The production team of 'Good Day' decided to edit out all appearances of actor Kim Soo-hyun after much deliberation over the controversy surrounding him.
On the 17th, the production team of the MBC variety show 'Good Day' released a statement through its official account acknowledging "the severity of the issue regarding the participant and prioritizing viewer responses while continuing production."
In the previous day's broadcast, most of Kim Soo-hyun's footage was edited out, but some scenes featuring the cast, including full shots, appeared as they were. In this regard, the production team stated, "'Good Day' is a program that is pre-produced at least one week, and generally two weeks, before its broadcast due to translation procedures for overseas broadcasts. The fifth episode that aired yesterday had already been submitted for translation and was in the process of being translated when the controversy escalated, prompting a hasty edit of Mr. Kim Soo-hyun's segment from the 'Good Day General Assembly' in the version that was re-submitted."
In particular, the production team proceeded with the scheduled recording on the 13th, after the controversy surrounding Kim Soo-hyun arose. At that time, reports surfaced that Kim Soo-hyun would not attend the recording, but 'Good Day' explained, "We minimized the scheduled activities as planned."
In relation to this, the production team noted, "While we waited for the official position of Kim Soo-hyun's agency regarding the controversy amid delays in the audio recording of 'Good Day', we had to proceed with the recording because the agency mentioned they would provide their position next week (as of March 13), and scheduling for participants would become difficult after that. After careful discussions, we proceeded with the recording and sketch filming, keeping in mind the possibility of deleting segments. We sincerely apologize to those who love 'Good Day' for causing this concern."
They continued, "As long as the controversy related to participants persists, we believe that the purpose of 'Good Day', which started with good intentions, and the heartfelt involvement of the participants, as well as the affection and support from viewers, could continue to be harmed." They added, "The content of the 'Good Day General Assembly' was filmed on February 18 and will unfold over the next 6 to 7 episodes. The production team has decided to edit out Mr. Kim Soo-hyun's segments as much as possible. The individual recording process for that participant is not expected to be broadcast on March 13."
'Good Day' is a music project program where producer G-Dragon creates songs worth recording that year with various notable figures across different fields. In the fifth episode that aired the previous day, actress Kim Goeun joined the cast, and G-Dragon was seen gathering the project members to share opinions with them.
However, on the 10th, six days before the broadcast, YouTuber Garosearo Research Institute (hereinafter Garosearo) claimed, based on reports from the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron since she was 15 years old for over six years, leading to accusations of 'grooming'. They caused a stir by releasing not only photos of physical contact between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun but also letters that Kim Soo-hyun allegedly sent to Kim Sae-ron during his military service. Additionally, the agency Gold Medalist claimed they pressured Kim Sae-ron by sending a formal notice regarding a penalty for drunk driving amounting to 700 million won. During this process, messages were also released in which the late Kim Sae-ron pleaded with Kim Soo-hyun, saying, "Do we really have to go to court? Please, help me out," and "I'm asking you to give me some time."
In response to these revelations, Gold Medalist stated, "This is a clear fabrication" and announced that they would consider the strongest legal actions possible against the dissemination of false information by Garosearo Research Institute. Nonetheless, as brands that had Kim Soo-hyun as their advertising model began terminating contracts or deleting photos posted on official accounts, the agency issued another statement refuting, "Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from summer 2019 to autumn 2020, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult."
Regarding the 700 million won official notice, it was explained that "If our company imposes the penalty that Kim Sae-ron should be responsible for, the executives who made such a decision may be subject to the crime of breach of fiduciary duty in the course of their duties, and there are concerns that the costs would not be recognized as a company expense." They emphasized, "It had to be confirmed that efforts were made to secure our company's claim against Kim Sae-ron."
They added, "I deeply empathize with the points my mother made regarding various reporting behaviors related to the deceased. However, there seem to be parts of my mother's claims that differ from our thoughts. I think it is inappropriate for both the deceased and my mother, who tried to find any means to restore the deceased's honor, to publicly draw lines on this matter." Furthermore, they indicated, "I would like to provide a thorough explanation in person together with our management. Please feel free to contact the Gold Medalist office at any time."
Amidst this, the family of the deceased demanded that the agency "acknowledge that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor and make an official apology," and also requested, "We want an official apology for the claim that he has not dated her for the past three years, which was made just three days ago," "Please acknowledge Kim Sae-ron's contributions as a founding member of the company and apologize for that part as well," and "We ask for an official apology for acknowledging the 700 million won official notice and requests for compensation." They additionally stated that they would file a defamation lawsuit against YouTuber A, who created a frame of 'false part-time job' regarding the late Kim Sae-ron by uploading several related videos since 2022.
As both sides continue to maintain sharply opposing claims, the production team of 'Good Day' has decided to edit out Kim Soo-hyun's segments. The production team added, "We will do our best to ensure that the remaining broadcasts provide enjoyment to viewers, taking careful note of the sentiments of the participants involved, making it a program that can happen on a good day with good people."
[Photo] OSEN DB, MBC
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