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MBC's hit K-drama When the Phone Rings aired its finale on January 4, garnering immense popularity among both domestic and overseas audiences, but a specific scene from the last episode has sparked outrage from international viewers.
The scene in question is the one where the character Na Yu Ri (Jang Gyu Ri) is seen reporting on an incident where the (fictional) country "Paltima" launched airstrikes against another (fictional) country "Izmael" and took Korean nationals hostage.
Although the names were invented, viewers quickly drew parallels to Palestine and Israel. Many expressed outrage online, accusing the creators and the network of portraying a skewed narrative of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine caused by Israel's actions.
For over a year, Israeli forces have brutally and relentlessly bombed the Gaza Strip, and Israel is also accused of violating international law for the restriction of humanitarian aid into the strip. International lawyers, doctors working in Gaza, and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly raised alarms for violations of human rights in Palestine and called out Israel for these actions.
In May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel's actions in Gaza "could have amounted to genocide," and the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif.
Viewers have expressed rage with the show's handling of this sensitive issue on multiple fronts. The reversal of the fictionalized parties' roles in the conflict is seen by viewers as promoting Zionist propaganda, and they also criticize the K-drama for using the suffering of the Middle East as a plot device.
The show's creators — director Park Sang Woo and writer Kim Ji Woon — are being called out on social media to apologize. Many are also demanding that MBC remove the scene and issue a formal apology.
As of now, no official statement has been made by MBC or the production team. Stay tuned.
When the Phone Rings centers around a couple — Baek Sa Eon (Yoo Yeon Seok) and Hong Hui Ju (Chae Soo Bin) — in their third year of arranged marriage. Despite being together for three years, the duo's relationship has been cold. They would have continued living as usual had it not been for a threatening phone call blackmailing Baek Sa Eon with Hong Hui Ju's life in danger. The K-drama is available to stream on Netflix.
We express our deepest condolences to all those affected by the Israel-Palestine conflict.
