The bereaved family of a victim who lost his life in a tragic sinkhole accident in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong District, Seoul, has expressed outrage over what they describe as an insensitive and inappropriate casting offer from a television entertainment program.
On April 30, a relative of the late Mr. Park, who died in the sinkhole accident, shared a screenshot of a direct message (DM) on their social media account. The message was sent by a production team member from the KBS variety show 'Mueos-Ideun Mul-Eobosal' which stars comedians Lee Soo Geun and Seo Jang Hoon and features ordinary people sharing personal concerns for on-air counseling.
In the DM, the show's producer wrote, “Our program features ordinary people discussing their personal worries. After seeing your post as a bereaved family member of the sinkhole accident, we are carefully reaching out to ask if you would consider appearing on the show for a counseling session.”
The family member, identified only as A, responded with visible anger: “Is this funny to you? Is this tragedy some kind of comedy content?” They continued, “Aren’t you putting shame on the faces of your panelists? Are there so many people in broadcasting with such twisted logic?”
A has consistently used their social media to express grief over the sudden loss of their loved one. In a previous post from April, A wrote, “Is this the most painful moment of my life? What kind of compensation could ever bring comfort to our family?”
A concluded the latest post by saying, “Please don’t tarnish the names of the few journalists and writers who are genuinely trying to understand and report this case with care. I’ve held back for so long, but this crosses the line.”
Online reaction has been swift and critical. Netizens commented, “Ratings matter, but this is just wrong,” and “The family didn’t apply for this — they were approached. That’s completely over the line.”
The tragic accident occurred on March 24 on Dongnam-ro in Myeongil-dong, where a 20-meter-wide sinkhole suddenly opened up. A man in his 30s riding a motorcycle fell into the hole and was killed. Another driver in a nearby Carnival vehicle sustained minor injuries.
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