KBS responds officially to petition on viewer board

'Cannot conduct background checks on cast members' families'

Victim's family says perpetrator's sister plays a significant role in evening drama series

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KBS has drawn a line against demands by the bereaved family of a woman who died in a fall from a Busan officetel, saying it would be unconstitutional to remove an actor from a drama series solely because her sibling committed a crime.

The petition was filed on the KBS viewer petition board by the family of a woman in her 20s who died after falling from an officetel in January 2024, following what the family described as relentless stalking. The family called on KBS to take responsible action after learning that the perpetrator's sister was appearing in a KBS evening daily drama series.

KBS posted its official response on the viewer petition board Wednesday, saying it "first extends its deepest condolences to the deceased and sincerely offers comfort to the bereaved family, who are living in profound grief and pain after losing a beloved family member."

On the question of whether KBS had known in advance that the actor in question was the sister of the perpetrator in the Busan officetel death case, the broadcaster said it "had no way of confirming that in advance."

KBS added that while it vets cast members for their own criminal records or history of social misconduct during the casting process, "background checks on cast members' families are not conducted and are not realistically possible."

It went on to say that "as stipulated in Article 13, Paragraph 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea — 'No citizen shall suffer any disadvantage on account of an act committed by a relative, as opposed to their own act' — we also do not believe it is possible to take separate action against someone solely on the grounds that they are a family member."

KBS issued the official response after the petition met the threshold required for a reply: at least 1,000 signatures within 30 days.

The petition, titled "We are the bereaved family of the Busan officetel fall death," was posted on the KBS viewer petition board on Sept. 3 and gathered 1,260 signatures.

"Our daughter endured relentless stalking by the perpetrator and ultimately met an unjust death," the petitioner wrote. "Since that day, time has stood still for me. I spend every night in tears, and I struggle through each day weighed down by guilt over the fact that I am still alive."

"Yet the world feels so indifferent and cruel," the petitioner continued. "The family of the man who took my daughter from me is still living peacefully. The perpetrator's sister is currently appearing in a significant role in a KBS evening daily drama series — laughing and crying on screen, carrying on without a care as an actor loved by many."

"Our daughter died an unjust death, while the perpetrator's sister is thriving as an actor," the petitioner wrote. "How can the world be so unfair?"

"Every time I see that actor on screen, I am overwhelmed with guilt as a parent for failing to protect my daughter," the petitioner said. "I feel sorry to my daughter, and it is as if my heart is being torn apart. While the parents who lost their daughter crumble every single day, the reality that life goes on elsewhere as if nothing happened is unbearable."

The petitioner urged KBS to "clarify whether you were aware of these facts, and to respond with the responsibility befitting a public broadcaster."

The petitioner's daughter, identified only as A, died on the morning of Jan. 7, 2024, after falling from her officetel in Busan's Jigu-gu. The first witness on the scene and the person who called emergency services was her former boyfriend, identified as B, who had been with her until the end. B told investigators that A had fallen from the ninth floor after an argument with him, while the bereaved family raised suspicions of foul play immediately after the incident.

According to the prosecution's indictment, B visited A's home between August and October 2023 and threatened her on multiple occasions — smashing a wine glass against his own hand and throwing a chair. He also faced stalking charges after A ended the relationship on Dec. 9 of that year, following which he knocked on her front door and sent her 365 KakaoTalk messages over roughly 17 hours.

B was also found to have recorded a video of himself and A having sex. The family discovered the footage while preparing a civil lawsuit against B and said police had stopped investigating after accepting B's claim that the recording was made with A's consent. B had previously been fined 2 million won ($1,480) after threatening another woman that he would distribute a sex tape involving her.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence, but the court of first instance handed down three years and six months. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to three years and two months, with an additional requirement to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program.


jshan@heraldcorp.com