Producers of Disney+'s 'Battle of Fates' apologize for controversial episode

The producers of Disney+’s new survival reality show “Battle of Fates” apologized after drawing criticism for featuring a firefighter who died in the line of duty during the program's second episode.

Still from Disney+ series ″Battle of Fates″ [THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

The producers of Disney+’s new survival reality show “Battle of Fates” apologized after drawing criticism for featuring a firefighter who died in the line of duty during the program's second episode.

The program pits 49 self-described “fate readers” against one another in challenges tied to shamanism, tarot and physiognomy. It asks whether fate is predetermined and whether it can be interpreted.

The controversy erupted after contestants were assigned a mission to deduce the cause of death of a deceased person. During the segment, the show revealed the face and birth details of Senior Firefighter Kim Cheol-hong, who died while protecting the public. Viewers questioned whether it was appropriate to use a fallen public servant’s story in an entertainment format and whether all bereaved family members had been properly informed.

“We express our deepest respect for the sacrifice and conviction of Senior Firefighter Kim Cheol-hong, who devoted himself to protecting the public and passed away, and we also extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” the production team said.

Still from Disney+ series ″Battle of Fates″ [THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

“Our program began with the question of whether it is possible to read a person’s fate,” the production team said. “Given the concept of the show, stories of life and death were bound to be introduced, and we hoped to use them as an opportunity to reflect on meaningful and noble stories. That is why we chose the story of Kim.”

“Before filming, we explained to the bereaved family that this was a survival format program featuring fortunetellers, and that it would examine the deceased’s fate through saju [a traditional Korean system of fortune-telling],” the production team said. “We obtained written consent from a family member to use the portrait, name and date and time of birth. At the filming site, we observed a moment of silence to honor the deceased and prayed for his repose.”

After the episode aired, however, other relatives and acquaintances said they learned about the consent process only afterward. The production team said it became aware of those concerns after the broadcast and would continue to provide explanations and “work to clear up misunderstandstandings.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]