Knife Attack? Apology for Controversy Over Fallen Heroes... Following Jeon Hyun-moo, Additional Apology from 'Destiny War 49' Released

The production team of 'Destiny War 49' has apologized once again amid controversy over inappropriate depictions of fallen police officers and firefighters. On the 24th, the team behind the Disney Plus variety show 'Destiny War 49' stated, "We sincerely apologize to the fallen heroes, the bereaved families who may have been hurt, colleagues, and many others who have been concerned about this matter for the inappropriate language and depictions that appeared while the shaman guest was conducting a fortune-telling without knowing the deceased."

In the previously aired second episode of 'Destiny War 49', shamans were shown trying to guess the causes of death of the participants through a mission called 'Guess the Sign of the Deceased'. The production team presented photos, birth dates, and times of death of the late firefighter Kim Cheol-hong, who died in a fire in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul in 2001, as clues, and some participants mentioned possibilities of collapse, fire, and suffocation through fortune-telling and intuition. During a mission to guess the cause of death of the late police officer Lee Jae-hyun, who died after being stabbed during the arrest of a suspect in 2004, a shaman mentioned 'knife attack', and the host Jeon Hyun-moo also mentioned the term, leading to controversy. This scene received criticism for being disrespectful to the deceased after its release, and the National Firefighters' Union and the family of the late Kim Cheol-hong also expressed their opposition. Thus, following the first apology on the 20th, an additional apology was issued on the 24th. Below is the full text.

Additional Apology on February 24

Hello. This is the production team of 〈Destiny War 49〉.

We express our deep condolences and respect to the bereaved families of the fallen heroes featured in 〈Destiny War 49〉. We sincerely apologize to the fallen heroes, the bereaved families who may have been hurt, colleagues, and many others who have been concerned about this matter for the inappropriate language and depictions that appeared while the shaman guest was conducting a fortune-telling without knowing the deceased.

Currently, the production team is listening to the stories of the bereaved families, apologizing for the parts we failed to consider in advance, and working towards a resolution. 

In the future, we will pay more careful attention to the overall production of the broadcast and strengthen our internal review and production processes.

Once again, we deeply apologize.

Apology on February 20

We express our deep respect for the sacrifice and beliefs of firefighter Kim Cheol-hong, who passed away while dedicating himself to protecting the public, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

〈Destiny War 49〉 started with the question of whether one can read a person's destiny. Since the program aimed to introduce various lives and deaths, we wanted to use it as an opportunity to reflect on meaningful and noble stories. This is why we chose the story of firefighter Kim.

Before filming, we explained to the bereaved family that this program is a survival format featuring fortune-tellers and that it would highlight the deceased's destiny through fortune-telling, and we obtained written consent from the family to use their likeness, name, and date of birth. During the filming, we held a moment of silence to honor the deceased and prayed for their peace.

We later learned that some among the bereaved family and relatives were informed about the consent process only after the broadcast. We will continue to explain and clarify misunderstandings. We humbly accept the criticisms from many and will strive to gain understanding and empathy from both the viewers and the parties involved. We sincerely apologize to the bereaved families and fellow firefighters who have been hurt.

The production team of 〈Destiny War 49〉