The contact that touched the wounds of the bereaved: it's time for entertainment to learn ethical responsibility
Is this entertainment? The ethics of broadcasting crumbled in the face of tragedy
The actions of the production team of KBS Joy's entertainment program ‘Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller’, which requested to contact the family of the victims of the sinkhole accident in Gangdong District, Seoul, have been met with public criticism. The approach, which seems to utilize the suffering of the bereaved as material, is pointed out as a case where ethical responsibility, which must be upheld in entertainment production, has collapsed.
The fact that the production team of KBS Joy's entertainment program ‘Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller’ proposed participation to the bereaved families of the victims of the sinkhole accident in Gangdong District, Seoul, has sparked growing criticism that cannot be covered by a simple apology. This is not just a case of 'a mistake in contact'; the team's eagerness to pursue an 'issue management' even in the face of tragedy has crossed a line that entertainment programs should not cross.
A sister of the late Mr. Park, referred to as A, revealed the direct message (DM) on the 30th, showing an intense reaction with the words, “Is this entertaining? Is this what entertainment is?” She expressed deep anger at an approach that sought to consume tragedy as content, stating, “If they understood even a little how heavy and sensitive the events my family suffered, there wouldn't have been such a contact.”
In particular, A expressed her feelings in a message saying, “Are you going to bring the dead back to life?” Thus, the contact proposal made to a family that has not yet healed can be thought of as a simple project by someone, but for the parties involved, it was yet another wound.
The production team immediately stated an apology, saying, “It was an unwise judgment. We sincerely apologize to the bereaved families,” and acknowledged that “the cautious proposal may have been perceived as unpleasant.” However, the discomfort was already conveyed to the public. Questions such as “Can entertainment handle their pain?” and “Will consulting with celebrities heal them?” led to cynical responses, and the burden began to weigh heavily on the program's hosts, Seo Jang-hoon and Lee Soo-geun. This controversy over the contact has not only been a simple mistake by the production team but has also significantly damaged the image of the show's hosts, Seo Jang-hoon and Lee Soo-geun.
Among viewers, reactions have poured in with comments like, “Did you touch the bereaved's pain while hiding behind the format of a counseling program?”, and some sharply pointed out, “This is not entertainment, but an ethical issue.” The controversy does not seem to be calming down easily.
This matter is not just a simple case of ‘a mistake in contact’; it recalls the minimum ethics and responsibilities required when entertainment deals with social tragedies. The prudence of the production team is fundamental not only for the program but also to avoid reopening someone's wounds. A person's pain should never become a ‘material’ for broadcasting. While entertainment is a genre that brings laughter, responsibility must come before laughter when dealing with reality.
The production team of 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller' has apologized and noted that they will enhance the contact process in the future, and attention is now on what changes will follow. This incident calls for a complete overhaul of the contact system and ethical standards to prevent similar occurrences.
[Photo] OSEN DB, broadcast capture
[OSEN]