpunished because the statute of limitations had expired. One has been reinstated at the school.

"Major posts of the school were dominated by principal Kim's relatives, making it impossible for the shocking crimes to be disclosed," Park Chan-dong, head of the Special Committee of Gwangju Inhwa School Sexual Violence, said on Thursday. "The consent was the result of the suspects' persistent placating of the victims."

A total of 22 students still attend the school. At the time of the incident, the school enrolled 70 students, according to Park.

"While the case remains unresolved for six years, the school has failed to make any apology for its terrible wrongdoings, not to mention keeping their promise to compensate the victims," Park said. "Rather, the school foundation, which also runs residential and job-training facilities, has been receiving more than 3 billion won ($2.57 million) in state subsidies per month."

With the film's success, winning last week at the box office by drawing more than 1.2 million viewers within a week of its release, nearly 60,000 citizens have made an online petition to call on the government to review the case and come up with proper measures, including ordering the shutdown of the scandal-ridden school and removing the statute of limitations for sex offenders.

Earlier this week, the country's chief justice, Yang Sung-tae, said during a press meeting right after his inauguration that "any kind of explanations for the ruling should be made, as the society is simmering with resentment."

After joining filmgoers late Wednesday, Yang was also quoted by a Supreme Court official that the message the film tries to convey was shocking and touching, adding, "We should not tolerate such infringements of the rights of children with disabilities anymore."

Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, South Korea's ruling party chief, also called on his party officials to devise measures on Thursday to prevent sex offenders from getting away with their crimes, while Rep. Chin Soo-hee, who once led the welfare ministry, said she will introduce the bill to protect the vulnerable.

"Sex offenders sometimes bend the rules under which they cannot be prosecuted without a complaint by victims. To get lighter punishments, they force the victims to sign an agreement to drop their charges. Such a bad practice should be eradicated." Hong said.

Taking multiple suspicions surrounding the case seriously, police began reinvestigating the case this week after launching a special team involving 15 officers from the National Police Agency (NPA) and the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency.

The special team was tasked with looking into further sex crimes by the faculty, the school's structural problems, including corruption, and the local government's dealing with the case, the NPA said.

"We will also launch an investigation into the report that a female student living in a welfare center run by the foundation was sexually assaulted by her 15-year-old male colleague," an NPA official added.

The abused students, together with several others who either witnessed the violence or protested against the school's response, dropped out of the school in 2006 and have stayed at community shelters since.

"They are still suffering from the trauma, though psychological treatments have been under way," said Kim Hye-ok, head of the Holder Community, which takes care of 11 student victims.

"I was worried about whether the victimized students might be hurt by the movie that depicts their own story, but it raised public awareness of the incident that would otherwise go unnoticed," she said, asking the government and the public for consistent support and concern for the young victims.(Yonhap)

[rubie]

October 4, 2011

'Dogani' school faces closure

By Kim Rahn rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

Gwangju Inhwa School

Gwangju City will cancel the school operation license for a welfare foundation where school staff members sexually assaulted and harassed their deaf students.

The city government said Tuesday that a 15-member committee, comprised of officials from the city, its educational office, ward office in charge of the social welfare foundation named Wuseok, and civic group members, decided on the license annulment at an emergency meeting Monday.

The revocation comes amid growing public backlash after the film “The Crucible,” titled “Dogani” in Korean, based on the true story of sexual assaults at the Gwangju Inhwa School shed new light on the case.

Teachers at the special school for the deaf raped or sexually harassed the students between 2000 and 2005, but the offenders were penalized lightly and some of them are still working at the school.

“We’ll cancel the school’s license for education on the disabled, leading to its closure. We’ll also close Inhwawon, a dormitory operated by the foundation, and other training facilities there,” a city official said.

Currently, 22 students are attending the school, 57 stay at the dorm, and 55 receive training there. The educational office plans to have the students transferred to other schools.

Regarding the case, President Lee Myung-bak, who watched the movie Monday, said not only improvement in the legal system but also greater social awareness is needed to prevent similar cases from occurring.

“Lee said we need to pay more attention and care for the minorities in society,” presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha said.

National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Hyun-oh also watched the film with other senior police officials and said he was shocked. Last week, police formed a special probe team for possible uncovered irregularities surrounding the school, virtually re-investigating it.

“I was shocked. We, police, should reflect on whether we have really worked on behalf of the weak and minorities. The special team should verify every allegation thoroughly,” Cho was quoted as saying by senior officials.

[rubie]

October 10, 2011

"Dogani", #1 At Box Office For 4th Straight Week

Source: KBS Global

The movie "Dogani" ("The Crucible") is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of it's box office success. Starring Gong-yoo and Jung Yoo-mi and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, "Dogani" is approaching the 4 million movie-goer mark, having placed number one in ticket sales for the fourth straight week.

According to box office statistics, this past week (October 8-9), 335,495 people went to go see "The Crucible", adding up to a combined total of 3,743,065 people.

"Dogani" is based on a true story where sexual assault cases were ongoing at a school for the disabled in Korea. The movie has shed light on an issue that was sort of swept under the rug over the past few years. So much light that the law for sexual assault cases on minors or the disabled have been brought back up for revision.

2nd place was "The Client", starring Ha Jung-woo, Park Hee-soon, and Jang Hyuk. The movie brought in 297,708 viewers nation-wide for a combined total of 1,456,121 people. "Fighting Spirit" was at third, starring Kim Joo-hyuk and Kim Sun-ah, with 72,779 tickets sold this past weekend, for a total of 120,802 tickets.

4th place was taken by the Hollywood flick "Real Steel" followed by "Countdown" (with Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Jae-young) at 5th.

[rubie]

October 7, 2011

With strong acting, ‘Crucible’ delivers powerful real-life story

By Cho Jae-eun [jainnie@joongang.co.kr] koreajoongangdaily.com

[Jainnie's Cine Korea]

A close-up shot from the poster for “The Crucible” [JoongAng Ilbo]

The disturbing new film “The Crucible” has made Korea really, really angry.

Based on a true story about a group of hearing-impaired children suffering sexual abuse from their teachers, this small feature film has fired up many Koreans. Millions signed a petition to demand a new probe into the case after watching the film, which in reality resulted in minimal sentencing for the perpetrators.

In the story, there was no cathartic revenge for the children. But infuriated audiences are trying hard to make one happen, belated as it may be. This week, the heated public response prompted the government to require criminal background checks for all faculty members of education facilities in the country.

The film is told through Gang In-ho (Gong Yoo), a widowed art teacher who is appointed to a rural school for hearing-impaired children in Gwangju. Upon settling into his new job, In-ho learns that the children are being brutally abused, both physically and sexually, by their teachers and principal. Along with a human rights activist working in the area, Seo Yu-jin (Jeong Yu-mi), In-ho takes the case to court but finds out that the school, the churches, the prosecutors and even the police have no desire to see justice done. They actually help hide the truth.

In connecting with the audience, the story greatly benefits from the fact that In-ho is not a hero. In fact, in the beginning, he is quite the coward. He initially tries to fit in to his new environment by acquiescing to the principal’s demand for a 5 million won ($4,216) “fee” without protesting, even though he is supporting a sick daughter who needs surgery.

As with most of us, In-ho is conflicted between acting based on his morals and what his life requires of him. His quest for justice is always on the verge of being disrupted because of his concerns about his livelihood.

Gong Yoo, who has mostly done romantic comedies up to this point, proves his worth as an actor in this film, adding an artistic subtlety to the film’s most dramatic moments and shifting seamlessly between anger, sadness, empathy and frustration.

In one of the most memorable scenes, In-ho’s mother, who at first tries to persuade him to stay out of the case, experiences a change of heart after sitting in on a day of the trial and hearing the children’s testimony. Afterwards, as she hands In-ho and the children a bag with banana milk and bread to demonstrate her approval of her son’s fight, we see her, along with her son, evolving as human beings.

Whether you think the film is well-made or not, and I do, the sheer outrage and bold action that it has elicited from its viewers during recent weeks affirms at least one thing - “The Crucible” truly speaks to its audience.

The Crucible

Drama / Korean

125 min.

Now playing

[Guest satisfaction!]

Everyone, if possible, please watch this.

I came out from the movie theater feeling frustrated, angered, and baffled...

Like Gong Yoo said, I can't believe it took me this long to actually realize the cruel reality going on in this world.

This movie really challenged me to take a stand against sexual and physical abuse amongst children.

I know I can't make a huge difference, but baby steps are better than doing nothing.

Proper justice must be taken.

[alasam]

i really hope to see this movie some day, but unfortunately i'm sure it will be quite a while before a subtitled version is available for international viewers.

[bubbletealove]

I really want to watch this movie. It seems very intense but we need more people to watch this in order for more awareness.

I'm really upset though because the AMC theaters will release this movie without english subs, so I can't watch it with my family and friends D:

Props to Gong Ji Young for publishing her book raising awareness, props to Gong Yoo's fan who gave him the novel prior to entering the military, props to Gong Yoo for spending time reading the book during his free time in the army and recommending this book to a director. Props to the director for making such an amazing movie. Props to the awesome actors/actresses for their realistic acting. Props to the audience for taking this movie into consideration and fighting for justice. Props to private investigators searching throughout the school. Props to the South Korean president, Lee Myung Bak for spending his time watch the movie and raise awareness. And to those monsters who did this to poor children, karma will find its way.

[Guest jollibee]

just reading these thread sends shivers to my spine..

my aunt has a small deaf school and this movie somehow makes me rethink how special they really are.