'Museum of Fear' to 'Escape Is for the Smart'... Why Does KBS YouTube Keep Crossing the Line [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

The KBS YouTube channel has once again found itself at the center of controversy. Criticism continues as cases involving sensational thumbnails and titles repeat.

First, a controversy recently erupted over the KBS YouTube channel 'Kebaksu Original'. In a preview video of the 'L'Ennue' content released on the 29th of last month, the title and thumbnail used 'Museum of Fear,' which had previously faced criticism for its dialect usage by member Won-i.

Critics pointed out that using this expression, which caused significant trouble not only in the entertainment industry but also in politics, was inappropriate as it included rude questions such as "Wasn't this just viral?" and utilized the thumbnail and title to exploit the subject matter of the content.

Furthermore, KBS fueled the controversy further by tagging famous names unrelated to the video's content, including Hong Myung-bo, Lee Jae-yong, Choi Tae-won, Lee Jae-myung, Han Dong-hoon, Min Hee-jin, and NewJeans, in the Shorts version of the video.

As criticism mounted, KBS modified the title and thumbnail of the video, but when the controversy did not subside, it ultimately made the video private. The program's MC, YouTuber Kim Sun-tae, announced his voluntary resignation via his own YouTube channel, apologizing and stating, "I felt I was lacking in leading the broadcast as a solo MC."

The production team also conveyed their apology, saying, "Regardless of our original intention to fully convey the perspective of the participants, we seriously acknowledge that some expressions and directing methods in this content may have caused discomfort and hurt to the participants and viewers." They added, "After multiple discussions, we accepted Mr. Kim Sun-tae's decision to step down, and both digital and broadcast scheduling were cancelled."

Just over two months ago, a similar controversy occurred. The KBS variety YouTube channel 'KBS Entertainment: Ggaltv' faced criticism for using the expression 'Tank' in its thumbnail for content related to comedian Shim Hyung-rae, despite it being unrelated to the video's actual content. The video included a scene where Shim Hyung-rae imitates the Hulk, which had nothing to do with tanks.

Viewers raised the issue by referencing Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day' event, which sparked controversy over disparaging the May 18th Democratic Uprising. KBS responded, "Considering the current time and situation, this is a serious problem," and stated, "The freelancer in question was immediately terminated based on the contract terms, and the responsible employee has been immediately removed from their duties and an investigation is underway according to internal regulations."

Additionally, in May last year, an issue related to ADOOR and the group NewJeans sparked controversy when the video title used expressions such as 'Shaking NewJeans, Hye-rin's escape first?...'Escape Is for the Smart' vs. 'Baseless Rumors, Close Friendship.' Criticism was raised that using the phrase 'Escape Is for the Smart' trivialized a specific issue or revealed a biased perspective, leading to a viewer petition against KBS.

In response, KBS stated in its reply to the petition, "This digital content is a video covering the dispute over the exclusive contract between HYBE and NewJeans, and we intended to organize and convey both sides' arguments without bias." However, they added, "Criticism was raised that the thumbnail text and other elements were inappropriate, and we accepted this, making the content private." They further stated, "We apologize to all viewers who felt discomfort due to this incident and promise to be more careful in producing digital content not only in terms of content but also subtitles, titles, and overall production."

Regarding this controversy, some are raising issues about KBS's digital content production structure and management system. While recent broadcasters are expanding the proportion of outsourced production to strengthen their competitiveness in online content such as YouTube, critics point out that the ultimate responsibility for managing and inspecting the content lies with KBS, the platform operator.

Especially in a situation where repeated competition for views using sensational titles and thumbnails continues, voices argue that this cannot be dismissed solely as a judgment issue of the outsourced production team. Whenever controversy arises, KBS has promised apologies, measures to prevent recurrence, and improvements to the production process. However, with similar cases repeating, doubts are growing regarding the effectiveness of these measures.

Given that the content is released under the name of a public broadcaster, there is increasing support for fundamental improvements, such as establishing clear guidelines from the production stage and strengthening pre-inspection systems.

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*This content was translated by AI.