JTBC Releases Statement About Upcoming Drama “Snowdrop” Denying Suspicions Of Historical Distortion + More

[satoori]

3/26/2021 - JTBC Releases Statement About Upcoming Drama “Snowdrop” Denying Suspicions Of Historical Distortion

Although “Snowdrop” (literal title) has not yet premiered, the drama is coming under suspicions of historical distortion given the drama’s subject matter.

“Snowdrop,” which is scheduled to premiere in the second half of 2021, takes place in Seoul in 1987. It stars Jung Hae In as Soo Ho, a student at a prestigious university who rushes into a female dorm one day covered in blood. BLACKPINK’s Jisoo plays Young Cho, the university student who hides him and takes care of his wounds despite facing danger and close surveillance.

After SBS’s “Joseon Exorcist” came under fire for using Chinese props in a drama set in the Joseon period, netizens have begun to criticize other dramas for historical distortion and/or receiving product placement from Chinese companies. This criticism is also connected to the recent political and cultural friction between Korea and China over elements of traditional Korean culture.

Netizens began criticizing “Snowdrop” after parts of the synopsis began to circulate online. According to these online sources, the male lead is a spy who has infiltrated the activist movement, while another male character is a team leader at the Agency for National Security Planning (NSP) but is described as being straightforward and just.

1987 was a key year in South Korea’s popular democratic movement that led to the establishment of the present-day republic. The Agency for National Security Planning would have been part of the authoritarian regime at the time.

On March 26, JTBC released an official statement about the issue.

This is JTBC’s statement on the controversy surrounding the drama “Snowdrop.”

“Snowdrop” is not a drama that disparages the pro-democracy movement or glamorizes being a spy or working for the NSP.

“Snowdrop” is a black comedy that satirizes the presidential elections taking place in the 1980s under a military regime during the North-South tension on the Korean peninsula. It is also a melodrama about the young men and women who were victims of that situation.

We received all sorts of criticism after certain sentences were taken out of context from parts of an incomplete synopsis that were leaked online, but all of this was based on mere speculation.

In particular, accusations like “the drama will show a North Korean spy leading the pro-democracy movement” and “the drama made a real student activist into a character” and “the drama glamorizes the Agency of National Security Planning” are not only different from the drama’s actual content but also far from the production staff’s intention.

We firmly reiterate that the accusations going around about “Snowdrop” are unrelated to the drama’s actual content or the production’s staff’s intentions. We ask that you refrain from reckless speculation about a drama that has not even been revealed.

“Snowdrop” is being directed and written by the creators of JTBC’s “SKY Castle,” and stars Kim Hye Yoon, Jang Seung Jo, Yoon Se Ah, Jung Yoo Jin, and Yoo In Na in addition to Jung Hae In and Jisoo. CR.

 

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Heung Il Furniture cancels their sponsorship of 'Snowdrop' after plot line controversy

Furniture brand Heung Il Furniture has canceled their sponsorship of JTBC's drama 'Snowdrop.'

On March 26th, Heung Il Funiture announced on its official website that they will be retracting their sponsorship for the drama stating, "We have belatedly encountered the issues related to the sponsorship for 'Snowdrop' on a community website. We have requested for the name of our company to be removed from the sponsor's list that is listed on the drama's webpage. We apologize for causing concern by not paying close attention to the issue."

During a phone interview with Sports Kyunghyang, an official of Heung Il Furniture explained, "The drama did not provide any details of the plot and requested a sponsorship. At first, we did not want to provide any sponsorship, but after much persuasion, we agreed to sponsor the drama at the end of December. We only knew the layout of the film set and the names of the actors appearing on the drama."

The official continued to say, "I didn't know much about the controversy of the drama, but then I found out about the 'Snowdrop' plot controversy from my children. So we have decided to cancel the sponsorship. We have already notified the drama of our cancelation, and they will return our furniture in May."

The company official then concluded by saying, "I didn't know so many people would gather their attention to us." In fact, the company website was shut down temporarily due to the number of visitors that flooded the site.

Spoiler

Meanwhile, there have been controversies with dramas distorting history that netizens are continuing to criticize. Drama 'Joseon Exorcist' has met cancellation due to the rising controversy. The SBS drama lost sponsorships from various brands after its controversy over historical inaccuracy.

This time, 'Snowdrop' has been criticized for its inaccurate plot. The story of 'Snow Drop' is set in 1987, a significant year in South Korean history. The year was marked by countless protests led by university students demanding fair democratic elections. Numerous university students endured oppression by the National Intelligence (highly controlled by the dictatorship at the time) and sacrificed their lives. In June of 1987, South Korea held its first "officially democratic" presidential elections. The student protests of 1987 are known to have "paved the way for South Korea's democracy." Many student protestors were actually captured, tortured, and murdered by the National Intelligence as these students were accused of being "spies" when they were mostly innocent.

However, Jung Hae In plays the lead male character who is alleged to be a "student protester" Lim Soo Ho, who later turns out to be a spy. Jisoo plays the role of a young nursing student, Eun Young Cho, who takes in the injured Lim Soo Ho and hides him from authorities, believing that he is a student protester.

Here, many netizens pointed out that the male surname "Lim" used for Jung Hae In's character and the name "Young Cho" used for Jisoo's character are both taken from real-life figures who were student protestors at the time.

After the controversy surfaced, Heung Il Furniture is the first company to pull its sponsorship. Many netizens are praising the company for its quick measures and response. Netizens are commenting, "That's a good company," and "I should buy their furniture in the future." CR.

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Drama 'Snowdrop' states they are not accepting any product placement advertisements

With the recent controversy over the distortion and wrongful depiction of history, the SBS drama 'Joseon Exorcist' confirmed its cancellation. Now, the JTBC drama 'Snowdrop' that is set to air in June, is facing a similar controversy.

According to Sports Kyunghyang coverage on March 26, the drama production team for 'Snowdrop' is only receiving sponsorships and virtual advertisements without any product placement advertisement. An official from the drama who is in charge of advertisements stated, "Usually, advertisements are decided depending on the actors and popularity of the drama. In the case of historical dramas, it's difficult to seamlessly fit brand name products into the work, so we are having difficulty in getting sponsorships."

The official added, "The advertisements are generally confirmed two weeks before the broadcast, but I think we will be getting many advertisements because of the lineup of actors."

Earlier, the drama 'Joseon Exorcist' was under fire when they depicted King Taejong being as a murderer who killed innocent people, used Chinese dishes and interior designs. Many netizens criticized the drama for distorting history in the process of gaining sponsorships. However, many companies in the advertising industry quickly began to cut back on their sponsorship. 

Amidst the controversy with 'Joseon Exorcist,' 'Snowdrop' is also brought to the chopping block due to the alleged distortion of history. 

According to the storyline that has been revealed, the drama takes place in the backdrop of Seoul in 1987. The story unfolds when a student at Hosu Women's university takes in an injured man and hides him from authorities, believing that he is a student protester. 

The issue that many netizens took is that the drama has depicted the character suspected of being a student protestor to be an actual spy and the National Intelligence Service is after him. 

JTBC has stated that the allegations online are not true but are based on conjecture. However, the controversy over the distortion of history has yet to subside. CR.

[satoori]

related topic: JTBC’s Response To The Outcry About Upcoming K-Drama “Snowdrop” Further Enrages Audience

https://onehallyu.com/topic/834728-jtbc’s-response-to-the-outcry-about-upcoming-k-drama-“snowdrop”-further-enrages-audience/

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by satoori