‘Baek Jong-won's Les Misérables’ has started its first broadcast, overcoming controversy. Despite the revelation of the story of the juvenile offender with 'Disposition No. 9', who had been controversial even before the broadcast, criticism continues among netizens.
The new ENA entertainment program ‘Baek Jong-won's Les Misérables’ (hereafter ‘Les Misérables’), which aired its first episode on the 30th of last month, features 20 challengers who undertake harsh Spartan missions for 100 days to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a turnaround in their lives. The program is a growth entertainment show where they overcome their challenges with the help of Baek Jong-won and chefs from various culinary backgrounds.
The broadcast showed participants with different stories gathering at the filming location.
‘Les Misérables’ faced controversy even before airing due to the presence of a juvenile offender among the 20 participants. It was revealed that one of them had received 'Disposition No. 9', which is a short-term juvenile detention order and the second-highest level of juvenile protection disposition. This applies to cases where the individual commits a crime again despite having already been disposed of, or if they commit a serious offense regardless of family protection, resulting in a short-term (within 6 months) detention in a juvenile facility.
The juvenile offender who received 'Disposition No. 9' was participant number 7, Kim Dong-jun. He confessed, "I opened unlocked cars, stole their contents, sold mobile phones, and used the cards inside. I can't count how many times." He continued, "When I was in the first grade of elementary school, my parents divorced, and I moved to my uncle's house. Three months later, I was beaten continuously for not being properly educated. It was a daily occurrence. I had bruises all over my body. When I went to the bathroom, I would see brown blood mixed in. After being beaten, I couldn't eat for three days," sharing his troubled childhood.
He added, "Because I was hungry, I started taking money from other people's cars, and I kept doing it because I was hungry. It was a never-ending cycle. When I was in the juvenile facility, a teacher told me, 'If you can do it, why do you keep trying to give up?' After hearing that, I started looking for what I could do. I regret it now. I couldn't meet the victims, and I want to apologize," expressing his late remorse.
Although a subtitle stated that this was "a story confirmed only from the challenger's perspective," there were concerns that the past of the juvenile offender was being romanticized through the broadcast.
The reactions from netizens were generally cold. Some netizens expressed sympathetic responses, saying, "Hasn't he paid his debt to society?" "I think he deserves a chance," and "He was just a child," while the majority criticized, saying, "It looks like the glorification of a criminal," "Forgiving and giving opportunities to offenders is up to the victims, not a third party," "Isn't there a lack of opportunities for those who have lived righteously?" "Is stealing a mobile phone from someone else's car and using their card the same as Jean Valjean stealing bread?" "Shouldn't we help children who are determined to grow up correctly even in the same environment?" and "Don't package crime as if it has a reason."
During the production presentation held on the 27th of last month, PD Han Kyung-hoon responded to a question about the criteria for selecting participants, saying, "776 people applied. We selected those who have no second chances. In our society, if you fail once, it's a downfall. They say this life is ruined. Many of the participants were those kinds of people," and added, "We conducted more thorough initial screenings than other programs. There are those who have lived flawed lives. However, we filtered out those who did not meet social standards. I can't say there are no disqualifications, but they are people you can think, 'Oh, there was a reason for that.'
Baek Jong-won also stated, "The current era places too much burden on socially vulnerable people and young people. While saying 'I believe in the youth,' the older generation sometimes doesn't even give them opportunities," and emphasized, "I participated in the program thinking it could provide clues and hope to those who truly dream of starting a business, those who have had no opportunities, and young people."
However, it seemed unfair to the other participants who have worked hard to be grouped together. While some participants are experiencing crises due to their own mistakes, there are also participants who are victims without any fault of their own. Just looking at the labels of the participants revealed many who were victims of domestic violence, victims of fraud, those without resources, young people preparing for independence, released pitchers from the Eagles, and failed idols, none of whom had committed crimes.
Participant number 6 introduced himself as "Kim Guk-heon, a former failed idol and current unemployed 28-year-old." He said, "I debuted in the group MYTEEN. After debuting, I thought a celebrity's life would unfold, but I was shocked by how little interest there was. The company wanted to promote me quickly, so they sent me to a survival audition program. I wanted to seize that opportunity too..." He recalled a painful past, saying, "I opened the car door to jump off the highway. It was a memory so painful that I wanted to die. I made a foolish choice back then."
Kim Guk-heon was a victim of the manipulation scandal surrounding the Mnet ‘Produce 101’ series, which caused a stir in the entertainment industry. He participated in ‘Produce X 101’ but was eliminated in the third round due to vote manipulation. This fact became known when the names of the victim trainees were revealed during the appeals trial against PD Ahn Jun-young and CP Kim Yong-beom in 2020.
Participant number 19, Kim Hyun-jun, was labeled as a "careless single dad." He became a father at 21 after having his first child at 20. After having children close in age, he divorced and was raising them alone with the help of his parents. Kim Hyun-jun said, "I perform as a DJ to make a living. I feel sorry that I can't be around often since I have to be there for my kids. I want to change my life," showing his sense of responsibility as a head of the family.
Additionally, participant number 14, Son Woo-sung, was a 40-year-old head of a family with a debt of 500 million won due to a business failure, and participant number 13, Ha Jin-woo, was someone who escaped from North Korea after working as a broker to save his family and settled in South Korea.
There is a precedent for the SBS entertainment program ‘Miracle Project Song for You’, produced in 2013 with the concept of rehabilitating delinquent youth through music, which ended amid criticism and controversy for romanticizing crime. At that time, a participating student was revealed to be the perpetrator of the luxury car incident at Apgujeong Station, causing shock.
Of course, as the production team intended, a second chance is necessary. However, the judgment of whether this participation is excessive or not ultimately lies with the viewers.
If the label of 'juvenile offender with Disposition No. 9' initially attracts attention, it must also bear the controversy and burden that may arise from it. If Kim Dong-jun's confession about his childhood is true, who would oppose giving him a second chance? The sincerity that the program and Kim Dong-jun show in the future will determine that opportunity.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
