Taiwan Broadcast Uses Korean 'Asiana' Model in Coverage of Chinese Plane Crash

Taiwan FTV broadcast screen. / Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A Taiwanese terrestrial broadcaster used a model of an Asiana Airlines passenger plane while explaining the China Eastern Airlines passenger plane crash incident. Asiana Airlines protested, and the broadcast was set to private on YouTube and other platforms.

On the 22nd, Taiwanese terrestrial broadcaster FTV reported on the China Eastern Airlines passenger plane crash. In the broadcast, former passenger plane pilot Mr. A used a passenger plane model to explain the defect parts of the crashed plane.

However, during this process, Mr. A was holding a model of an Asiana Airlines passenger plane, a domestic airline unrelated to the China Eastern Airlines crash. The front of the model plane bore the English logo "Asiana Airlines," and the tail fin was decorated with seven colorful stripes symbolizing Asiana Airlines in red, blue, and yellow, along with the Taegeukgi (South Korean flag).

This scene was broadcasted as is, and netizens who saw it shared the broadcast content on online communities, criticizing the broadcaster.

Asiana Airlines also took immediate action upon learning of the controversy. The Asiana Airlines Taiwan branch protested to the broadcaster, and the video was reportedly set to private on YouTube.

Meanwhile, China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735, carrying 123 passengers and 9 crew members, crashed on the 21st while en route from Kunming, Yunnan Province to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, near a mountainous area in Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Chinese authorities announced on the 26th that they had identified 120 of the deceased.

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