[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seong-yeol] MBC's 'PD Notebook' explained that the controversy over manipulating the interviewee as a non-homeowner despite owning an apartment worth 900 million won was due to "the request of Mr. A, who was interviewed."
The production team of MBC's current affairs program 'PD Notebook' issued an official statement on the 12th under the name of MBC Current Affairs and Culture Headquarters, saying, "We sincerely apologize for causing confusion to our viewers by ultimately not disclosing the fact of the contract signing."
The production team stated, "During the investigation, we recognized that Mr. A signed a contract to purchase a small apartment and paid the deposit a day before the interview," adding, "Mr. A requested not to mention the contract because only the down payment was made, the registration had not been transferred, and there was concern that if the apartment was exposed, the contract might be canceled or he might suffer disadvantages."
They also added, "We apologize to Mr. A, who kindly agreed to the interview."
In the episode 'PD Notebook - About the 2020 Housing Prices Part 3,' which aired the previous day (the 11th), a woman in her 20s living in a rented apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, named Mr. A, said in the interview, "If I had bought a house, it would have increased by 120 million won."
Although the broadcast did not explicitly state that Mr. A was a non-homeowner, editing showed her as a 'renter' and depicted her studying real estate investment, making her appear as a non-homeowner.
A screenshot of a group chat presumed to be of Mr. A, who appeared on the 'PD Notebook - About the 2020 House Prices Part 3' broadcast on the 11th / Photo by Online Community Screenshot
After the broadcast, a screenshot of a group chat presumed to be left by Mr. A was released on online communities, sparking controversy.
In the chatroom, Mr. A said, "PD Notebook contacted me wanting to interview about real estate related to the millennial generation, and after some consideration, I agreed," adding, "It was decided to edit out the part where I purchased a specific apartment."
The 'specific apartment' mentioned in the chatroom is located in Namgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, with a sale price in the 900 million won range.
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