The family of the victim of the sinkhole accident in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu expressed anger over the excessive solicitation by a broadcasting station.
On the 30th, Ms. A, the younger sister of the sinkhole victim Mr. Park in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, revealed through her personal account a direct message (DM) she received recently.
The disclosed DM contained a solicitation message from the production team of KBS JOY's entertainment program 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller.' The production team suggested, "Our program is a counseling program where Lee Soo-geun and Seo Jang-hoon provide advice to ordinary people about their concerns. We saw the contents of the reels you posted as a bereaved family member of the sinkhole accident on your account, and we cautiously wanted to ask if you would be willing to receive counseling regarding what you shared."
In response, Ms. A asked, "Are you having fun? Are you mocking us? Is this incident a source of entertainment? Isn't this tarnishing the faces of the panelists? Is this something that makes sense?" She also expressed her anger by saying, "Do broadcasting stations or media companies have many people with such abnormal reasoning? I'm genuinely curious about this."
She further criticized, "Let’s not tarnish the efforts and attention of the journalists and writers who genuinely care about this incident," adding, "I've tolerated so much, but this is too much."
Regarding this, the production team of 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller' stated, "We apologize for not considering that our cautious inquiry for solicitation might be perceived as unpleasant. Our program, apart from being an entertainment program, is a 'counseling program' that deals with the concerns of a variety of people," and they sent another DM.
The production team explained, "Therefore, we have previously made solicitation proposals to assist individuals who were affected by sensitive social issues. We kindly clarify that the intention was not merely for a solicitation for an entertainment program as you might think. We once again extend our sincere apologies and express our condolences."
However, Ms. A questioned the production team, saying, "Who doesn't know it’s a counseling program? Do you think my current situation is suitable for your show? I would like to ask. In what way can my current situation be presented on your show to obtain help? Are you going to bring back the dead?" She added, "If you understood even a little how heavy and sensitive the matter my family is facing is, you wouldn't have made the solicitation itself in this way."
In response, the production team of 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller' told OSEN, "It is true that we contacted the bereaved family of the sinkhole victims. We later acknowledged that this was an imprudent decision and apologized to the bereaved families," adding, "Moving forward, 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller' will strengthen its solicitation process while producing the program."
Meanwhile, on March 25, a sinkhole with a diameter of 20 meters occurred on Dongnam-ro in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, resulting in the death of a 30-year-old male motorcycle driver, while one driver of a Carnival vehicle was injured and transported to the hospital.
[Photo] Poster capture, SNS
[OSEN]