The production team of 'Negotiator' apologized for the sexual harassment remarks of new MC Kim Won-hoon.
On the 3rd, the YouTube channel Dallas Studio bowed its head, saying, 'We sincerely apologize to the citizens and subscribers who felt discomfort due to inappropriate expressions during the citizen interviews in Episode 1.'
It added, 'We value your opinions and have edited the relevant scene. We will approach production more cautiously in the future.'
Previously, on the 27th of last month, 'Negotiator' selected Kim Won-hoon as the new MC following Hwang Kwanghee, Jang Young-ran, and Hong Hyun-hee. Kim Won-hoon began the first episode with an ice cream negotiation and hit the streets for citizen interviews.
During the first interview while chatting with a couple, he opened with, 'Isn't this a motel area?' and 'Did you all go home yesterday?' To this, the male replied, 'We just came out,' and Kim Won-hoon, looking at the man's lips, quipped, 'There are lip marks...'
In response, some netizens reacted, saying, 'That's really rude,' 'It's outright sexual harassment by both the person making the joke and the production team that didn't edit it out,' 'Isn't it enough to sexually harass someone without editing it out?' and 'This video is too unpleasant,' and 'Those who think this is okay should experience that kind of joke while walking down the street.'
In relation to this, Dallas Studio, the production company of 'Negotiator,' addressed the controversy by apologizing for Kim Won-hoon's remarks and deleting the relevant parts.
Meanwhile, 'Negotiator' is a popular entertainment show based on the unique concept of conveying consumer voices to corporations, aiming not only to amplify consumer voices this season but also to strengthen consumer rights and foster substantial positive change in cooperation with good corporations.
As part of this, in Episode 2's cosmetic negotiation, it also managed to secure a promise to donate 3% of sales along with discounts.
[Photo] YouTube capture, official poster
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