'Battle of Fates 49' production team: "We obtained consent from the family, but there may have been aspects that hurt them"

SOURCE: [단독] ‘운명전쟁49’ 제작진 “유족 동의 거쳤지만, 마음 상하실 수 있는 부분 있어” (인터뷰)

The production team of 'Battle of Fates 49,' which faces criticism for allegedly disrespecting the dead after airing a fortune-reading mission involving a fallen firefighter, stated, "We apologize for the parts that may have hurt the family's feelings."

On the 18th, a staff member from Disney+ 'Battle of Fates 49' identified as A told Ilgan Sports in a phone call, "The production team went through procedures such as receiving consents from the families while creating the show. Nevertheless, it seems there may have been aspects that hurt their feelings.

A explained that they clearly explained to the family that the show's concept was a survival program for fortune tellers, saying, "We informed them that it was a survival program where fortune-tellers from different fields participate to read fates. We proceeded after receiving the family’s consent. We received consent forms for the use of the birth date, time, and portrait rights needed to read their fates before proceeding with the production."

Regarding the goal of the show, A stated, "The purpose was to look back on the final moments of people who lived meaningful lives and highlight their character and the heroic aspects they showed. We selected three individuals: a mountain climber who climbed the Himalayas, a firefighter who died in the line of duty, and a police officer.” A added, "We believed they represented heroes and that we could send a positive message by looking at their fates."

A continued, "As the production team, we were aware that this was a sensitive topic. During filming, all the cast members took a separate time to mourn and pray for the deceased while recalling their final moments. Even during editing, we made efforts to make sure the whole process wouldn't hurt the honor of the deceased. We did our best to deliver only the facts about their character and the situation of their final moments."

However, A emphasized, "Despite these efforts, if we caused pain to the bereaved family, that is something we must apologize for." A added, "In the future, we will be more careful to make sure that the people who help us do not get their feelings hurt."

'Battle of Fates 49' is a variety show where 49 fortune tellers gather to test their abilities through various missions in a survival format. The controversial scene appeared in Episode 2. In that episode, participants were asked to guess the cause of death of the late firefighter Kim Cheolhong, who passed away in the Hongje-dong fire in Seoul back in 2001.

However, criticism later arose, with comments saying, "This is disrespectful to the deceased." The controversy grew when a netizen claiming to be the late Firefighter Kim Cheolhong's nephew appeared and expressed discomfort, saying, "The production team says the show was made to honor his noble sacrifice, but honestly, I don't see that at all."

Meanwhile, 'Battle of Fates 49' released four episodes on the 11th, with three more episodes set to be released on the 18th.

Continue reading 'Battle of Fates 49' production team: "We obtained consent from the family, but there may have been aspects that hurt them"

'Battle of Fates 49' responds to controversy over fallen firefighter's family ... "We obtained basic consents for all episodes, production team is confirming details"

SOURCE: [공식] '운명전쟁49' 측, 순직 소방관 유가족 논란에…"모든 에피소드, 기본적 동의 구해, 진행 내용 제작진 확인 중"

Production team of 'Battle of Fates 49' is currently preparing an official statement amid controversy over fortune-reading a fallen firefighter.

On the 18th, a representative from Disney+ 'Battle of Fates 49' told Sports Chosun, "It is true that we obtained basic consents for all episodes. However, we are currently checking with the production team regarding the details of the issues raised and how the overall process was carried out."

In the episode released on the 11th, 49 fortune tellers including shamans, saju readers, tarot readers, and face readers competed in various missions in a survival-show format. In Episode 2, the production team provided only a photo, time of birth, and time of death of the late firefighter Kim Cheolhong and asked the participants to guess the cause of his death. Firefighter Kim Cheolhong passed away in the line of duty at a fire scene in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, in 2001. During the broadcast, some participants guessed the details of his death as if telling a fortune. One shaman presumed he died in a fire, while another participant mentioned the possibility of a building collapse or being crushed. In reality, firefighter Kim Cheolhong passed away after being trapped under a structure that collapsed due to the fire.

After the scene was aired, A, an individual identifying themselves as the deceased's nephew, posted online, "Did they truly obtain the family's consent to use his photo and birth time like this?" and the controversy quickly grew. A stated that the family agreed to the appearance because they were told it was a documentary about heroes, not a variety show. A stated, "But when I watched the broadcast, they were guessing how he died, and the casts seemed to be amazed and were laughing."

On the 18th, A issued another statement, saying, "Thank you for the attention. The production team says this show was made to honor his noble sacrifice, but honestly, I don't understand at all. I don't see how this show serves any benefit to the public." A added, "As anyone who watched the show knows, the shamans were guessing how my uncle died and the panelists were using provocative wording and reactions. Watching that made me extremely angry. If your family died in the line of duty and a show portrayed it like that, who wouldn't be upset?"

Additionally, A pointed out, "I listened to the recorded phone call between the writer of the show and my aunt. They did mention that shamans would appear and that they would use saju to look into what kind of person he was and honor his noble sacrifice. But in the actual broadcast, they were guessing how he died and the cast were reacting with amazement and laughter." A added, "I don't see how this honors my uncle's sacrifice at all. I don't understand why they would treat the death of someone who died saving others this way. Even now, 25 years later, my family still cries whenever we talk about him. I'm very angry."

Continue reading 'Battle of Fates 49' responds to controversy over fallen firefighter's family ... "We obtained basic consents for all episodes, production team is confirming details"

Kim Junsu's twin brother announces pregnancy on Lunar New Year ... Announces 'third baby' just 8 months after marriage

SOURCE: 김준수 쌍둥이형, 설날에 '임밍아웃'…결혼 8개월만 "셋째 임신" 발표

Singer and musical actor Kim Junsu's twin brother, Kim Mooyoung (formerly known as Kim Junho), shared the news of his wife's third pregnancy.

On the 17th, Kim Mooyoung posted on his account, "Another gift has come to our family. Following Ru-i and Rudy, a third miracle has arrived," along with an ultrasound photo.

He continued, "We still don't know who the baby resembles or what the gender is. Everything is still so mysterious. Let's meet in good health, our maknae-ya!" adding the hashtags #ThirdPregnancy #UltrasoundPhoto #FatherofMany, and #PregnancyReveal.

In response, former Rainbow member-turned-actress Jung Yoonhye commented, "Whoa!!!!! A father of many... Congratulations, Oppa!" and singer Truedy also commented, "Whoa!!!! What treasure-like news on Lunar New Year. The best!! Congratulations!!!!"

Meanwhile, Kim Junsu's twin brother, Kim Mooyoung, made headlines last May when he revealed he was married and already had 6-month-old twins. He held his wedding ceremony in June of the same year.

He was active as a singer in Asian countries such as China and Japan in 2010. In 2012, he made his debut as an actor and starred in dramas such as 'Ji Woonsoo's Stroke of Luck' and 'Empress Ki.' He is currently active as a Youtuber.

Continue reading Kim Junsu's twin brother announces pregnancy on Lunar New Year ... Announces 'third baby' just 8 months after marriage

'45 years old' Lee Dongwook: "I don't get approached by women because there are rumors that I have bad personality" -> Yoo Jaesuk agrees

SOURCE: '45세' 이동욱 "성격 안좋은 거 소문나 女대시 없어"→유재석 '인정' [마데핫리뷰]

On the 17th, a video titled "The Fourth Lunar New Year Holiday is Just an Excuse" was posted to the Youtube channel 'Ddeun Ddeun.'

In the video, Yoo Jaesuk spent the Lunar New Year holiday by chatting with Lee Dongwook, Nam Changhee, and Lee Sangyi.

Yoo Jaesuk told the cheerful Lee Sangyi, "I bet you were quite popular," to which Lee Sangyi responded, "People say that, but I've never actually been approached directly or anything like that. People say I'm funny and fun to be with, but no one has ever said they want to date me."

As the atmosphere briefly turned quiet, Lee Sangyi promised, "I will try harder this year," and the older members cheered him on.

Lee Dongwook comforted him by saying, "It's rare for guys to hear 'someone wants to date you.'" Then, Yoo Jaesuk shifted the focus to Lee Dongwook, saying, "But you do, don't you?" Lee Dongwook replied, "I don't. Not even in the past."

Hearing this, Yoo Jaesuk expressed his doubts, saying, "I feel like you must've heard that," Lee Dongwook repeatedly emphasized, "Nope," and drew laughter as he joked, "Maybe there are rumors that I have a bad personality?"

Yoo Jaseuk agreed, saying, "That actually makes sense. Dongwook is very objective about himself. He only speaks facts." Lee Dongwook added with a laugh, "Usually people say, 'No, I don't have a bad personality,' but I can't even say that."

Continue reading '45 years old' Lee Dongwook: "I don't get approached by women because there are rumors that I have bad personality" -> Yoo Jaesuk agrees

J-Hope celebrates his birthday by donating a total of 300 million KRW to Seoul Asan Medical Center and ChildFund Korea

SOURCE: 제이홉, 생일 맞아 서울아산병원·초록우산에 총 3억원 기부 '선행'

BTS' J-Hope (real name Jung Hoseok) donated 300 million KRW to society to celebrate his birthday.

On February 18th, to celebrate his birthday, J-Hope donated 200 million KRW to Seoul Asan Medical Center to support the development of its children's hospital.

Starting with a 100 million KRW donation to Seoul Asan Medical Center in 2022, J-Hope continues his good deeds as he donated another 200 million KRW to the children's hospital last year. As of this year, he has donated a total of 500 million KRW to Seoul Asan Medical Center.

J-Hope stated, "I believe that children will move towards a hopeful future one day. I sincerely hope they can overcome their pain and dream bright dreams. I also continue to donate because I want to give back to ARMY, who always send me great support. I'm grateful to be able to practice meaningful sharing on my birthday this year, following last year."

In addition, J-Hope donated 100 million KRW to a child welfare organization, ChildFund Korea. Since 2018, he has been donating through ChildFund Korea to help vulnerable groups, such as covering medical expenses for sick children and supporting children from families affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Through this donation, he will provide scholarships to students at his old school, Gwangju International High School, as well as to students at Jeonnam Girls' Commercial High School in the same area.

Specifically, with this donation, J-Hope has become the 14th member of ChildFund Korea's high-value donor group, the 'Green Noble Trinity Club.' This club is a group for donors who have donated a total of 1 billion KRW or more.

Continue reading J-Hope celebrates his birthday by donating a total of 300 million KRW to Seoul Asan Medical Center and ChildFund Korea

Shin Hyesun's 'The Art of Sarah' hits Global No. 3 just three days after its release

SOURCE: [공식] 신혜선 작두 탄 '레이디 두아', 공개 3일 만에 글로벌 3위

'The Art of Sarah' ranked No. 3 on Netflix's Global TOP 10 Non-English Shows chart.

The Netflix series 'The Art of Sarah' tells the story of Sarah Kim, a woman who wanted to become a luxury brand even if it meant being fake, and Mookyung, the man who chases after desires. Since its release on the 13th, the series recorded 3,800,000 views (total viewing time divided by the show's total running time), reaching #3 on the Global TOP 10 Non-English Shows chart. It also ranked #1 in South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The show entered the TOP 10 list in 38 countries, including Bahrain, Peru, Colombia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Kenya.

'The Art of Sarah' has been receiving great reviews from both domestic and international media and viewers for the way it unfolds new truths and the excellent acting of the two lead actors. Foreign media outlets showed positive reviews, calling it 'an intriguing and multilayered mystery about a woman who built a luxurious life through complex lies and the detective digging into those lies' (Decider), and saying, ''The Art of Sarah' tells the story of a woman who will do anything to reach the upper class in a unique way, keeping viewers curious until the very end' (Time).

The show is being praised for the unpredictable development and unique twists in portraying the mysterious story surrounding Sarah Kim, who suddenly appears and captivates everyone. 'The Art of Sarah' is currently streaming on Netflix.

Continue reading Shin Hyesun's 'The Art of Sarah' hits Global No. 3 just three days after its release

Idol known for being INFINITE L's look alike cast in the remake of 'Stove League' in his 8th year since debut

SOURCE: [공식] 인피니트 엘 닮았다고 뜬 유명 아이돌, 8년 차에 '스토브리그' 리메이크작 캐스팅

DRIPPIN's Cha Junho is continuing his career as a global actor. He gained popularity after competing on 'Produce X 101' in 2019, where he made it into the debut lineup. He also drew attention for his resemblance to INFINITE's L.

Cha Junho will play the role of Lim Minjong in the drama 'Stove League,' which will be released on March 28 through Japan's Lemino (OTT) and WOWOW (TV).

'Stove League' is a Japanese remake of the SBS drama of the same name that aired in 2019. It tells the story of a newly appointed general manager with no baseball experience who tries to rebuild a professional baseball team that is always in last place. It shows the intense challenges of the club's front office staff during the off-season.

The role of Lim Minjong, played by Cha Junho, is a professional baseball player. In the remake version, this character has been reconstructed by borrowing and reinterpreting elements of the character in the original version. The public is now focused on how Cha Junho will portray this character, who has a different nuance from the original setting.

The Japanese remake of 'Stove League' gained a lot of attention because the original Korean version was a huge hit. Last year, Cha Junho starred in U+ Mobile Omnibus drama 'First Love.' Following his upcoming project 'I Became My Bias' Housemaid,' Cha Junho has confirmed to be cast in the highly anticipated 'Stove League,' further expanding his acting career.

Cha Junho has built solid reputation in both Japan and South Korea with his stable acting skills and Japanese proficiency, leading the public to look forward to what new charms he will show as he portray in this sports drama.

The drama 'Stove League,' starring Cha Junho, will be released on March 28 through Japan's Lemino (OTT) and WOWOW (TV).

Continue reading Idol known for being INFINITE L's look alike cast in the remake of 'Stove League' in his 8th year since debut