In South Korea, a nation where the civilian populace lives almost entirely without firearms, a new kind of terror arrives in plain cardboard boxes. The new Netflix series Trigger presents this stark scenario not as a crime wave, but as a national disaster. When illegal guns of unknown origin begin appearing on doorsteps across the country, the social contract, built on a foundation of stringent gun control, begins to fray. The series treats the weapon itself as the cataclysm, posing a question director Kwon Oh-seung says many have pondered: what happens when a gun-free society is suddenly armed? The show provides a chilling, action-driven answer, exploring the chaos that erupts when the hypothetical becomes a deadly reality.
An Unlikely Alliance in the Face of Anarchy
At the heart of the storm are two men on opposite sides of the law, bound by the escalating crisis. Kim Nam-gil, an actor known for his physically demanding roles, portrays Yi-do, a police detective with a past as a military sniper. Haunted by his history, Yi-do operates with a firm belief that violence is not the answer, making his approach to law enforcement restrained and observational. He is a man who questions whether picking up a gun is ever the right way to protect someone, a conflict that defines his every move. His name, Yi-do, was chosen by the director to symbolize the two divergent paths of his life. He is forced to confront his past when he must track the source of the illicit weapons that are tearing his country apart.
His reluctant partner is Moon-baek, played by Kim Young-kwang, who has recently built a reputation for portraying complex, morally ambiguous characters. Moon-baek is a pivotal figure in the arms underworld, a man whose carefree and unpredictable exterior conceals a meticulous and calculating mind. In a twist that subverts genre expectations, it is Moon-baek who provides Yi-do with a critical clue to jumpstart the investigation, forging a tense and uncertain alliance. His motives remain shrouded in mystery, and his name hints at a difficult past and a true nature that will only be revealed as the crisis deepens.
The Architect of Tension
The series is the creation of writer-director Kwon Oh-seung, who previously gained international acclaim for his psychological thriller Midnight. That film, a relentless cat-and-mouse chase between a serial killer and a hearing-impaired woman, showcased Kwon’s talent for building suspense through clever sound design, fast-paced action, and a sharp focus on societal vulnerabilities. He brings a similar sensibility to Trigger, using the framework of an action thriller to conduct a psychological and social examination. Kwon has emphasized that the series is less about the spectacle of gunplay and more about the people who wield the weapons and their motivations. The director’s stated keyword for the series is “empathy,” aiming to explore the circumstances that push individuals to extremes while ultimately condemning those choices. The result is a cautionary tale that deconstructs the allure of violence rather than celebrating it.
A Society’s Moral Crossroads
Trigger expands its narrative into a series of interconnected moral fables, examining how different segments of society react to the sudden acquisition of power. The tagline, “Everyone has a trigger inside them,” is explored through a diverse ensemble cast. Gil Hae-yeon portrays Oh Gyeong-sook, a mother grieving the death of her son in an industrial accident, whose one-woman protest is complicated by the arrival of a weapon. Park Hoon plays Gu Jeong-man, a low-level operative for a criminal organization who sees the gun he receives as an “opportunity” to climb a social ladder he felt was previously inaccessible. Woo Ji-hyun appears as Yoon Jeong-tae, a student buckling under the pressure of civil service exams, representing an ordinary person suddenly faced with an extraordinary and dangerous choice. These characters serve as case studies, illustrating the series’ thesis that the introduction of a gun can activate the latent frustrations, grief, and ambitions simmering beneath the surface of a modern society.
A Sobering Reflection of Reality
The premise of Trigger is especially resonant in South Korea, where strict gun laws are a point of national pride and a cornerstone of public safety. Civilian gun ownership is effectively illegal, with the few exceptions for hunters and athletes requiring weapons to be stored at local police stations. Even police officers are not typically armed on patrol. The series taps into a deep-seated cultural fear by dismantling this fundamental assurance of safety. The show’s release has been made more poignant by a recent tragic shooting in Incheon, where a man used a homemade gun. The incident prompted the production to cancel a live fan event out of respect. At a press conference, director Kwon Oh-seung expressed his condolences while carefully distinguishing the show’s narrative from the real-world tragedy. He stressed that the series does not glorify violence, stating his hope that it will make viewers “appreciate that South Korea is a safe country precisely because we don’t have guns.” This unforeseen event has cast a somber light on the series, elevating it from speculative fiction to a timely and vital piece of social commentary.
Trigger is a 10-episode limited series produced by Bidangil Pictures, the company behind acclaimed films like The Chaser and A Werewolf Boy. All episodes of the series premiered globally on Netflix on July 25, 2025.
