K-netizen Groups Send Protest Trucks Around Seoul Demanding the Cancellation of Snowdrop for Distorting Important Modern History and jTBC Responds By Airing 3 Episodes This Weekend Vowing it Will Clear Up Controversy

Okay, network jTBC has decided that it’s just premiered Sat-Sun period romance drama Snowdrop is the hill to die on, likely because it has powerful backing and there is lots of money already pumped into the drama to just pull the plug. So it’s not going to voluntarily agree to cancel the drama but now the K-netizens are also not backing down. The Blue House petition to cancel the drama is over 350,000 signatories less than a week in and now the netizens are spending money to send protest trucks around Seoul blaring the message of cancellation. The various trucks were spotted on Thursday in the city at the areas around YTN news station, jTBC building, City Hall plaza, Dongha news, and in front of JC E&M. The electronic signage reads: “There are still many victims of the national security bureau torture who are still alive, and others who were impacted by their harm, the battles fought in 1987 are not over and not merely history in the past.” and “Snowdrop is not merely a fictional story drama, it’s an insult to the democracy movement of South Korea and a smoke bomb purposely trying to distort history.” Dang, them cutting and raw sentiments and it’s going to come down to which side keeps up the pressure and which side folds first. So far jTBC remains first as it’s just announced that this weekend it will air three episodes, one on Friday then the usual two episodes on Sat-Sun, claiming that the unfolding plot will resolve the controversy.


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K-netizen Groups Send Protest Trucks Around Seoul Demanding the Cancellation of Snowdrop for Distorting Important Modern History and jTBC Responds By Airing 3 Episodes This Weekend Vowing it Will Clear Up Controversy — 43 Comments

  1. Pingback: K-netizen Groups Send Protest Trucks Around Seoul Demanding the Cancellation of Snowdrop for Distorting Important Modern History and jTBC Responds By Airing 3 Episodes This Weekend Vowing it Will Clear Up Controversy - Kpopnchill - All About K-pop News

  2. At least we will get 5/16 episodes which is more than what JE got so there’s that. I’m not even seeing the point of this drama existing since none of the conversation is actual drama discussion. The only time this drama gets mentioned is with regards to the controversy so will anyone even remember what the drama was about when all this ends? Since Day 1 of the script synopsis being revealed months before any channel or actors were even attached to it people have been protesting. The original title for Ewhwa Women’s Dormitory and they received so much backlash for using that name even in draft format. What point was the production trying to make? Since Jan 2020 people have been asking for this drama not be made so this isn’t about people hating on the actors the bigger issue is what is the agenda behind this whole drama?

  3. People have really too much time…

    Nobody forces them to watch this drama, there is a lot of choices on other channels. They just are giving it attention…

    • Can you just shut up. If actual victims are having problems with the way things are represented in the drama . Who are you to dictate them how they should feel? You didn’t fight for Korea’s democracy,neither u are their citizen.

      • That’s double standard much. Cause we all are so busy body when it comes to chinese matters (esp for knetz). So yeah, everyone is free to voice their opinion

      • It’s not about the drama itself, but the fact they are asking the governement to take down a drama, that is a fiction and not a documentary. I don’t think it’s right or good for a democracy. I was already thinking the same thing for Joseon Exorcist.

    • I think there is a better way to say that you don’t think the government should intervene on this without looking down on those who are hurt and protesting.

      I also don’t think the government should step in and cancel it, but I think it’s fine for people to get angry and protest it and bring it negative public attention and for sponsors to jump ship.

      I think the attention is good. The controversy got people not only in korea but the kdrama/kpop fans from around the world to learn about what happened and why people are hurt by it. There are people who make connections between what happened then to their own countries’ histories.

      • @prettyautumn – You put it more politely than I could.

        I agree with the poster’s original concern that in most cases, a government should not be stepping in to cancel things, since it sets a bad precedent, but citizens drafting and signing government petitions is a time-honored way of making their sentiments heard in a democracy.

        The most effective way for Korean citizens to go about this will be to boycott both JBTC and Disney+. Money speaks.

  4. Why can’t they just wait??? They already promised it won’t be the case so why can’t they wait for the next few episodes before taking action?

    I understand the importance of history and how it mostly means to us, we have quite a few myself in my country even very recently but people are just taking this too far for me, give them another few episodes and as they say we might see some changes and if it doesn’t change? Call for cancellation then.. Simple

  5. So there’s some sort of twist in episode 5 that they think can somehow erase the damage from the first two episodes. Lmao, how? Are they sure they’re not just trying to raise the viewership? If that’s the case why not just clarify the plot right now to ease the anger before it gets worse? I don’t think anyone even cares about spoilers anymore.

    If this fails we all know how koreans will react. Preparing my popcorn for the weekend, not for the actual show of course.

    • Episode 3 goes up against superstar Trot singer Lim Young Won’s new reality show. Nobody is going to be watching that episode especially not females and male 40+ who are the core tv watching audience.

    • That’s what I’ve been thinking too. Just release the spoiler now.

      They’re now implying that the twist in episode 5 will be worth all the turmoil. I really hope it does resolve some of the anger since I’d hate for the actors involved in the drama to get dogged by this controversy even though I’m turned off by JBTC’s handling of the situation.

      If it ends up fixing things, JTBC will still end up looking like crap by using the pain of the victims and victims’ families for mediaplay and then patting themselves on the back for it.

    • Seems like this more on JTBC, their screenwriters & producers now. The question is why are they greenlighting projects like these ??? And all of the novels, historical events they choose to adapt events like these ?????

  6. The fact that the production team used a very sensitive period of political turmoil in SK involving false accusation of spy as an excuse to commit atrocity and oppression…. AND then proceeded to make the main character a Spy… They were really looking for trouble. They could have easily changed the male lead background or the period setting to something else and this drama wouldn’t have occurred at all. It’s not like they didn’t know what precisely the SK public was upset about. So much drama for such a mediocre drama

  7. It is not just about history. It is about the pain of those still alive, was tortured, loved ones falsely accused n killed n it is like rubbing on old wound. I watch the 2 episodes just to see why JTBC is so adament in keeping the drama n it was so so boring n they made references to 1987. Possible drama will dropped off itself if rating goes down. Also read in allkpop,knetz filing to stop jtbc screening the drama. Not watching eps 5, 6 n 7, got better dramas to watch.

  8. Hope jtbc stays firm and doesn’t back down to threats. If the knetz actually care that much then they can just not watch the damn drama. If they are incapable of that then just wait for enough episodes to air so that their complaints don’t seem like assumptions pulled out their asses and have some actual backing from the drama’s plot

  9. Love in the moonlight distorted history,by making the crown prince live and not marrying his fiance,why then they didn’t bludgeon the production?

    • A lot of historical drama was based on novel that already put several change, was put there for years and have been read and enjoy by people and no one is alive to confirm the truth.

      It’s called historical fantasy for a reason. And snowdrop wasn’t called a fantasy but romance drama. The people impacted is still alive. If you want a comparison, Joseok exorcist is cancelled because of history distortion.

      And for love in the moonlight, they stop the drama before his death, it looks happy because they didn’t go through the end of the crown prince life, in fantasy saeguk even have that decency, what is snowdrop then?

      The fans are dragging people down just because they couldn’t fathom that their fave has fallen out of grace.

  10. I saw a clip of the drama and made me think that once the public will let go of history distortion controversy, the next issue would be Jisoo performance. She’s probably not too bad for a Rookie but for a leading lady hmm it is a huge weakness that the drama can be picked on.

      • Lol. I swear, even the Korean right-wingers who support the drama are tearing her to pieces. Even fascists draw the line at terrible acting? Hahahahahaha

    • She should have started with a teenage romance drama and work her way up to meatier roles. You can kinda tell this drama is gonna get intense later, it’s going to be interesting to see how she holds up.

  11. Can someone explain to me what exactly is the distortion in this story ?
    So far I saw a guy that is a NK spy coming close with a SK girl, she helps him hiding in her dorm, and I saw SK agents from the National Security trying to find the NKspy.

    • So, basically that’s how the NSA would arrest and ‘interrogate’ these activists. By declaring them as spies, so they can torture and stop the democratic movement. So far, this drama seems to validate those setups, hence the furor.

      • I can not see why Korean viewers are so upset from what I watched up to now.
        I m not detailed familiar with the Korean political situation back then ( and in general) but my country went thru dictatorship years ago , protests happened with college students be in the front line until every day people joined them after and I believe it’s the same story . Overzealous people exist in any part. And also people fall in love with people with people with different beliefs.we know that any NSA in any country and any spy of any country don’t act according what is only legal.

  12. The Great,the crown,meddle with history,and real people,but they didn’t get cancel,if you want historical accuracy you should watch documentary.that being said,JTBC should not have shown the drama in Korea,they should just sell it overseas.better yet don’t make it at all.

    • Please do no apply Western views on how Korean people should judge dramas which have a historical setting. Korea’s history is complicated and was shaped and formed (by force as well) through other Asian countries and also Western countries. I think Korea is allowed to be not okay if a important era for the democracy is distorted in a drama.

      If Western countries are okay with tv shows like The Great and The Crown, that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean Korea has to be accepting about it as well.

    • The Crown and The Great are about monarchies. Apples to oranges comparison. Facepalm.

      Make a show that distorts the British Resistance or the October Revolution and you’ll have the Brits and Russians similarly up in arms.

  13. Really curious what the plot twist is that’s supposedly going to resolve the controversy. He’s appears to be a North Korean spy. Is he going to turn out to be just a good ol’ North Korean boy but not a spy? The writer should have never gone this direction in the first place.

  14. The better way to finish all that is for South koreans to not watch it . But as the ratings aren’t near O % , some are watching . It’s a fact . But i can understand that natives may be afraid that non korean viewers may see it as what it really happened at that time . But if watchers are intelligent they should know that they are watching a fiction not a documentary . If not we can cancel a lot of historical movies, biopics,… Gone with the wind is an example , only idiots can think that slaves were happy , and wanted to live like that . Even as a viewer of documentaries , i don’t take what they show for 100% true . Even HISTORY changes every day with the multiples discoveries made by researchers , archeologists,… what whe thought true may be shaken at any moment .

    • The reason why this controversy happen is because people who were alive at the time and have record testifies that this a distortion.

      Gone with the Wind is not a true story, based on novel with no particular resemblances to the people alive.

      Snowdrop use the name of the actual survivor, before they changes one syllable, use their background and similar setting as the actual history and said that “we didn’t know this famous activist name”
      It’s like using MLK name but the abbreviation for Michael Luther King and make him thugs and stereotypes of why black people should be slaves. Then said , it isn’t the MLK you guys thought, we name him Michael.

    • It’s not that they lack of intelligent that they can’t see this as fictional but it because they know the real story, the backstory and how much it mimicking the real event and make their experience as a joke.

      Next year is elections and they see this narrative being pushed down and directly about their own struggle.

      You get up in arms when people spread rumours about you that isn’t true, just because it’s a rumour doesn’t mean people won’t believe it. This is what happen to them. No one consult to them to make story about themselves band their families. Had they not choose a strong background that similar to the actual activist at the time, the criticism wouldn’t be that strong. Just because it’s fiction does not means it’s harmless and the strong resemblances to the activist and people who are still remember the event is what drives this petition.

      You said documentary doesn’t make people have opinion cause it still has assumption but how many documentary of Michael Jackson have been made with contradiction and people believe the newest revelation?
      Snowdrop still has many people that can testify for the real deal, has many other movies and story that people give green light to be referenced but they did not even care to ask the survivor if this is offensive or not.

      It’s a different case with many documentary because the people affected is still alive and can give their opinion. It’s not a fantasy rebellion and an actual big movement. Have some sympathy for the victim.

      • Sorry, if you didn’t understood my meaning because of my bad english . I have sympathy for the victim . What i was trying to say is that in our society controversies are taking over intelligence . As a viewer, when i’m watching a fiction about a recent history evenement or fact , i don’t see it as the truth . I said to myself, it’s a fiction . Only the people who where there to testify , know the truth . A documentary about MJackson ? he is dead . So we will never know the truth . If i took Gone with the wind as an example it’s because the movie was taken of the plateforms because of the# Blacklivesmatters , and the way black slaves were represented but i didn’t understood it because i know that it was the point of view of a white writer at one moment in the past . Let’s the viewers decide for themselves . Even as a non korean i didn’t see it as the truth . And i will not watch it as it’s boring . What i don’t understand is why actors are not being targeted as the ones for Joseon E . They had to apologize.Why not for this drama ? Is a Blackpink member or the actor untouchable ?

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