“Want me to sharpen a knife for you?” JTBC’s ‘Divorce Camp’ hit with adults-only sanction

JTBC’s ‘Divorce Camp’ let suicide goading air unchecked — then got hit with an adults-only sanction

BMC votes formal sanction, ‘caution,’ on the 24th; 13 highly deceptive infomercials also sanctioned

Provocative production crossed the line — and then some — in a stern warning from regulators

JTBC’s entertainment program ‘Divorce Camp’, which aired abusive threats urging a spouse to commit suicide and threatening scenes of violence without filtering, has received a severe sanction from broadcast regulators.

The Broadcast Media and Communications Review Commission, or ‘BMC,’ held a plenary meeting on the 24th at the Broadcasting Hall in Mok-dong, Seoul, and voted to impose a final ‘formal sanction’ of ‘caution’ on the episode of ‘Divorce Camp’ that aired on Oct. 16 last year. The commission also strongly called for the episode’s rating to be raised from ‘ages 15 and older’ to ‘ages 19 and older.’

The episode at the center of the controversy showed the husband hurling highly abusive language at his wife, throwing a cup and repeatedly slamming the table in ways that created an atmosphere of fear. In particular, remarks urging her to make an extreme choice — including “Do it without telling anyone around you” and “Want me to sharpen a knife for you?” — aired without editing. The episode also included personal attacks that belittled and mocked the wife’s epilepsy, drawing fierce criticism from viewers.

‘BMC’ said, “Even taking into account the program’s original purpose of mending marital conflicts and seeking solutions, its provocative production, driven by ratings, went too far.” It added, “Because statements lacking basic respect for human beings and excessive violence were exposed without filtering, a ‘formal sanction’ was unavoidable,” clearly stating the grounds for the disciplinary action.

Separately, ‘BMC’ issued the administrative guidance of a ‘recommendation’ against 13 broadcast advertisements that deceptively marketed dietary supplements with guaranteed returns and refunds within 30 days of purchase as if they were ‘free gifts’ or ‘free trials’ offered at special prices. The commission criticized the recurring practice of program providers, or PPs, neglecting their own reviews while focusing solely on profitability when scheduling infomercials, and urged the industry to make a concerted effort to police itself.