Gwangju Building Collapse Victims' Families Say They Are "Sad and Angry" Over 'Penthouse' Video

Use of Disaster Site Footage in Drama News
Bereaved Families: "False Rumors Spread That Construction Company Apartment Was Received"

SBS drama 'Penthouse' news report scene (above) and the site of the Gwangju building collapse disaster that occurred on June 9 / Photo by SBS

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The bereaved families of the Gwangju building collapse disaster, which claimed the lives of nine people, expressed their sorrow and anger over the controversy surrounding the SBS drama 'Penthouse' video. Earlier, SBS's 'Penthouse' faced strong backlash after it was revealed that scenes of various accidents, including the building collapse disaster, were used in the drama.

The representatives of the bereaved families issued a statement on the 5th, saying, "We are enduring sorrow and pain while striving to establish institutional improvements, hoping that backward-country-type disasters and accidents causing innocent citizens to lose their lives will not be repeated."

They also lamented the secondary damage caused by the spread of false information related to compensation payments. The bereaved families emphasized, "Malicious rumors are spreading that we received large sums of money and even apartments from the construction company as compensation," adding, "Currently, not a single person has received any compensation from the responsible companies."

The controversy arose from a scene in SBS's 'Penthouse 3' broadcast on the 3rd. In the episode, the character Joo Dan-tae uses a bomb to demolish Hera Palace.

Although the building collapse scene itself was handled with computer graphics (CG), the subsequent in-drama news report scene caused issues. Footage from the SBS 8 o'clock news in June showing the actual site of the Gwangju building collapse accident was used in the drama. Additionally, there were allegations that scenes showing evacuees in an auditorium during the 2017 Pohang earthquake were also included.

After the broadcast, the viewer board was flooded with critical posts from netizens protesting against the production team. / Photo by Internet Homepage Capture

After the broadcast, the drama’s viewer board was flooded with criticism from netizens. Viewers who watched the episode voiced comments such as, "Are you out of your mind?", "It has been less than three months since the accident, and the bereaved families are still grieving and suffering," "Is a social tragedy only material for drama footage?", and "Issue a formal apology."

Amid growing criticism, the 'Penthouse' production team posted a statement on the drama’s official website, bowing their heads and saying, "We sincerely apologize to the victims and families of the Gwangju Hakdong collapse accident, the victims and families of the Pohang earthquake, and all applicants." It was reported that the controversial scenes were deleted from internet replays, VOD videos, and other rebroadcasts.

Meanwhile, the Gwangju building collapse disaster occurred on June 9th in the redevelopment area of Hakdong, Dong-gu. At that time, a five-story building under demolition collapsed, crushing a nearby city bus, resulting in nine deaths and eight serious injuries among the passengers.

The Pohang earthquake occurred on November 15, 2017. The magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the Heunghae-eup area, causing 92 injuries and around 2,000 displaced people. The evacuees had to stay in tents set up at a temporary shelter in the Heunghae Indoor Gymnasium.

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