The drama reality of making no sense
Am through episode 7 of Fashion 70s and am thoroughly confused as to why the (apparently evil) CIA has kidnapped Dong-Young and plan to take him to US for trial and conviction (as the drama seems to find judicial process a formality, for some odd reason).
As far as I can understand:
* Dong-Young is a Korean government employee in some capacity working for Korean President. He might also be in Korean military
* Dong-Young is pushing to have a nuclear facility built (whether for peaceful or other purposes is left open)
* When he comes back from his scouting trip to a remote Korean island for a location for that facility (btw, I loled so very hard when he was all "such a beautiful island blahblahblah" because yeah, it was so beautiful he wanted to put a nuclear plant on it! I am such a peacenik, I guess), CIA literally grab him off the street to interrogate as to his intentions and to his meetings with some American scientists one of whom they want to try, presumably for treason or selling secrets.
So far, so good, if more than bizarre - yes, I know Korea was a satellite, but grabbing a highly placed Government official off the street? And it's not as if they were secretive about it - they left the girl he was walking with alone to go and report to anyone (after they stated they were from the CIA, no less) and they plan to take him to the US for witnessing and trial. WTF?
But here is where my comprehension breaks down utterly and I am left with total bewilderment:
* Are they planning to try a Korean citizen for actions he did in Korea? How? That's not legal under any law of the United States. Or if they presume he suborned some American scientist in America, fine they can try him. If they get him to the United States. And no, kidnapping him off the streets in Korea doesn't count. This case would be a jurisdictional nightmare. Especially since they don't seem to have any evidence of Dong-Young doing anything wrong. Talking to a scientist without indication of more, or a push for a nuclear plant are not punishable offenses in the US.
* Actually, you can't criminally try someone for building a nuclear plant - the prohibition on nukes is by treaty - that is why countries do sanctions etc and don't just haul random engineers into court.
* Also, since Korea is a friendly Government, presumably just telling the President to get this guy fired is enough (as President seems aware of the situation). Not to mention they want Dong-Young as a witness in that scientist's case AND to prosecute him? At the same time? How? Why? Is it some other US I am not aware of that has weird alternate laws? Why do they need him as a witness if he doesn't admit anything and can just plead the 5th (especially since they SAID they will prosecute him). They don't need him as a witness to just say 'scientist such-and-such met with foreigners and sold them stuff, see photos/statements of others for proof' and he is not going to talk so it's useless to have him as a witness. As to trying him - see above. Not to mention that he strikes me as in no danger even if by some miracle the case ended up going all the way to trial. Charging someone and convicting them is a hugely different thing. Especially since you get a jury in a criminal trial and they have no evidence.
* OK, fine, the CIA (and by extention US) is willing to create the strain that dragging off a relatively highly placed Korean government official is going to place on US-Korea relations, but for someone for whom they have no evidence of doing anything wrong and it would be a huge stretch to even think did anything dangerous (can you imagine the scandal?). Whatever. But the Korean Government is all "we won't mention it to CIA and complain because we don't want to ruffle feathers" but is OK with holding CIA agents at gunpoint to kidnap Dong-Young back. What, they think the CIA agents won't figure out who did it? Well, seeing how bright they are here, maybe they won't. I am willing to buy Dong-Young's highly placed Daddy got desperate and acted on his own, but why does neither he nor Dong-Young worry about the fallout? (I haven't seen far enough to know whether Dong-Young's Daddy's head will roll for this piece of cowboyism but if it doesn't, that's another WTF).
Seriously, that whole subplot MADE NO SENSE IN ANY WAY AT ALL. it would have made more sense if they tried to secretly assassinate him, even. Now, if they wanted to charge him with butchering of the English language...
Maybe I am just bitter about the fact that the CIA agents gave him a sandwich and sat him in a chair. Yeah, there was some yelling but come on, where are my manpainy beatdowns?
But I guess it was all their way to get him to live on Duh Mi's island and carry her on his back while he is wet and she is PTSDing. OK, I can live with that :)
As far as I can understand:
* Dong-Young is a Korean government employee in some capacity working for Korean President. He might also be in Korean military
* Dong-Young is pushing to have a nuclear facility built (whether for peaceful or other purposes is left open)
* When he comes back from his scouting trip to a remote Korean island for a location for that facility (btw, I loled so very hard when he was all "such a beautiful island blahblahblah" because yeah, it was so beautiful he wanted to put a nuclear plant on it! I am such a peacenik, I guess), CIA literally grab him off the street to interrogate as to his intentions and to his meetings with some American scientists one of whom they want to try, presumably for treason or selling secrets.
So far, so good, if more than bizarre - yes, I know Korea was a satellite, but grabbing a highly placed Government official off the street? And it's not as if they were secretive about it - they left the girl he was walking with alone to go and report to anyone (after they stated they were from the CIA, no less) and they plan to take him to the US for witnessing and trial. WTF?
But here is where my comprehension breaks down utterly and I am left with total bewilderment:
* Are they planning to try a Korean citizen for actions he did in Korea? How? That's not legal under any law of the United States. Or if they presume he suborned some American scientist in America, fine they can try him. If they get him to the United States. And no, kidnapping him off the streets in Korea doesn't count. This case would be a jurisdictional nightmare. Especially since they don't seem to have any evidence of Dong-Young doing anything wrong. Talking to a scientist without indication of more, or a push for a nuclear plant are not punishable offenses in the US.
* Actually, you can't criminally try someone for building a nuclear plant - the prohibition on nukes is by treaty - that is why countries do sanctions etc and don't just haul random engineers into court.
* Also, since Korea is a friendly Government, presumably just telling the President to get this guy fired is enough (as President seems aware of the situation). Not to mention they want Dong-Young as a witness in that scientist's case AND to prosecute him? At the same time? How? Why? Is it some other US I am not aware of that has weird alternate laws? Why do they need him as a witness if he doesn't admit anything and can just plead the 5th (especially since they SAID they will prosecute him). They don't need him as a witness to just say 'scientist such-and-such met with foreigners and sold them stuff, see photos/statements of others for proof' and he is not going to talk so it's useless to have him as a witness. As to trying him - see above. Not to mention that he strikes me as in no danger even if by some miracle the case ended up going all the way to trial. Charging someone and convicting them is a hugely different thing. Especially since you get a jury in a criminal trial and they have no evidence.
* OK, fine, the CIA (and by extention US) is willing to create the strain that dragging off a relatively highly placed Korean government official is going to place on US-Korea relations, but for someone for whom they have no evidence of doing anything wrong and it would be a huge stretch to even think did anything dangerous (can you imagine the scandal?). Whatever. But the Korean Government is all "we won't mention it to CIA and complain because we don't want to ruffle feathers" but is OK with holding CIA agents at gunpoint to kidnap Dong-Young back. What, they think the CIA agents won't figure out who did it? Well, seeing how bright they are here, maybe they won't. I am willing to buy Dong-Young's highly placed Daddy got desperate and acted on his own, but why does neither he nor Dong-Young worry about the fallout? (I haven't seen far enough to know whether Dong-Young's Daddy's head will roll for this piece of cowboyism but if it doesn't, that's another WTF).
Seriously, that whole subplot MADE NO SENSE IN ANY WAY AT ALL. it would have made more sense if they tried to secretly assassinate him, even. Now, if they wanted to charge him with butchering of the English language...
Maybe I am just bitter about the fact that the CIA agents gave him a sandwich and sat him in a chair. Yeah, there was some yelling but come on, where are my manpainy beatdowns?
But I guess it was all their way to get him to live on Duh Mi's island and carry her on his back while he is wet and she is PTSDing. OK, I can live with that :)