Snowdrop staff member comes out in support of drama amidst historical distortion controversy

While JTBC's Snowdrop is receiving backlash from all over South Korea due to alleged historical distortion, the cast and crew are firmly standing by the show, with several showing their support on social media forums.

Since its release, Snowdrop has received a barrage of criticism, with petitions going around for its cancelation. The Blue House petition, which has accumulated well over 300,000 signatories, said:

"At the time of the democratization movement, there were victims of the movement who were tortured and killed as spies without any basis, and we think that making a drama with such content despite these historical facts would definitely undermine the value of the democratization movement."

In light of these developments, a cast member has come forward with his own statement.

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'Snowdrop's' alleged photographer, Jo Bae Gun, has come out in defense of the show

On December 24, an individual claiming to be a staff member on Snowdrop's production team created a post on the social media forum, Nate Pann. Introducing himself as Jo Bae Gun, in charge of photography on set, the netizen wrote at length about why there is no reason for the protests against the show.

The netizen posted this image as proof of his position on the set of Snowdrop (Image via Nate Pann)

Jo Bae Gun started by saying that he had initially expected the controversy to die down soon. In his personal opinion, there was no part in the show that could be deemed offensive.

But when the scandal continued to escalate, Jo Bae Gun was forced to come forward with his defense of Snowdrop.

He said:

"I am not trying to deceive everyone with clever lies. The three allegations about the drama are all not true. I understand the controversy, but I cannot empathize with it."

For the Snowdrop crew member, freedom of speech is essential in a democratic society and should be respected.

"The creator's creation must be respected unless it was plagiarized. Even if it makes you feel bad about it, it should be respected. It should not be burned. It seems like nothing, but it is one of the great pillars of democracy. Only then can culture develop."

Jo Bae Gun, incidentally, has the same problem with the controversy against Snowdrop that several international viewers of the show have: it was explicitly stated to be "fictional".

"But from the beginning, 'Snowdrop' stated that everything was fictional, and even the things that were of concern didn't appear in the drama at all. Isn't that the case?"

The photographer also shared anecdotes about his encounter with the Snowdrop cast, especially Jung Hae In. He was full of praises for the Something in the Rain actor, revealing that the star would always initiate conversations with the staff and ask them questions.

Jo Bae Gun also shared a textual conversation between him and the Snowdrop star.

Jo Bar Gun shared his conversation with Jung Hae In (Image via Nate Pann)

The texts, when translated, had this message from Jung Hae In:

"Hyung, this is Hae In!! Thank you so much for always capturing Su Ho and Young Ro so amazingly and beautifully! I'll also cherish the photo frame you gifted!! Thank you."

Jo Bae Gun's reply was:

"Wow. Hae In, I'm so touched! I should take good photos more diligently! Thank you, good night!"

While Jo Bae Gun's post might have been in defense of Snowdrop, it has received a mixed reaction from readers. While several are in agreement, many others pointed out how as a staff member, he would naturally be in support of Snowdrop, regardless of the criticism.

Here are some comments on the post:

"I think people's nationalism has gone wrong because of COVID19. I'm pretty sure there are still viewers who end their week watching 'Snowdrop.' Please continue to make the drama."

"I think what this man said is right. If there really is a problem with the drama, there will be fewer consumers. Also, I think this is a creative work that has no legal issues,"

"Just because some people feel angry about the drama, you can't just get rid of it. I think all 16 episodes should be aired. I will support it until the end."

"Does he not understand the reason why the drama is being criticized?"

"I guess he doesn't know what the issue is,"

"I feel like this is just a long excuse,"

"The issue is they included spies in the drama set around that era."

Meanwhile, JTBC has decided to air three Snowdrop episodes consecutively to remove concerns of historical distortion. The reactions to these episodes will be interesting to witness.