SUMMARY: A politician who is slowly but surely climbing the ladder of success gets appointed as the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Can anything complicate, slow down, or stop her from climbing higher? Hmm? What IF her husband goes missing?
In “Political Fever”, Lee Jung-eun is an Olympic gold medalist who decided on a career in politics. Her friend Cha Jung-Won opened the door for her, and she served in the same political party alongside her friend in the Assembly. But then she left the party. Let’s just say their ideologies did not align. As the new Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee Jung-eun, wants to establish a CS Investigation Unit.
Certain athletes were brave enough to report that they had been abused by people they trusted in the sports industry, like their coaches or doctors. But Lee Jung-eun noted that the process for addressing the assaults on the athletes was lacking. Via the CS Investigation Unit, she would streamline the process so that action could be taken promptly for the victim and appropriate punitive action rendered.
Lee Jung-eun wanted to set up an advisory committee and introduce that group to the public. There would also be a victim or victims who would talk about their trauma, the process they had to go through, and their current state. The presentations by both the group and the victim(s) should convince the public of the critical need for the CS Investigation Unit. However, during the press conference, she got her first taste of ruthless political maneuvering and the sting of betrayal.
Her “friend”, Cha Jung-Won, was supposed to be a member of the advisory committee but had no intention of supporting Lee Jung-eun’s efforts. Why should she? They were no longer members of the same political party, and if the CS Investigation Unit is a success, Lee Jung-eun might rise in the political arena and excel. If that happens, Cha Jung-Won might lose her “place” and her “power”.
Nobody else showed up either, except a politician who was not welcome because he was linked to a scandal. Thus, on the day of the presentation, the advisory committee consisted of ONLY Lee Jung-eun. Clearly, it was going to be hard to convince the public when she couldn’t even get political support.
To compound the disappointment, behind the scenes, one of the aides on Lee Jung-eun’s team of assistants offended the victim who had shown up to participate in the presentation. The real victim refused to follow the aide’s directions and, of course, yelled at Lee Jung-eun because she believed the aide was following her orders. But Lee Jung-eun was clueless. If that wasn’t bad enough, the aide then tried to get someone else to take the place of the victim and pretend. Lee Jung-eun would not allow her noble effort to start by deceiving the public, using a fake victim.
This was a hot mess! No advisory committee AND no victim? Did the CS Investigation Unit fail before it even started? Hardly. Lee Jung-eun was an Olympic gold medalist. She didn’t win the gold by having a defeatist attitude. She had a fighting, winning spirit!
The advisory committee became a committee of ONE, and the victim was HERSELF. Lee Jung-eun’s husband, Kim Sung-Nam, was a Political Commentator and a vocal political critic. Privately, she had confided in him, and he was the only one who knew her story. He had advised her to go public, but she hesitated. She decided that it was the right time for the public to know. So she told the story that she had kept private for years about how she had been abused by her coach.
This was the real reason why she so desperately wanted to establish the CS Investigation Unit. However, she needed to convince the public of its necessity and persuade those in politics who had the authority to make it happen. The reporters latched on to her true story and intended to ensure that the public was informed. But the politicians who could help? Lee Jung-eun had walked into a den of wolves and was going to get a bitter taste of the ruthless, manipulative world of political games.
If only her personal life did not interfere with her political career.
Kim Soo-Jin was her closest aide. He wasn’t just an aide; he was a loyal ally. An ally who happened to see a private message on her personal phone and didn’t know how to tell her what he saw. To make matters worse, her husband attempted to call her, but Kim Soo-Jin answered her phone. All he heard was a scream, and then the phone call was abruptly interrupted. WHAT JUST HAPPENED? (O.o)
Eventually, Lee Jung-eun had to make an announcement. While attending a press conference to answer questions about the CS Investigation Unit, she said that she needed to tell the public what was going on in her personal life. She stated:
Obviously, her statement touched off a media frenzy, but what would be the impact in the farcical world of heartless, ambitious politicians and wacky bureaucrats?
My personal rating is 8.5 out of 10 stars.
“Political Fever” is a black comedy and political satire, just like they said it would be. The K-drama offers a satirical and humorous look at South Korea’s political landscape. If you like this genre you will love this series.
The Weekend Binge: “Political Fever” | gwenchanoona
If You Want Something Different, You Might Like… Political Fever · r/kdramarecommends | Reddit
TV, KOCOWA. “Political Fever • Teaser l Can Lee Hak Joo Make Kim Sung Ryung into a Minister? [ENG SUB].” YouTube, Video, 28 Apr. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbJTH5fee4.
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