Handwritten Apology Useless... Broadcasting Industry on Alert Over School Violence and Infidelity Allegations

'Heart Signal' Igaheun & 'If You're Jealous, You Lose' PD Kim Yujin, School Violence Controversy
'Save Me Holmes' Apologizes for Adultery Couple Appearance
Expert: "Participants Should Self-Restrain Through Contract Terms"

Channel A's 'Heart Signal 3' cast member Lee Ga-heun embroiled in school violence controversy. Photo by Channel A 'Heart Signal 3' broadcast screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Recently, as unsavory pasts such as school violence and infidelity allegations of non-celebrity broadcast participants have come to light, demands for their withdrawal have surged. Although the parties involved have shown remorse by releasing handwritten apology letters, the critical public opinion has not subsided. As a result, the broadcasting industry is effectively on high alert, discussing cast replacements. Experts have suggested that participants should voluntarily refrain from appearing through contract conditions.

Recently, Lee Gaheun, a cast member of Channel A's 'Heart Signal 3,' became embroiled in a school violence controversy. A, who claimed to have been a victim of school violence by Lee Gaheun, expressed her feelings in an interview with a media outlet on the 28th, saying, "The person who gave me a nightmare is laughing on the broadcast. Sometimes the appraisal of that person is 'a peerless beauty.' The sanitized image of Lee Gaheun came to me as a second nightmare."

Previously, allegations that Lee Gaheun had committed school violence surfaced even before the program aired. However, the production team explained, "We confirmed the facts through multiple channels, and some claims related to the cast members are not true," and proceeded with the broadcast as scheduled.

A stated that she had difficulty expressing her position because she was sued for defamation by Lee Gaheun's side for spreading false information. She expressed her frustration, saying, "It was absurd and ridiculous. When articles denying Lee Gaheun's school violence were released, I, the victim, became the perpetrator. The roles were reversed."

Chef Lee Won-il's fianc?e, PD Kim Yujin / Photo by MBC, screenshot from the broadcast of 'If You Are Envious, You Lose'

Recently, MBC also struggled with a school violence controversy involving a non-celebrity participant. Chef Lee Wonil and his wife, PD Kim Yujin, recently appeared on MBC's entertainment program 'If You Envy, You Lose,' but Kim PD voluntarily withdrew due to the school violence controversy.

The controversy originated from a post published on an online community on the afternoon of the 21st. On 'Nate Pann,' a post titled "'If You Envy' Celebrity Lookalike Fianc?e PD is a Perpetrator of Group Assault" was uploaded.

The author claimed to have been subjected to group assault by 8 to 10 people, including Kim PD, in 2008. The author specifically said, "The fianc?e PD hit my head while I was crying in a karaoke room, pushed my face hard, and looked at me sarcastically saying, 'Hey, crying? Why are you crying? What did you do to cry?' I repeat, the fianc?e PD was definitely there."

He added, "There are comments saying 'This is a lie' or 'The post was made out of envy for the PD,' but I am not someone who envies such fame. Despite this incident, Kim PD never once apologized to me before appearing on the broadcast or in life, and seeing her appear happily on TV was hard to watch, so I posted this."

Subsequently, Chef Lee Wonil posted a handwritten apology on his social network service (SNS). On the 22nd, he said, "First, I bow my head and apologize for causing discomfort due to the controversy related to my fianc?e, PD Kim Yujin," and added, "Regardless of the facts, I feel heavy-hearted as it reminds me of painful wounds." He withdrew from all broadcasts, including KBS2's 'Newly Launched Pyeonstorang.'

Kim PD also issued a handwritten statement, saying, "First, I sincerely bow my head and apologize for the school violence controversy related to me. Regardless of the truth, I sincerely apologize to the victims who were hurt and have not forgotten the pain for a long time because of my actions. I am sorry," and added, "I believe that apologizing to those hurt is more important than my explanation right now, and I will contact them directly to apologize."

Photo by 'Save Me! Holmes' preview video capture

Earlier, on the 12th, infidelity allegations were raised against cast members of MBC's 'Save Me! Holmes.' In the 54th episode preview of the program, a soon-to-be-married couple client appeared. However, after the preview aired, netizens raised suspicions of an extramarital affair through online communities, and eventually, the production team edited out the couple's scenes entirely from the broadcast.

The production team stated on the 17th, "Today, we came across reports related to the client of 'Save Me! Holmes' scheduled to air this week. Although we conducted pre-interviews, due to the nature of the program, it is difficult to accurately verify personal private matters," and added, "After much consideration, the production team decided to edit out all scenes featuring the client."

Experts suggested that instead of establishing a verification system, participants should voluntarily refrain from appearing through contract conditions. Jung Deokhyun, a popular culture critic, said, "Whether celebrities or non-celebrities, many past controversies are emerging. This is because the media environment itself has changed," and analyzed, "In the past, there were not many spaces to reveal stories like school violence. But now, anyone can expose such matters through internet bulletin boards."

He continued, "It is realistically difficult to establish a verification system," and said, "If they do not disclose their past themselves, there is no way to reveal it. Therefore, the only solution is through contracts. Contract terms should include provisions that participants will bear corresponding consequences if certain incidents occur in the future. By seeing these clauses, participants should voluntarily refrain from appearing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.