“Snowdrop” might be banned from broadcasting, the situation is getting more serious as time goes by
An injunction demanding to ban the screening of JTBC’s drama “Snowdrop,” which has been embroiled in controversy over historical distortion, has been announced.
The World Citizens’ Declaration, a youth organization, announced on Dec 20th that it will file an injunction with the Seoul Western District Court to ban the screening of “Snowdrop.”
Co-CEO Lee Seol-ah criticized in her statement, “I am surprised that dramas that seem to glorify state violence are aired and even exported through OTT services (online video service).”
She then criticized, “In Snowdrop, the sub-main character of the National Security Agency who tortured and murdered numerous democratization figures for no reason is actively glorifying the mentioned agency.”
“It seems to be defending the National Security Agency’s past “spy eradication” campaign back in the time when it tried to suppress the democratic protests by inserting scenes where the spies were misunderstood as democratization figures,” adding, “This is a clear insult to those who have confronted the military dictatorship.”
“Such broadcast through large channels with big influence will instill a distorted view of history for generations who have not experienced that specific historical experiences,” she said. “I strongly hope the court will stop this kind of insult towards the victims and relay the message that state violence cannot be tolerated by citing an injunction.”
The World Citizens’ Declaration is scheduled to file an injunction with the Seoul Western District Court on Dec 22nd to ban “Snowdrop” from being broadcast.
“Snowdrop” depicts the romance between Lim Su-ho (Jeong Hae-in), a prestigious university student who jumped into a women’s university dormitory in Seoul in 1987 covered in blood, and Eun Young-ro (BLACKPINK Jisoo), a female college student who hid and treated him despite the crisis.
“Snowdrop” 1st episode which first aired on Dec 18th showed Young-ro misunderstood the spy Suho as an activist student and hid him in the women’s university dormitory. Critics point out that such a setting disparages victims, including patriotic martyrs in the democratization movement, who were tortured by the political spies at the time.
As the controversy intensifies, the Blue House national petition urging the suspension of the “Snowdrop” broadcast has obtained consent from 200,000 people as of the afternoon of Dec 20th.
