Connecting 'Joker' to the 'Anger' of Korean Society

 

Connecting 'Joker' to the 'Anger' of Korean Society


Todd Phillips' 'Joker' is a dark, gritty character study set in a decaying American city. Yet, when it was released, the story of Arthur Fleck's painful descent into madness struck a raw nerve halfway across the world in South Korea. The film became a cultural talking point not just as a piece of cinema, but as an uncomfortable mirror.

As of September 2025, Arthur Fleck’s story feels less like a comic book villain's origin and more like a powerful, dark allegory for the quiet, simmering 'bunno' (분노)—a deep-seated rage—that bubbles beneath the surface of Korea's hyper-competitive and deeply unequal society.


1. The Invisible Man: Isolation in a Crowded World

Arthur Fleck's core pain is his invisibility. He is a man who is constantly overlooked, ignored, and physically present but socially absent. His mantra, "I hope my death makes more cents than my life," is a cry from someone who feels utterly worthless.

This feeling of isolation resonates powerfully in the dense but paradoxically lonely urban landscape of South Korea. In a society with immense pressure to conform and succeed, many individuals feel like just another face in the crowd, a cog in a massive machine. The rise of one-person households (1in gagu) and the intense focus on individual success can lead to a profound sense of disconnection. Arthur's desperate need to simply be seen is a deeply human fear that feels acutely familiar in a world where everyone is struggling to stand out.

[Image collage: On the left, a lonely Arthur Fleck on a bus. On the right, a shot of a crowded Seoul street with one person looking isolated.]


2. Systemic Failure and the "Spoon Class Theory"

Arthur's world crumbles when the system designed to help him fails. The social services that provide his therapy and medication are shut down due to budget cuts. "They don't give a shit about people like you, Arthur," his therapist tells him. This sense of being abandoned by the system is a major catalyst for his rage against the elite, represented by the wealthy and dismissive Thomas Wayne.

This is a direct parallel to the anger fueled by the "Spoon Class Theory" (수저계급론) in Korea. This theory posits that one's success is determined not by effort, but by the wealth of one's parents (a "gold spoon" vs. a "dirt spoon"). There is a widespread feeling that no matter how hard one works, the system is rigged in favor of the privileged. Arthur’s plight taps directly into this frustration—the belief that the powerful are indifferent to the struggles of the powerless.


3. A Painful Laugh: Suppressed Rage and 'Hwabyeong'

Arthur's uncontrollable, painful laughter is a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil. It’s a medical condition in the film, but it functions as a powerful metaphor for a pain so deep it can only be expressed through a grotesque, involuntary spasm.

This has echoes in the unique Korean cultural concept of 'Hwa' (화) and the culture-bound illness 'Hwabyeong' (화병). Hwabyeong is a condition attributed to the long-term suppression of anger and resentment, which is believed to manifest in physical symptoms like a feeling of a lump in the chest, palpitations, and heat sensations. While Arthur's condition is fictional, the idea that repressed rage can physically poison a person is a concept that is deeply understood in Korea. His laughter is a form of hwabyeong, an outward sign of an inner world collapsing under the weight of unspoken anger.


4. An Uprising Against 'Gapjil'

The final straw for Arthur is the constant humiliation and abuse of power by those above him in the social hierarchy. He is beaten by youths, betrayed by his coworker, and ridiculed by his idol, Murray Franklin. His violent turning point on the subway is an attack on three arrogant, privileged Wayne Enterprises employees who are tormenting him.

This entire dynamic is a perfect illustration of 'Gapjil' (갑질)—the abusive, authoritarian behavior of a person in a position of power (Gap) towards someone in a weaker position (Eul). The subway scene is a brutal fantasy of the Eul's revenge against the Gap. The fact that this act unintentionally sparks a city-wide protest movement shows how much pent-up rage against Gapjil existed within the film's society, just as it does in reality.

'Joker' is not a Korean film, but it holds up a chillingly accurate mirror to the anxieties of modern Korean society. It explores the terrifying potential of what happens when a person is stripped of their dignity, abandoned by the system, and left with nothing but their own 'bunno'.


English Hashtags:

#Joker #JokerMovie #KoreanSociety #SocialCommentary #Anger #Bunno #Hwabyeong #SpoonClassTheory #Gapjil #FilmAnalysis #Inequality #PopCultureAnalysis

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