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Some cultural context:
μ°¨κ°κ² λ§ν΄ with no manners. λμκ² λ λ μλ‘, better Sangwoo is your stereotypical Korean guy who was weaned off the soccer ball since young and just as worshipful of world-star soccer players: “I’m not gay, only for Messi because Messi is god.” It’s behind this very average Hyung-next-door masquerade that he hides his baser proclivities. Though, it’s just as likely that he may be the chameleon breed of sociopaths who have no interests of their own (or at least those that are socially acceptable, which violent homicide is not) but instead affects whatever persona he deems most beneficial to the given scenario, only to be shed off just as quick for another mask he calculates would endear him the most to the next person he interacts with. There is of course his go-to though: golden boy. ‘Isn’t he cute? He doesn’t even swear.’
An avid gymrat, Sangwoo is also /ridiculously strong./ He was able to easily overpower Seungbae, an impressive feat considering Seungbae is a graduated police cadet. South Korean police academies are infamous for being exceptionally physically grueling, as officers are expected to routinely throw down with local gangsters such as loan sharks and dealers to organized crime. South Korean police are known to be so prone to violence that that they are often considered only a step above actual thugs themselves. But on the upside! South Korea is also considered a very safe country, aside from the very occasional serial killer.
Sangwoo’s bitter disillusion with societal obsession with outward appearances actually carries more merit than the odd manic spiel. South Korea holds a lot of importance to “μΈμ,” which roughly translates to “first impression.” For example, a person could be deemed to have a very “fortuitous, vibrant” impression, while another can be said to come across as having a “harsh,” or “abrasive” bearing. This can actually make or break serious decisions in interpersonal relationships, such as hiring or even when brokering major corporate deals.
(Note: While this may seem like such an insanely skewed pretty-privilege juxtaposed to Westerners’ much more inclusive beauty standards, it may also be entrenched in Korea’s historical embrace of the superstitious and occult before becoming secularized. While Christianity is now the nation’s most practiced religion (27%) followed by Buddhism (15%), it remains very common even today for people to seek “mudangs” (shamans) preceding big life events, such as marriage or the birth of a child to have the newborn’s fortune (or wretchedness) read. I once came across one such book my mother had in her possession, and the practice appeared to range from ciphering facial structures to how certain blood veins lie, similar to palm reading. Just to give you an idea.)
This “skewed pretty privilege” may also help put in context how those that don’t fit the very specific standards are that much more marginalized by society, as was in Yoon Bum’s case. But conversely, these cookie-cutter standards are also what enabled sociopaths like Sangwoo to game people so easily into thinking he was a golden boy to idealize and pursue.
(I may add more as they come to me.)
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