TV show sparks controversy for airing drinking scenes

Is it appropriate to air scenes that stars drink makgeolli rice wine during hiking on an entertainment show?

"Two Nights, One Day segment on KBS 2 TV’s Happy Sunday" program aired scenes in which cast drank makgeolli while taking rest during hiking to Mount Hambaek in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province on Sunday. In the footage, Kang Min-gyeong, a member of the female singing duo Davichi and guest star in the episode, brought a bottle of makgeolli with her, and several star entertainers including Defconn drank a cup of the rice wine. The show also aired subtitles "I am an alpinist" and (pointing at the cup) "a professional tool."

After the airing of the footage, the viewers’ bulletin for "Two Days, One Night" had comments, including those reading “The production team instigated drinking although drinking while hiking is dangerous, and included footages suggesting that the purpose of hiking is drinking,” and other comments reading, “People are trying to find fault with the show while criticizing drinking a small amount of alcohol as hiking under influence.”

If scenes of excessive drinking are put on air, such scenes are subject to review by the Korea Communications Standards Commission. SBS aired scenes in which cast created boilermakers and encouraged each other to drink in a 2013 episode on its entertainment show "Honey," and was given a warning, which is a legal sanction. “If scenes of drinking on air are excessive and put on air repeatedly, they could be subject to sanctions," said a source in the commission.

jjj@donga.com