The production team of the Disney+ variety show "Fate War 49" issued an official apology on the 24th over a broadcast mission that involved guessing the cause of death of police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty.
The "Fate War 49" team said in a statement that day, "We sincerely apologize to those who died in the line of duty, bereaved families who may have been hurt, colleagues, and the many others distressed by this matter for the portion in which inappropriate language and depictions appeared while a shaman on the program, who did not know the deceased, was giving a reading."
The production team said, "We mourn those who died in the line of duty who appeared on 'Fate War 49' and extend deep condolences and respect to the bereaved families," adding, "The production team is currently listening to the bereaved families, apologizing for not having been considerate in advance, and working toward a resolution."
They added, "We will exercise more meticulous care across future production and strengthen our internal review and production processes," and "We apologize once again, deeply."
"Fate War 49" is a survival variety show in which 49 fate readers carry out various missions to test their own fate.
In episode 2, released on the 11th, a mission appeared to guess the cause of death of the late Sergeant Lee Jae-hyeon, who died in the line of duty in 2004 while apprehending a suspect in a serious crime.
During this process, when a shaman said, "Isn't getting stabbed commonly called 'kal-ppang'? I can also see stabbing," a scene was shown of MC Jun Hyun-moo and other celebrity panelists reacting with surprise.
In response, the National Police Workplace Council (Police Council), an alternative organization akin to a police union, issued a statement protesting, saying, "We express deep anger and dismay at the senseless conduct of the cast and production team who demeaned the sacrifice of a public servant who died in the line of duty during suspect apprehension with the vulgar slang 'kal-ppang' and made it a source of amusement."
In the same episode, a scene also appeared in which some cast members mentioned the possibilities of fire, collapse, and crush injuries regarding the cause of death of the late Fire Sergeant Kim Cheol-hong, who died in the line of duty at a fire scene in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, in 2001, prompting the bereaved family and the firefighters' union to raise objections.
The Fate War 49 production team, which had initially responded that it had obtained the bereaved family's consent for the use of portraits, expressed that "we sincerely apologize to the bereaved family and fellow firefighters who were hurt" as criticism mounted.