The production team of Disney+ fortune-telling survival variety show "War of Fate 49" issued an official apology to the bereaved families and viewers for using the cause of death of a fallen firefighter as material for a mission interpreting saju.
The "War of Fate 49" production team said in a statement on the 20th, "We belatedly learned that among the bereaved families and relatives, there are those who were notified only after the broadcast about the prior consent process," and added, "We sincerely apologize to the bereaved families and fellow firefighters who were hurt."
The production team explained, "Given the program's purpose, various lives and deaths were to be introduced, and we wanted to use it as an opportunity to reflect on meaningful and noble stories," and added, "Before filming, we explained to the bereaved family that it is a survival format program featuring fortune-tellers and that it would shed light on the deceased's fate through saju, and we obtained the family member's written consent."
However, after the broadcast, some bereaved families and viewers expressed discomfort with the way the deceased's sacrifice was consumed as entertainment material. In response, the production team said, "We humbly accept the many points raised," and added, "We will continue to explain to the bereaved families to clear up misunderstandings, and we will work to gain the understanding and empathy of both viewers and those involved."
"War of Fate 49" is a survival program in which 49 fate practitioners carry out various missions and compete in their abilities. In the episode released on the 11th, which became an issue, the show presented a photo and saju information of the late Fire Sergeant Kim Cheol-hong, who fell in the line of duty at a fire scene in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, in 2001, for the "guess the cause of death of the deceased" mission, and had the participants deduce the cause of death.
Immediately after the broadcast, criticism poured in online that it was "disrespectful to the deceased." In particular, a netizen who identified as the deceased's niece or nephew said on social media that it "denigrates the death of someone who fell in the line of duty while saving others," and criticized that the actual broadcast content was starkly different from the production team's initial explanation that it would honor the noble sacrifice.
That day, the Firefighters' Labor Union of the Federation of Korean Government Employees' Unions (KGEU) also issued a statement expressing regret, saying, "There is a high likelihood that it will damage the deceased's honor and dignity."