(continuing from interview ①) 'Show Me the Money 12' CP Choi Hyo-jin talked about the contestant at the center of the controversy.
Recently at the CJ ENM Center in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul, an interview was conducted with Choi Hyo-jin, CP of Mnet 'Show Me the Money 12'.
Since its first broadcast in 2012, Mnet 'Show Me the Money', which has led the popularization of hip-hop in Korea, marked its twelfth season. As a new season returning after about three years, it presented an even more expanded scale through record numbers of applicants and episodes, and an expansion to the OTT platform TVING.
While the show achieved good ratings since its first broadcast, controversies arose during the airing period. Rapper A was indicted on charges of violating the Military Service Act.
A reportedly received a physical grade of 2 at the initial military physical examination in 2016, but is alleged to have pretended to have a mental illness by receiving treatment at a psychiatric clinic from January to June 2022 in order to avoid active-duty enlistment.
As a result, A was assigned as a social service worker with physical grade 4 for depression. However, the Military Manpower Administration's special investigation division detected signs of draft evasion, and the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office indicted A the previous day.
Notably, A was reported to be appearing on the currently airing 'Show Me the Money 12', drawing attention, and at the time 'Show Me the Money 12' told OSEN that it was checking the facts.
Regarding this, Choi Hyo-jin, CP, cautiously began by saying that, in a way, issues involving participants that were hard to predict are parts that arise during the course of running the program.
He added that participants are met after many preliminary interviews and personal stages and multiple meetings, and nonetheless it made them think once more that there are areas they need to check.
He also mentioned whether material would be edited out of the actual broadcast. Choi Hyo-jin said A's appearance footage had already been included in the broadcast and that, narratively, the situation (the controversy) did not so much drive the story as much as certain matchings occurred and certain things needed to be addressed. He added that regarding that issue, there were many parts that were not clear enough for them to comment on. (Therefore) narratively, they did cover the story of the person needed for that episode.
(continued in interview ③)<
[photo] Provided by Mnet
[OSEN]