KBS Offers No Apologies for Voice Actor Jang Jeong-jin’s Death

The death of voice actor Jang Jeong-jin, who fainted while eating a Korean rice cake during the shooting of a KBS entertainment TV program, failed to get up, and died on October 11, has been creating an aggressive storm of protest aimed at the Korea Broadcasting Company because it didn’t make any apologies or show any condolences over his death.

On September 13, Jang was recording “101 Percent on Sundays,” a KBS 2 entertainment program and choked while eating songpyeon (Korean traditional rice cake) during the “Streets King” segment. He was taken to a hospital and put on an oxygen breathing apparatus for a month, but he ultimately failed to recover.

KBS aired news of his death on its prime time 9:00 p.m. newscast for 36 seconds on October 11, but did not deliver any apologies or condolence messages. The broadcasting company remained silent on its internet website, too. One of KBS employers even showed an irresponsible attitude, saying, “Accidents during the programming can be prevented when the safety rules of the Labor Standard Act are well kept.”

Upon the death of Jang Jeong-jin, KBS viewers left about 2,000 messages on the KBS online web board wishing him heavenly bliss while criticizing KBS’s poor manners.

Jeon Yoon-jae, a netizen, wrote on the online board that “I grew up enjoying listening to Jang’s voice in Mr. Hong Du-kke’s role in the cartoon ‘Go for it, Hani.’ I can’t believe that he died,’” and added, “I am really disappointed by KBS not expressing any apology on its homepage or on the links section of the program’s web page.”

“It was a terrible disaster that occurred while making the program solely for entertainment, and even excusing its improper, cruel treatment to its guests just to increase its viewing rate. KBS should go back to its original founding motif of pursuing the public well-being,” wrote Kim Young-taek, another viewer.

Another KBS’s website visitor, Lee Heui-joon, wrote, “On the prime time news covering Jang’s death, KBS simply described that Jang passed away due to his hurried manner of eating a rice cake. It didn’t mention anything related to its fault in the matter at all.”

In response to the viewer criticism bombarding its website, KBS revealed yesterday that it plans to put up a document delivering condolences rather than apologize for Jang’s death on its website.

Jung-Bo Suh suhchoi@donga.com