The Korea Communications Standards Commission held a general meeting on the 20th and decided to issue a legal sanction of 'warning' regarding the MBC TV drama 'The Call You Are Making Now,' which has become controversial for allegedly belittling sign language.
The drama aired on Nov. 22 of last year, depicting a scene where the protagonist, a sign language interpreter, expresses the sign for 'mountain,' with the anchor saying, 'You really got the short end of the stick. No, it's 'mountain,' while showing the middle finger, which sparked controversy.
MBC expressed deep remorse and accepted responsibility for the criticism that it harmed the hearing-impaired community, noting that there were no improper intentions involved in dealing with sign language and that it regarded it as an important element of the drama during production. However, the commissioners unanimously decided on a warning, stating, 'General viewers can only think of it as profanity,' and that the production team's inconsiderate techniques trivialized sign language, the sole means of communication for the hearing impaired, causing discomfort.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission also decided on a legal sanction of 'warning' regarding the KBS 2TV program 'Animals Are Amazing,' which aired on Nov. 23 of last year, for glamorizing a dog meat soup restaurant owner who has been slaughtering dogs for consumption for decades.
In its statement, KBS highlighted the family stories amidst the impending end of the dog meat industry and expressed concern over the excessive personal attacks and disruptions against the cast and their families. It emphasized that, as a measure to prevent recurrence, it would only use materials that had been agreed upon for broadcasting if the consent was provided, although it could not avoid legal sanctions.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission also issued an administrative guidance of 'recommendation' concerning SBS TV's 'Running Man,' MBC TV's 'How Do You Play?,' and KBS 2TV's '1 Night 2 Days,' which faced issues due to the use of profanity.
The decisions made by the Korea Communications Standards Commission are categorized into 'no issues,' administrative guidance stages of 'opinions presented' and 'recommendations,' and legal sanctions such as 'warnings,' 'cautions,' 'program corrections, modifications, or suspensions,' 'penalty surcharges,' and 'discipline for involved personnel.' Legal sanctions are recognized as major penalties, affecting the renewal and reapproval of broadcasting licenses.