Seoul Sinkhole Victim’s Family Accuses Popular KBS Show Of Mocking Their Tragedy
On March 24, KST, a 20-meter-wide sinkhole suddenly opened up on Dongnam-ro in Myeongil-dong. A man in his 30s, who was riding a motorcycle, fell into the sinkhole and was tragically killed. Recently, a bereaved family member of the victim accused a popular KBS variety show of being insensitive about this tragic incident.
On April 30, KST, a family member of Mr. Park, the late victim of the sinkhole accident, shared a screenshot of a message she received from a production crew member from the variety show Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller on social media. The program, which stars comedians Lee Soo Geun and Seo Jang Hoon, deals with ordinary citizens who share their life’s troubles on camera for on-air concealing.
The DM sent by the show’s production team asked Mr. Park’s relative, identified as “A,” if the bereaved family would like to appear on the show and receive counseling. “A responded to the message through their caption, angrily asking, “Is this fun? Are you mocking us? Is this incident entertaining?”
“A” further expressed their anger at the show’s request, which they clearly saw as an insensitive attempt to minimize the bereaved family’s pain and package it into entertainment.
The post brought scathing criticism from netizens toward the show’s producers, as most people felt that they had crossed a line. Soon after, on May 1, KST, the producer acknowledged in a statement to Sports Kyunghyang that they had reached out to “A” and admitted that it was an inappropriate request.
In the same statement, they also revealed that the production team had sent a sincere apology to the family member through DM.
Hello, this is the production team of Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller.
First of all, we are contacting you again to apologize for not considering how our casting request might feel inappropriate or upsetting.
Our program, apart from being an entertainment show that makes viewers laugh, is also a ‘concern counseling’ platform that addresses a wide range of personal concerns shared by individuals from all walks of life. In that spirit, we have in the past extended casting invitations to those who have been affected by sensitive current events, with the hope that we might provide some support or comfort.
We want to clarify that our intent in reaching out was not merely for entertainment purposes, as you might have assumed, but came from a more sincere place.
Once again, we extend our deepest condolences and apologies to you, who must still be in deep sorrow.
— The apology above
In a follow-up statement, the production team also vowed to improve their internal casting procedure and offered yet another formal apology to the bereaved family.
