The May 13th broadcast of “Smoking Gun” features the episode titled “I Will Go Finish Things Myself – Why Did the Father Kill His Son?”.
On a scorching summer day in 1762, the body of a man was found inside a wooden chest placed in the center of a household courtyard. The box had been sealed shut with tightly nailed boards and bound with thick rope. Inside, the man slowly met his end—this man was Crown Prince Sado, the son of King Yeongjo, the 21st monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. Sado died in an unimaginably horrific manner, reportedly because he had murdered over 100 people over a five-year period and even planned to assassinate his own father.
As a child, Crown Prince Sado was exceptionally bright and earned high expectations from his father. But at some point, he began to exhibit bizarre behavior. He reportedly killed up to six people in a single day and engaged in lewd acts with courtesans and Buddhist nuns day and night. One of the strangest aspects was his aversion to wearing clothes. If he disliked the clothes brought to him, he would kill the servant on the spot.
Kim Chang-yoon, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Ulsan University, diagnosed Sado’s condition as bipolar disorder, stating that his erratic and violent behavior was likely intensified by King Yeongjo’s excessive expectations and harsh upbringing.
Commentator Ahn Hyun-mo lamented, “Though he suffered immensely during his life because of his father, in the end, he had no one to lean on.” Lee Ji-hye added, “The way King Yeongjo imposed intense study and unattainable standards on his young son doesn’t seem much different from today. What Sado truly needed was a warm glance and a few kind words from his father.”
“Smoking Gun” continues to shed light on historical events through a psychological lens, offering viewers a deeper understanding of the human factors behind pivotal moments in Korean history.
