[OSEN=Choi Ijeong Reporter] Broadcaster Kim Gura recently caused a significant stir by revealing a controversial incident in the past related to a girl group’s lack of knowledge of history. Although Kim Gura did not directly mention the name of the girl group, it is widely speculated that he was referring to AOA, as AOA was embroiled in a historical ignorance controversy in the past with the ‘Kintokang controversy’.
On the 3rd, Kim Gura uploaded the second episode of his web entertainment program ‘Kim Gura Show’ on his personal YouTube channel ‘Gurrigura.’ The video titled ‘We’re not broadcasting to please you!’ captured Kim Gura discussing with the ‘Gurrigura’ production team about the ‘talk show content.’
In particular, he stated, “These days, talk shows are about ‘negotiations.’ You have to have something you want to talk about. Many celebrities are reluctant to listen to the other person’s story. But we also have to have something we want to ask to make it fit,” he said. He explained, “Even with A-list guests coming on to promote, there are not many A-listers with open minds. To ask the questions you want to ask, you have to throw in promotional bait,” he said.
He then said, “This business is not about doing it for a day,” and added, “If a guest comes on the show and suddenly changes the topic, we ask them to cut it off. If the production staff also asks to cut it off, we cut it out. If you don’t cut it out after being asked to, no one will trust that PD. Then who would come and talk?” he said, capturing attention.
Kim Gura then said, “In the past, there was such an incident. A certain girl group once exposed their ignorance about Korean history. I remember asking my manager, ‘Why didn’t you ask to cut that scene out?’ The PD asked to cut it out, but it wasn’t cut out. That PD might have gained momentary publicity at that moment, but as rumors spread, ‘Don’t trust that person’ might have spread. Would that PD be able to succeed? I humbly ask,” he emphasized.
Although Kim Gura did not directly mention the group’s name, PD, or program, his remarks quickly sparked a big discussion online, with netizens gathering opinions that the group in question was AOA.
In 2016, AOA appeared on the cable TV Mnet reality entertainment program ‘Channel AOA’ ahead of their comeback. In that show, members Seolhyun and Jimin had a quiz time where they had to guess the names of historical figures by looking at their pictures. During this, a photo of Doctor Ahn Jung-geun was revealed. Jimin guessed, “Is it Teacher Ahn Chang-ho?” Then the producers provided a hint by mentioning the person that Doctor Ahn Jung-geun had assassinated, Ito Hirobumi. However, despite this, Jimin replied, “Kintokang? I have no idea about this,” triggering controversy. Seolhyun correctly identified, “Toyotomi Hideyoshi.”
Kintokang is a Japanese pronunciation of Kim Du-han. As a result, Jimin faced various criticisms and ridicule for her historical awareness and knowledge. The incident was also covered in current affairs programs and news. Eventually, Seolhyun and Jimin posted apology letters on social media, followed by officially apologizing with tears at a later AOA comeback showcase.
The production team also stated, “This is a clear mistake of the production team that has caused concern to many people. We are sorry for the significant hurt caused to the artist (AOA),” and apologized, saying, “We promise to be more careful in our production in the future. We sincerely apologize once again.” However, the controversy did not subside easily.
Although the atmosphere was filled with laughter on the set and during the broadcast, there were viewers’ concerns about potential controversies while watching the show, indicating a sense of unease.
/nyc@osen.co.kr
[Photo] OSEN DB, Video Capture, Poster
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