MBC Under Heavy Fire After Using Sewol Ferry Clips To Joke About Television Host
MBC is currently facing heavy backlash for inappropriately using news clips from the tragic Sewol ferry disaster during a recent comedic broadcast for Omniscient Interfering View.
On April 16, 2014, passenger ferry Sewol was en route to Jeju Island from Incheon, when it sank while carrying 476 people, mostly secondary school students from Danwon High School. In total, 304 lives were lost and 154 people were injured.
During Lee Young Ja‘s segment on Omniscient Interfering View, clips that were originally used to report on the Sewol incident were edited to comically talk about Lee Young Ja eating fish cakes.
The screenshot on top was aired during Omniscient Interfering View with a caption that reads “[News Flash] Lee Young Ja Makes Shocking Confession While Eating Fish Cakes.” The bottom screenshot is the original source from the news report on the Sewol ferry tragedy.
Not only were viewers appalled by the improper use of the source material, but the correlation to “fish cakes”. An insensitive netizen community is known to have negatively termed victims of the Sewol incident as “fish cakes”.
The screenshot on top was aired during Omniscient Interfering View with a caption that reads “[News Flash] Lee Young Ja Makes Shocking Confession While Eating Fish Cakes.” The bottom screenshot is the original source from the news report on the Sewol ferry tragedy, with a caption that reads “Ferry with 500 passengers sinking in the ocean near Jindo.”
Due to the overwhelming shock viewers received from the broadcast, a representative revealed that Lee Young Ja will not be participating in next week’s filming of Omniscient Interfering View.
“Lee Young Ja has received a lot of shock from the recent broadcast of ‘Omniscient Interfering View.’ She has told the production crew that it would be difficult for her to attend next week’s recording.” — Lee Young Ja’s Representative
In response to the controversy, the production crew of the show released an official statement, apologizing for what they claim to be an oversight.
“We sincerely apologize to the families of the Sewol ferry victims, and to the viewers. The news clip that was broadcast was given to the employee in charge of the scene already blurred, so they did not recognize the situation while working on post-production. It was used in the final broadcast, and we have caused trouble.” — Production Crew
MBC President Choi Seung Ho has also released a statement due to the amount of scrutiny MBC is currently receiving.
“I apologize to the family members of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy, as well as the viewers. MBC is going to thoroughly investigate the incident by forming an emergency investigation committee. We will take full responsibility and take strict precautions to prevent similar incidents from happening again.” — Choi Seung Ho
Read the production crew’s official statement below:
“This is the production crew of Omniscient Interfering View.
We sincerely apologize to the families of the Sewol ferry victims, and to the viewers.
The news clip that was broadcast was given to the employee in charge of the scene already blurred out, so they did not recognize the situation while working on post-production. It was used in the final broadcast, and we have caused trouble.
We want to sincerely apologize, and explain our regretful heart.
After recognizing what the scenes were, they were all deleted, from VOD services as well as re-broadcasts.
We will closely investigate how the clip was chosen and blurred, and we will be taking full responsibility. In the future, we will be more strict in checking footage.
We apologize once again to those who were hurt by this.”
— MBC Production Crew
Read MBC President Choi Seung Ho’s statement below:
“I apologize to the family members of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy, as well as the viewers.
On the airing of Omniscient Interfering View on the 5th, Sewol ferry news footage was used.
MBC is going to thoroughly investigate the incident by forming an emergency investigation committee. We will take full responsibility and take strict precautions to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
MBC has regretted a distorted report last December, and has apologized to the family of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy in the past. The fact of another incident has occurred, I am truly sorry for this terrible sadness.
I have personally apologized to Yoo Kyung Geun, the executive chairman of 4.16 Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society, and I promise to carry out a thorough investigation.
Once the results come out, I will personally visit, and apologize again .
Once again, I sincerely apologize to the family members of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy, as well as the viewers.”
— Choi Seung Ho
