Associations of people with disabilities asked the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Nhrck) to take action against the popular film “The Roundup” regarding a scene describing people with mental disabilities.

Groups including The Research Institute of the Differently Abled Person’s Right in Korea held a press event in front of the Nhrck building in Jung District, central Seoul, on Thursday and demanded to “stop the screening of ‘The Roundup,’ which treats patients with mental disabilities as criminals.”

The scene in question refers to the beginning of the film when a man wearing a hospital patient gown threatens police with a knife as he holds two women hostage at a supermarket. In the scene, other characters refer to the man as a “wacko” who “escaped from a mental hospital.”

The associations criticize the scene for “describing people with mental disabilities as violent and dangerous criminals, and making [the public] perceive them as unpredictable and aggressive beings.”

“We regret that a popular film which surpassed 10 million in ticket sales is proliferating a negative image about people with mental disabilities.”

The associations argue that they sent a statement regarding the scene to the film’s production crews on June 14 but they have not apologized, stating that they “had no intention” of giving off that sort of message.


The associations demand a public apology and a meeting with the production crews of the film.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]