The secret behind the trauma that led to Cha Do Hyun's multiple personality disorder in "Kill Me, Heal Me" is a tragic case of child abuse. And the popularity of that drama, starring Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum, has not only increased awareness of the problem but it inspired a netizen-based effort to support the victims of such abuse.
Spoiler alert: If you have not seen the latest episodes, you may want to skip the rest of this article.
In "Kill Me, Heal Me," Ji Sung's character suffered through a traumatic event that split him into seven personalities. At first he thought he was the victim of his father's abuse. But later episodes of the drama reveal that he only witnessed it but was powerless to stop it and protect his friend.
When he first realizes that his playmate was the abuse victim Cha Do Hyun sobs and thinks about how much she deserved to be loved. That playmate was the young Oh Ri Jin, later played by Hwang Jung Eum.
And in a shocking plot twist it was later revealed that his attempt to stop that abuse was the trigger for the splintering of his personalities. She is the key to healing him because it was his concern for her that splintered his personality.
The revelation was heartbreaking and inspired viewers to make a difference. After viewing the scene in which Ji Sung's character confronts the truth about the abuse, the netizens of DC Inside's Kill Me Heal me gallery began collecting money for an organization that supports child abuse victims. They managed to collect $7,000 in one week.
According to enewsworld, the group has vowed to collect much more than $10,000.
When the drama's director Kim Jin Man learned about the fundraising effort that the drama inspired, he said it was a good thing.
"I hope people can realize the seriousness of child abuse through the drama," he told enewsworld.
"Kill Me Heal Me" may be one of the few k-dramas to approach the subject of child abuse, although it was the primary subject of Gong Yoo's k-movie "Silenced." That film, which was based on the real life story of abuse in a school for deaf children, resulted in legal reform and the reopening of an abuse case, involving multiple children.
"Kill Me Heal Me" fans will continue to raise funds to support abuse victims until March 10. The organization hopes to hand over their funds before the drama ends.
