“The National Police Labor Union has condemned the Disney+ variety show ‘Fate War 49’ for using the death circumstances of a fallen police officer as entertainment material and for using the expression ‘stabbed.’
The police labor union released a statement expressing ‘deep anger and dismay at the senseless actions of the cast and crew who belittled the sacrifice of a civil servant, who died in the line of duty capturing a criminal, by using the vulgar slang ‘stabbed’ and making it entertainment material.’
‘Fate War 49’ is a variety show in which shamans participate and attempt various challenges.
In the second episode, released on the 11th, the process of identifying the cause of death of the late Sergeant Lee Jae-hyun, who died in 2004 during the apprehension of a violent suspect, was aired.
One shaman speculated, ‘Isn’t what they commonly call getting stabbed as being ‘stabbed,’ and I see someone getting stabbed,’ regarding the cause of Sergeant Lee’s death.
In response, broadcaster Jun Hyun-moo, the host of the program, said, ‘A person in uniform was stabbed,’ adding, ‘It’s too direct.’
The police labor union criticized, stating, ‘The devotion of a fallen civil servant is a value our society must eternally remember and honor,’ and accused the show of ‘driving a nail into the hearts of 140,000 police officers.’
The police labor union demanded a public apology from the broadcasting network and cast and the immediate removal of the contentious episode.
They also called on the Korea Communications Standards Commission to ‘take the seriousness of this incident and impose the highest level of legal sanctions against the program.’
Previously, on the show, when the cause of death of the late Firefighter Kim Cheol-hong, who died in a fire in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, in 2001, was guessed, it led to a backlash from bereaved families.
The Firefighters’ Labor Union criticized on the 20th, saying, ‘The death of fallen firefighters cannot be subject to speculation or entertainment consumption.’
In response, the production team of ‘Fate War 49’ issued an apology on the same day, expressing ‘sincere apologies to the grieving families and fellow firefighters who were hurt.'”