Variety Show Issues Official Statement After Allegedly Insulting Fallen Police Officer And Firefighter

The production team of Disney+ variety show Battle Of Fates has issued an official statement over the controversy involving disrespect toward a deceased police officer and firefighter during a mission where participants guessed the causes of death.

On the 24th, Battle Of Fates issued a statement saying, “We sincerely apologize to the fallen officers, the bereaved families, colleagues, and all those troubled by this issue for the inappropriate language and descriptions that appeared when a shaman on the program made fortunes without knowing the deceased.”

The production team added, “We mourn those who passed away on the show and extend our deepest condolences and respect to their families. We are currently listening carefully to the bereaved families, apologizing for not being considerate beforehand, and working toward resolution.”

They continued, “We will exercise greater care throughout the production of future broadcasts by strengthening internal review and production processes. We apologize deeply once again.”

Battle Of Fates is a survival variety show where 49 fortune-tellers complete different missions to test their fate. In episode 2, released on the 11th, a mission involved guessing the cause of death of the late officer Lee Jae Hyun, who died in the line of duty during the arrest of a violent criminal in 2004.

In the same episode, some cast members mentioned possibilities such as fire, collapse, or suffocation when discussing the cause of death of the late firefighter Kim Cheol Hong, who died in a fire in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, in 2001, leading to complaints from his family and the firefighters’ union.