On February 23, his agency SM C&C released an official statement addressing the controversy. The agency said, “We deeply feel the heavy responsibility of having caused pain to the deceased and the grieving family due to some expressions used in the broadcast. Regardless of the context, we should have been more cautious in mentioning the deceased.”
The controversy arises from episode 2 of “Battle of Destinies”, aired February 11. The episode featured a mission in which participants were asked to deduce the cause of death based solely on a photo of the deceased along with their birth and death dates. One of the cases involved the late police sergeant Lee Jae Hyun, who was stabbed to death while apprehending a violent criminal in 2004.
During the segment, a participating shaman speculated on the cause of death using a slang term that refers to stabbing. Summarizing the comment, Jun Hyun Moo repeated the slang expression and added: “A person in uniform… ‘stabbed.’ It’s too direct.” The use of the inappropriate term drew criticism from viewers.
In its statement, SM C&C explained, “Jun Hyun Moo repeated some words while arranging another cast member’s remarks and did not sufficiently consider the appropriateness of the expression. We take seriously the fact that he did not show due respect to the deceased.”
The agency continued, “We sincerely apologize to the deceased and the bereaved family. We also apologize to any viewers who felt discomfort while watching the broadcast. We will conduct an internal review with stricter standards and a stronger sense of responsibility to prevent a recurrence.”
“Battle of Destinies” is a survival format program in which 49 fortune tellers test their skills through various missions. Jun Hyun Moo’s agency concluded the statement by reiterating: “We apologize once again deeply.”
Sources: Sports Khan (Kyunghyang), SM C&C official statement
