[Zoom In] 'Snowdrop' Jung Hae-in and Jisoo, Did They Not Know Even After Reading the Script... 'Handshake' That Lost Trust

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Criticism against Jung Hae-in and Jisoo (Kim Jisoo), the leads of 'Snowdrop,' which has been embroiled in controversy over historical distortion such as belittling the democratization movement and glorifying the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), is intensifying. Issues such as lack of historical awareness and acting skills have come under scrutiny, raising questions about the actors' responsibility.

In the JTBC weekend drama 'Snowdrop' (written by Yoo Hyun-mi, directed by Jo Hyun-tak), which aired on the 18th and 19th, the story of Yeong-ro (played by Jisoo), a student residing in a women's university dormitory in Seoul in 1987, and Im Soo-ho (played by Jung Hae-in), a spy hiding from the KCIA under a concealed identity, sparked controversy.

Yeong-ro fell for the spy Im Soo-ho whom she met by chance. Later, seeing Im Soo-ho hiding in her dormitory, Yeong-ro believed he was a student activist and sheltered him, as she had previously heard he was a Berlin university student. However, Yeong-ro did not suspect Soo-ho's true identity as someone being chased by the KCIA at all. The drama did not depict why she was so certain he was a student activist. It was ambiguous whether Yeong-ro's feelings were to protect the democratization movement students or simply falling in love.

Moreover, the 'Snowdrop' production team did not portray the KCIA agents as villains. The dormitory supervisor scolding the agents who barged in with guns while invoking 'the law,' and Yeong-ro shouting "Ajumma" (auntie) to save the spy, are settings far removed from the atrocities committed by the KCIA in the past. Additionally, scenes that give these agents a backstory or evoke empathy have been met with discomfort.

This controversy was predictable. Nine months before the first broadcast of 'Snowdrop,' in March, the leaked synopsis content was already under scrutiny. At that time, the production team urged viewers to watch the show, stating, "The information originated from a combination of an incomplete synopsis and partial character introductions, and fragmented information combined with suspicion has been packaged as facts, which is not true."

Was this an attempt to avoid production cancellation? Contrary to the confident attitude of the production team, the unveiled 'Snowdrop' exposed the anticipated historical distortion issues as they were.

The controversy surrounding 'Snowdrop' was foreseeable just by looking at the synopsis. The atmosphere is also raising the 'actor responsibility theory.' There is consensus that the problems should have been foreseen and ignored at the planning stage, and that the work should never have been released to the public.

As creators, a correct historical consciousness and responsibility for producing dramas watched by many are required. If this is not recognized or if the script lacks sufficient consideration, it is indeed difficult to cast actors. We live in an era flooded with content such as dramas, movies, and online video services (OTT). Actors must have the wisdom to properly evaluate the scripts they receive. This is why not only the creative team but also the cast must have a proper historical perspective and sense of responsibility.

The democratization movement of the 1980s is a painful history and one we must remember. We must not forget the spirit and names of the many democracy activists who sacrificed themselves to change the world, and we must remember them correctly. This is something anyone who has completed secondary education should know.

Did Jung Hae-in and Blackpink member Jisoo not know this? Why did they make such a disastrous mistake that could jeopardize their acting careers?

'Snowdrop' is a new work prepared by the production team behind JTBC's hit drama 'Sky Castle.' It is a melodrama presented by the director and writer of the previous hit. Working with a production team that has gained viewers' trust through successful projects is comfortable for actors.

However, they should not have been swayed by that and should have carefully examined the content of the drama. Especially since the work is set in the harsh era of the 1980s, verification should have been involved.

Deciding to appear can be seen as agreeing with the beliefs that permeate the work and the role. Viewing the background of the democratization movement against the 1980s military regime simply as a 'fictional' backdrop for the drama indicates a lack of deep reflection.

Unless it was a sci-fi thriller or a newly created superhero story, playing a university student and a spy rooted in a historical era while treating the background as mere decoration is a careless attitude that overlooks the influence actors have in popular culture.

Jisoo has been embroiled in controversy over her acting skills. Playing Yeong-ro, the lead of 'Snowdrop,' she appears overwhelmed. Her voice and pronunciation are so poor that the delivery of lines is ineffective, and her constant excessive smiling or speaking with a lisp seems to be an over-consciousness of the melodrama genre.

Wouldn't it have been better if she had undergone sufficient acting training before debuting as an actress? The 'Snowdrop' production team is considered experienced. They must have known that Jisoo lacked the acting skills to play Yeong-ro. Yet, casting Jisoo appears to be a ploy by the production team to ride on the popularity of Blackpink. 'Snowdrop' signed a contract with the OTT Disney+ before airing, leveraging Blackpink's powerful global fandom. With this backing, 'Snowdrop' is being released to viewers worldwide.

Criticism toward actor Jung Hae-in is also strong. It is disappointing that he, who has promoted himself as a descendant of Jeong Yak-yong, exposed a narrow historical perspective.

According to the official JTBC website for 'Snowdrop,' Im Soo-ho, played by Jung Hae-in, is introduced as "a graduate student in economics at Berlin University preparing a master's thesis on 'Park Chung-hee's economic development policy' among the boarding students in Sillim-dong, but in reality, he is a North Korean spy."

Also, the description notes, "His father, a genius musician, was branded a reactionary and sent to the Musan coal mine in North Hamgyong Province, while his mother, the daughter of a central party core cadre from the Baekdu Mountain lineage, chose to divorce and abandoned him, his younger sister, and his father."

This evokes the image of composer Yun Isang, who was falsely accused as a spy by the government and died without setting foot on Korean soil, but the portrayal of him as a North Korean is also criticized.

Even from the character introduction alone, one can guess the distorted historical perspective of 'Snowdrop.' If Jung Hae-in saw this and did not feel a sense of problem, can viewers continue to trust the works he appears in?

Meanwhile, after 'Snowdrop' ended, the chicken brand Puradak, which had prominently displayed its sponsorship logo, also decided to 'cut ties.' Puradak, which had employed Jung Hae-in as a model for a long time, explained, "This was done to support the advertising model's activities," and announced, "We have requested the suspension and withdrawal of all advertising activities related to 'Snowdrop.'"