Why? The possibility of Sangwoo having been sexually abused has been waved in front of the readers’ face ever since early season 1. Yep, there’s a reason why many people have been writing theories pointing at that for years.
And this proves that it was not a last minute add, it was not merely put in as a shock bonus and it has a precise place in the narrative. Which one?
Sangwoo’s sexual abuse is actually a perfect parallel to Bum’s.
They’re of the same kind but with opposite outcomes.
Bum’s abuse made him even more submissive from one side, but he also kind of turned it into his own coping mechanism. He’s inherently sexual, he’s easily turned on, he uses his hypersexuality as a tool to get benefits, or at least tries to (see all the times he tried to initiate intimate/sexual contact with Sangwoo).
Sangwoo’s abuse, instead, made him incredibly dominant. He perceives sexual passivity as weakness because that’s how he felt when he was sexually abused. Instead of turning it into his own tool like Bum did, he rejects any form of it and the mere thought of switching to a submissive role makes him panic. What he turned into a tool, instead, is the potential he has of being that useless sexual object he felt like when he was abused. He lures in girls (or even men in Kim’s case) who are attracted to his looks because his looks are what made him the object of his mother’s abuse. He ends up punishing them by death because of this, because they were treating him like a sexual object. He doesn’t kill Bum because he proves to not be just after Sangwoo’s looks, since he confesses his love after witnessing him as a serial killer. He keeps having trust issues, he keeps believing Bum is actually only treating him as a sexual object for a long, long time but eventually he stops thinking about this because Bum’s power to keep his mother away made him fall for him, too. He still leaves some hints of this thinking process here and there, though, even in season 3 (trading oral sex on Bum for his perdon).
Below I‘ll point out the moments in the comic that I think show proof (or are at least hints) that Koogi has always had this in mind, so it’s not a last minute choice. I’m pretty sure this aspect of Sangwoo’s backstory was well thought since the beginning (what changed, I think it’s the way his father died, if anything at all). I think that knowing that this has been planned since forever proves that there’s room to believe that it actually serves a purpose in the comic’s narrative.
• In-Universe Hints
• Sangwoo panicks when he’s pushed in a submissive role
This happens especially when it comes to intimacy and sex, and it has been happening ever since season1. It occurs first as early as chapter 5:
Sangwoo initiates this kiss, but he instinctively opens his eyes with a surprised and even lowkey worried expression when Bum doesn’t only decide to be in charge by taking Sangwoo’s hand off his cheek, but he even cups Sangwoo’s cheek with his own. He probably also associated this move with his mother’s behavior, since she also usually cupped his face. Sangwoo also instinctively pushed Bum away after he dominates the kiss:
I’ve been seeing a lot of backlash thrown at Koogi for the recent chapter and it’s really disappointing. Yes, it was obvious that Sangwoo had expierenced sexual abuse from his mother so the confirmation of him having been raped wasn’t much of a surprise. It had been hinted at since season one. Still, it should be considered horrifying that it had happened, and that Sangwoo had to suffer with his abusive mother since even before he was born.
A lot of people are saying they miss the angst and the murder from the first two seasons, but seem to forget that this is also a physiological story. We’re seeing what makes a serial killer. Sangwoo having “mommy issue” isn’t something being thrown at us for no reason. If you look at cases from the real world, a lot of other killers had similar issues resulting from their parents (particularly their mother) (Ed Gein had a super religious mother who forbade him from even thinking about a woman, and in turn he resorted to skinning women and wearing it to appear like his mother).
That being said, we knew from the beginning that he was being haunted by his mother. We know that Bum helps him keep the visions of his mother away. We see him as chapters pass that the more time he spends the Bum, the more he starts seeing Bum as his mother, no matter how hard he tries to deny it. We, as a reader know this. We see it happening, so it doesn’t come to a shock to us. But you know who doesn’t know this?
Bum.
Bum is completely clueless. Even when Sangwoo does actually decide to reveal something about his past, Bums never conscious to actually hear and process the information. For this story to move along, Bum NEEDS to find out about Sangwoos past, just as much as Sangwoo needed to know about his. After the whole Uncle incident, it’s pretty obvious that Sangwoo is on the verge to losing it, especially with the constant flashbacks. If Bum never finds out, then who knows what would happen when Sangwoo actually snaps. Bum would have no way of knowing what to do or say to protect himself, and I think after Sangwoo realizes what he’s done to Bum, he will be totally broken.
Of course, Sangwoo would never actually come out and say that he was being haunted by the memories of his mother and he associate Bum with being her. That’s why it makes since that they were both drunk. We know that Sangwoo has a hard time holding his tongue when he gets like that. And Bum becoming more “dominant” while having sex only brought back the memory of his mother raping him. It just shows how close Sangwoo is close to losing it.
(See how scared/shocked he is that he had outted himself)
Koogi showing their developing relationship isn’t to squash the murder and angst she had in the first two seasons. It may not be as heart stopping as them either. But seeing their developing relationship and Sangwoo slowly losing it is a major plot point to both of their character development. We get to see what makes a serial killer, as well as what’s really makes Bum tick.
The psychological affects of abusing a child and them having to witness abuse themselves is what’s keeping me on my toes, and I don’t know what Koogi is planning to do with this revelation, but I can’t wait for the next chapter. But I commend her for taking this bold step of explaining Sangwoos past in the way she did.
After this chapter of Killing Stalking, I’ve completely flipped who’s viewpoint I see “Killing Me Softly” from.
At first I I obviously thought of it as Bum’s perspective, singing about his infatuation with Sangwoo, despite his abuse. Sangwoo’s quite frankly “strumming his pain”.
But now I see it completely as Sangowoo’s perspective. Bum is Sangwoo’s pain from his past - his mom. He kept torturing Bum for so long because the fact that Bum reminds him of his mom kills him. Bum is telling his story over again - “Telling my whole life with his words”. And now we’re seeing in these recent chapters the legitimate bond between Sangwoo and Bum, making it fitting to the romantic themes in “Killing Me Softly”.
sangwoo -dropped out of school -is acting defeated -“humbled” his hair cut -is being gentle with bum and admitting faults (calling himself an asshole) -actively did something he previously didn’t want to do (blowjob)
OK MY CHILDREN I ALREADY FOUND A NEW HUSBANDO..YEAH IM ON MY WAY TO HELL BECAUSE OF THIS MAN..AND I DONT GIVE A THING ABOUT IT..I RUSH WITH THIS COZ IM SUPER BUSY WITH COMMISSIONS. BUT I REALLY HOPE U LIKE THISBSHUSNDNDNDBDD
