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Popular JBTC drama Snowdrop has been embroiled in controversy ever since the day of its release, and the show is now back in the spotlight once again. On January 11, 2022, over 30 students and professors of Korean studies got together to submit a petition against the various historical representations and inaccuracies that the show portrays.
The petition was addressed to the General Manager of Disney Plus Asia Pacific and aims to address the possible historical distortions the show portrays. The petition goes on to mention,
"We are not writing to request that you stop streaming the show. Rather, we write to request that your company seek experts to carefully examine the historical references made in the show, and consider for yourselves the way those historical references are used. We make this request because we do not believe that Disney Plus as a global platform is aware of the historical and socio-political context in which this show exists, and we believe that platforms should make an informed decision when globally broadcasting a show set in recent, still-relevant Korean history (1987)."
Petitioners raise concerns over historical references in Snowdrop
The first area of concern raised in the petition centered around political references with regards to real-life historical figure Cheon Young Cho (activist) and her husband Jeong Mun Hwa. The petition goes deep into the inaccuracy of their references.
The second point of concern was the portrayal of BLACKPINK Jisoo's character, Eun Young Ro. Petitioners believe that her character is based on another historical figure, Park Jun-byeong, who spearheaded a large massacre on civilians that remains a pivotal part of South Korean history. The document uses a tabular form to highlight the similarities between Eun Young Ro and Park Jun-byeong.
Netizen's thoughts on the matter
It is not the first time a petition has been raised against the show. Earlier in December, the South Korean Bluehouse submitted a petition against the show.
When it comes to Snowdrop, netizens have actively expressed their thoughts on the matter. Some went on to show their support for the TV series.
Who were the petitioners?
The professors and students who submitted the petition belong to distinguished institutions like Ewha Woman's University, Pusan National University, Princeton University and more.
One of the petitioners took to social media to address the General Manager of Disney Plus Asia Pacific. In his tweet, he also inserted a link to the official petition document.
Caption translation (translated using Google Translate):
This is an open letter to Luke Kang, General Manager, Asia Pacific, Disney Plus. The letter, signed by a total of 26 scholars, is asking for a reconsideration of the drama Seolganghwa airing on the Disney+ platform.
Petitioners end the form by asking Disney Plus to create content responsibly as it reflects the kind of media content present throughout the world.
