Disney+ variety show "Destiny War 49" released a scene of fortune-telling about a line-of-duty firefighter, sparking growing controversy, and the program issued a statement.
On the 17th, Destiny War 49 told OSEN, "It is true that the family of the deceased gave consent for that episode," but took a cautious stance, saying, "We are currently checking with the production company regarding the issue."
Destiny War 49 is a survival-style variety show in which 49 destiny practitioners—shamans, fortune-telling scholars, tarot readers and physiognomists—perform various missions; episodes 1–4 were released on the 11th. The controversial scene comes from the episode-2 mission "guess the sign of the deceased."
In that mission, the producers presented a photo of a deceased person and limited information such as time of birth and time of death, and the cast members deduced the cause of death based on that information. The broadcast mentioned the late Fire Sergeant Kim Cheol-hong, who died in the line of duty in the 2001 fire in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun District, Seoul, and included scenes in which some cast members, based on fortune-telling and intuition, discussed possibilities such as fire, collapse or suffocation. The hosts, watching this, were shown reacting with surprise.
After the broadcast, the scene spread on social media and criticism continued. Viewers said, "It is disrespectful to the deceased," and questioned whether it was appropriate to set up a premise that guesses the cause of death like divination, and raised concerns that the circumstances of the line-of-duty firefighter's death were being consumed as an entertainment mission.
The core of the controversy centers on claims about the "consent of the bereaved." A netizen who identified themselves as the deceased's nephew posted on social media, claiming that during the producers' prior explanation they were told the program was intended as a documentary treating "heroes and martyrs," but the actual broadcast was released in the format of a "shamanic survival variety show." The post also said the bereaved felt they had not been properly informed of the program's nature.
However, that is a claim based on an online post, and the author's identity and the specific facts have not been independently confirmed.
Regarding this, Destiny War 49 told OSEN, "We are checking with the production company," and declined to elaborate. With the program saying it is "checking," attention is focused on whether there will be additional explanations or an official statement.
Meanwhile, Destiny War 49 is scheduled to release episodes 5–7 on the 18th.
[Photo] provided
OSEN=Reporter Yoo Soo-yeon