[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Public broadcaster KBS has postponed the airing of the film 'F20,' which it invested in and produced, following criticism that it promotes stigma against schizophrenia.
According to KBS on the 27th, the scheduled broadcast of the film 'F20' at 11:25 PM on the 29th has been postponed, and instead, 'Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook' will be aired earlier during that time slot.
'F20' is a suspense thriller about a mother, Aeran, who wants to hide her son's schizophrenia, and Kyunghwa, another mother with a son suffering from the same illness, moving into the apartment. It is one of the TV cinema productions made by KBS Drama Special. The film was directed by Hong Eun-mi, who also directed 'Drama Special 2020-Modern Girl' and 'Drama Special 2020-The Reason for Not Confessing.'
The film was released on CGV on the 6th, and on online video streaming services (OTT) such as Wavve and Btv on the 15th, and was scheduled to be broadcast on KBS2 on the 29th.
'F20' had faced criticism even before its release for fostering stigma against schizophrenia. On the 20th, 19 disability organizations, including the Korea Center for Independent Living of Persons with Mental Disabilities, held a press conference in front of KBS in Seoul, stating, "The film clearly labels people with schizophrenia as dangerous, frightening, and unable to live together in the community."
The organizations criticized, "The film tells the story of prejudice and hatred toward schizophrenia circulating in society under the guise of a thriller," and called for the suspension of its screening.
Disability organizations have filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, claiming that 'F20' violates the human rights of people with mental disabilities.
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