Disney+ ‘Goldland’ is grabbing attention with its fresh concept and the actors’ impressive performances, but some are scratching their heads over the lack of detail in its core setting. Specifically, the process of exchanging 150 billion won worth of gold bars, which should be a source of tension, is portrayed as far too simple.
‘Goldland’ explores the desires and choices of characters revolving around massive gold bars. At the heart of the story is the process of splitting a 10kg gold bar to turn it into cash. In the show, Kim Hee-joo (Park Bo-young) and Woo-gi (Kim Sung-cheol) use a local jeweler to split the 10kg bar into ten 1kg pieces, then sell them to gold shops for cash, receiving about 150 million won per bar. While it might seem natural on the surface, this process is practically impossible in reality.
Gold bars aren’t just simple lumps of gold. Most officially distributed gold bars include unique serial numbers and certification information, which are managed within national and distribution systems. In other words, it is nearly impossible to arbitrarily split a gold mass, assign new numbers, and release them into the market. Since gold shops verify the source when trading high-value gold, any irregularities can be spotted just by checking the serial number.
Some even say that trading gold bars is more difficult than trading drugs. In real life, you couldn’t cash out hundreds or thousands of billions of won in a short period like in ‘Goldland.’ Instead, you’d have to sell them off as gold necklaces or rings over several decades. Even then, it would be hard to completely avoid police tracking.
The issue with ‘Goldland’ is that it relies heavily on dramatic license for the gold exchange, which is the most important axis of the narrative. The problem is that this license is stretched too far. Because the setting lacks tension, the direction unfortunately loses its persuasiveness.
What keeps the show going despite the loose settings is the acting. Thanks to the realistic performances of characters turning dark in the face of gold, viewers can somewhat overlook the far-fetched plot.
While the early parts of ‘Goldland’ are supported by an interesting subject and passionate acting, it leaves something to be desired in terms of detail. In particular, many viewers have reacted with disbelief, noting the gap between reality and the gold exchange setting that forms the foundation of the work.
The production team chose the safety net of dramatic license over immersion and probability, but because that gap is too wide, it leaves a sense of alienation instead of tension. We look forward to seeing if the narrative persuasion can be maintained until the end to cover up these plot holes.
