“Snowdrop” Fan Union Gallery Calls For The Drama To Be Cancelled, Explaining Why Koreans Are So Upset

With the controversies surrounding upcoming K-Drama Snowdrop, the DC Gallery (fan union) for the show has called for its cancellation.

In addition to the lengthy protest letter, they have announced that they are currently gathering funds for protest trucks to protest against the drama from airing. The letter denotes all the current issues many have taken up with the drama, and accuses JTBC of not providing a clear statement explaining these faults.

Snowdrop faces controversy for the distortion of history, with the highly sensitive issue of the Democratic Movement and the June Struggle as a set-up. In the movements, many student protestors were killed and tortured while being falsely accused as North Korean spies. The massacre is one that still inspires pain in many South Korean citizens, hence the opposition towards the drama.

| Snowdrop Gallery

The full statement can be read below.

We are strongly requesting for the JTBC drama, Snowdrop, to be cancelled. We have been waiting for the broadcasting station to give a clear explanation but the official statement that was released on March 26, 2021, merely gave vague excuses. We request for detailed feedback and direct explanations regarding the parts that have been claimed as distortions of history.

Firstly, there is the painful part of history whereby many student activists were accused as spies and received unfair torture and died. We request an explanation about the part where the male lead’s set up is a spy and he is misunderstood to be a protestor.

Secondly, we request an explanation as to the set-up of the male lead as a spy and there is any narration that may give any romanticization to spies.

Thirdly, there is a part of history whereby the National Security Agency (NSA) tortured the student activists disgracefully. We wish for an explanation regarding the introduction for the character of the NSA team leader as an “upright and passionate character who follows the rules” and if it romanticizes the NSA as well as if he is involved in any romance.

Fourthly, the male lead’s name “Lim XX” but the female name, “Youngcho” is not a common name and is one that exists as a real figure in the movement. This gives harm to the figure due to association. We wish for an explanation on this.

Fifth, the drama uses Hosu Female University as  motive and this is a school that actually played a pivotal role in the student movements. There is some elements of slander towards the movement in the fact that the drama contains a plot whereby the female lead, who is a student at the university, hides the male lead in the dorms. We request an explanation for this.

Lastly, we request for an explanation that includes a professional opinion from experts in the democratic movements, and not only opinions from the internal production team.

We strongly request for the drama to be cancelled as well as for the producers of JTBC’s Snowdrop to provide a clear statement as the democratic movement’s meaning and history is something cannot be distorted in any way.

— Snowdrop Gallery

JTBC previously made a statement to address some of the issues surrounding the drama. However, the statement was dissatisfactory to many Koreans due to vague reasoning and terminology.