“Twenty Five Twenty One” Stirs Controversy With Use Of 9/11 Tragedy Clip In Latest Episode

In the most recent episode of Twenty Five Twenty One, clips from the 9/11 tragedy were shown, stirring up controversy online. With Baek Yi Jin working in New York as a correspondent, the couple begins a long distance relationship. Na Hee Do, on the other hand, cannot hide her joy at watching the news and seeing her boyfriend on the screen. 

One day, Baek doesn’t show up on the screen and only his voice delivers the news. Hee Do, disappointed that she didn’t get to see his face, receives a phone call from Baek. “I called because I thought you would be disappointed that I didn’t show my face”. Hee Do replied, “How did you know?” This clip has been spread on online community boards and is receiving much criticism.

The problem with the clip was the portrayal of the 9/11 tragedy scene. Although the production team may have wanted to portray the passionate love of the couple in the midst of such a huge tragedy, netizens begged to digger. Netizens felt that they crossed the line in trying to embed the couple’s love story in such a tragic event.

Netizens that watched the episode did not hold back in the comments.

• “Waiting for the 9/11 news to see your boyfriend?”
• “To have the female lead smiling at the TV while a disaster in another country is happening? Is this really the drama I’m watching?”
• “To have this air through Netflix..wow..”
• “This is crossing the line…”
• “They’ve made the female lead look like a psychopath.”