Penthouse 3: War in Life under fire for using footage of real-life incident of Gwangju building collapse

Penthouse 3: War in Life has received negative feedback from many viewers over unnecessary violent sequences and provocative content. The plot in season 3 especially turned out to be repetitive, which also disappointed the show's fans.

This resulted in a drop in viewership ratings. The show is now under fire for using footage of a real-life incident to portray a fictional event.

In episode 13 of Penthouse 3: War in Life, the K-Drama featured Hera Palace crashing down into rubble after Ju Dan-tae set up a homemade bomb in the building. The episode also showed footage of the aftermath of the bomb blast, revealed to be real footage of the Gwangju building collapse from June 2021.

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Why did Penthouse 3: War in Life come under fire for using real-life footage?

According to a report in My Daily, the scene in question in Penthouse 3: War in Life used footage broadcast by SBS after they reported the Gwangju building's collapse. The use of the clip was deemed inconsiderate by many fans, as the building collapse had killed people in real life.

A screenshot of reactions from viewers about Penthouse 3: War in Life episode 13 (Image via allkpop)

A screenshot of reactions from viewers about Penthouse 3: War in Life episode 13 (Image via allkpop)

Few fans also questioned why the network did not just use CGI for these scenes in Penthouse 3: War in Life, like those that had come before it in the episode.

Scenes in Penthouse 3: War in Life just switched the subtitle of the footage and used it entirely as-is while reporting how Ju Dan-tae had bombed Hera Palace.

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What happened to the Gwangju building in June?

The building in question was located in Hak-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, and collapsed on June 9. It was supposed to be demolished, but before that could take place, parts of it collapsed and fell on a bus that was passing by, according to media reports.

It was a five-story building situated right by a 6-lane municipal road. The collapse resulted in many deaths, and the casualties were only reported on June 10, hours after the rescue had begun.

aku bener-bener belom lanjut penthouse 3. masih mau nonton, tapi mau lsg nunggu full aja marathonin. tapi btw, scene ini beneran ada? 😂 https://t.co/4UtfuBehrI

— tiya (@ciseukimbap) September 4, 2021

The deceased ranged from women in their sixties and seventies to a high school student in his second year.