Battle of destinies has issued an official apology and announced a new change following controversy over alleged disrespect towards deceased civil servants.
On February 27, the production team released a formal statement addressing the issue. “We honor the noble sacrifices of the late fire captain Kim Cheol Hong and the late senior police officer Lee Jae Hyun. We also extend our gratitude to the firefighters and police officers who continue to risk their lives for the safety of our citizens,” we read in the press release. “The production team listened carefully to the grieving families and related parties. In accordance with their wishes, we have decided to re-edit the relevant portion.”
They continued, “We once again sincerely apologize to the grieving families, firefighters, police officers and viewers who were hurt by our shortcomings and negligence. We will take all feedback to heart and strengthen our production process moving forward.”
The controversy began after the show featured firefighter Kim Cheol Hong, who died in the 2001 Hongje-dong fire in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, as a deceased subject in one of its segments. Soothsayers on the program speculated on the circumstances of his death, mentioning possibilities such as fire, collapse or crushing injuries. Host Jun Hyun Moo drew further criticism after referring to the cause of death of a fallen police officer and using a slang expression deemed inappropriate.
After the broadcast, the Korean Government Employees Trade Union Federation of firefighters released a statement on February 19 titled: “The death of a fallen firefighter cannot be used as entertainment content” demanding an official apology.
In response, the production team said on February 20 that they would do so “humbly accept criticism” and offered a sincere apology to the grieving families and other firefighters who were injured. Jun Hyun Moo also bowed his head to apologize through his agency, SM C&C, stating: “Regardless of the context, I should have been more careful when talking about the deceased.”
Sources: Daum
