Wearing Kimono and Playing Japanese National Anthem on Gwangbokjeol? ... KBS Finally Apologizes (Comprehensive)

KBS apologized after receiving criticism for broadcasting the opera 'Madama Butterfly,' which features the Japanese national anthem and traditional Japanese attire, on Liberation Day, August 15.

On the same day, KBS issued a statement saying, "We apologize to viewers for causing concern and disappointment regarding the performing arts recorded broadcast program 'KBS Joonggyeseok'."

They added, "We will investigate the circumstances of the broadcast to prevent such incidents from happening again, hold appropriate parties accountable, and pay closer attention to production. The 'Madama Butterfly Part 2' scheduled to air tonight will be replaced with a different performance broadcast."

'KBS Joonggyeseok,' which aired on KBS 1TV at midnight, featured a recorded performance of the opera 'Madama Butterfly' held at the Seoul Arts Center on June 29 this year.

Composed by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, 'Madama Butterfly' depicts the love story between an American officer and a Japanese woman. During the wedding scene of the two protagonists, the Japanese national anthem, Kimigayo, is played. The female lead wears the traditional Japanese garment, kimono.

The appearance of the kimono and Kimigayo on public broadcasting on Liberation Day sparked criticism for being inappropriate. A critical post by a viewer on the KBS viewer petition board garnered support from over 10,000 people by 1 p.m.

KBS explained the broadcast circumstances of 'Madama Butterfly,' stating, "It was originally scheduled to air at the end of July but was postponed to early Liberation Day due to Olympic coverage. The production team’s failure to review whether the content was problematic or timely considering the changed schedule was a lapse."

On the same day, while delivering the weather forecast, KBS also displayed the Taegeukgi flag reversed left to right in a small section of the screen. Some online communities posted criticism regarding this issue.

KBS said, "We confirmed the mistake in the image display and immediately corrected it. We sincerely apologize and will pay close attention to even the smallest details to prevent the same problem from recurring."

Regarding the reason for the reversed Taegeukgi, KBS explained, "It was the result of the producer flipping the Taegeukgi image using computer graphics software to match the scene where a person was holding the flag."