Due to the national mourning period regarding the Itaewon disaster, entertainment shows and dramas of many broadcasting companies have been canceled.
Once again, the Republic of Korea fell into grief. The crush disaster in Itaewon, Seoul, on Oct 29th came as a shock to many people because of the number of deaths, the way the victims died, and the fact that such a tragedy took place in downtown Seoul, the largest city in South Korea.
The government declared a period of national mourning until Nov 5th, and numerous TV programs that aired on Oct 30th and after, announced their cancellation. Many music programs that include dancing and singing were canceled, and many other entertainment programs that include humor were also canceled. It was the same when the Cheonan attack occurred in 2010, and when the Ferry Sewol disaster occurred in 2014. Even at the time of the Ferry Sewol, comedians of “Gag Concert” wore black suits and prayed for the souls of the deceased with sad expressions.
It is similar this time regarding the Itaewon disaster. Most of the dramas that were broadcast on Oct 31st were canceled, and a discussion program was urgently organized to analyze the causes and countermeasures of the disaster. KBS’s “Love In Eyes,” “Gayo Stage,” “Love Recall” and “Dogs Are Great” were canceled. MBC’s “The Witch’s Game,” “Don’t Fight,” and “Oh Eun-young’s Report – Marriage Hell” were canceled. SBS’s entertainment shows such as “Same Bed Different Dreams 2- You Are My Destiny” and “Dolsing Men,” JTBC’s “Talkpawon 25:00,” “The Strongest Baseball,” “Second World,” and “Knowing Bros” were canceled as well.
The production presentation press conferences to introduce various new programs were also postponed or canceled. Netflix’s new original series “The Fabulous” postponed its production presentation and premiere schedule, which was originally on Nov 4th.
Before discussing whether it is appropriate for the government to set a period of national mourning for such a disaster, questions start to arise as to whether it is possible to think differently about the meaning of mourning and condolences in broadcasting.
There is a movie called “Silent Wedding” directed by Horațiu Mălăele, which was released in 2009. As the title says, the movie is about a “Quiet Wedding”. It is based on a true story in Romania, which was influenced by the Soviet Union in 1953. Stalin dies on the main characters’ wedding day and the Soviet army declares a week of national mourning. However, the main character’s families are unable to postpone the wedding as relatives have already come from far away and the prepared food. They secretly hold the wedding ceremony at dawn when everyone is asleep. They can’t clap, they can’t laugh. They can’t even sing. They can only celebrate the wedding by laughing and chatting silently.
Of course, there has been a national disaster and there should be mourning, but the way of mourning can be different for each person. So are dramas and entertainment shows. Although there may be laughter, if the show’s ultimate theme is the restoration of humanity, it is questionable whether this way of memorial and tribute should also be prevented.
In particular, in recent years, there are many programs that take an entertainment approach to social topics. SBS’s “Tales with Tail,” JTBC’s “World Dark Tour,” and tvN’s “Blooded World History” clearly pursue entertainment, but analyze the social and world history implications of the events they deal with and deliver the meaning on different aspects. There is also a so-called “crime entertainment” program genre that provides various crime awareness, although it is a little out of fashion now.
Instead, these programs can be edited appropriately to give hope when everyone is sad. However, as the self-censorship of broadcasters continues, led by the government during the national mourning period, viewers are often deprived of the freedom to choose a way of mourning following the disaster.
Korea’s funeral culture, like any other country in the world, mainly consists of actions to keep the deceased from being lonely. Koreans cry in sorrow at funerals, greet mourners they haven’t seen in a long time with joy, and then cry again when they meet other guests. In that way, they are able to shake off their sadness, feel the comfort of those around them, and gain the strength to get up again.
Should TV deal with disasters the way it does now by sticking to the principle that dramas and entertainment shows are absolutely not allowed to air? Each person’s mourning method should be respected. Accordingly, TV can also give a deeper resonance by editing their programs that can give meaning enough even if viewers are looking for something fun to watch. In the current environment, such a choice is taboo in the first place. Just like the protagonists of “Silent Wedding”, sadness and silence are forced.
The Itaewon tragedy has once again become a trauma that deeply engraved the pain of a social disaster in the minds and hearts of Korean people. What role should TV play at this point? Is it right to be silent altogether? Or would it be better to convey comfort and courage in their own way? Aside from the sorrow caused by the tragedy, the news of the consecutive broadcast cancellations is also causing sadness.
Source: naver
