Disney's First K-Drama Was A Controversial Nightmare

As K-dramas — or South Korean scripted television — have steadily been finding success with global audiences, streaming services have started to curate their own K-drama libraries. While Netflix's original K-drama programming continues to grow, the first K-drama licensed by Disney+ was the historical drama "Snowdrop." Despite boasting an impressive cast, including K-pop superstar Jisoo from BLACKPINK, and high production values, "Snowdrop" was rocked by controversy before it even premiered. This backlash didn't diminish as episodes began to air, putting Disney's foray into K-dramas off to a decidedly shaky start.

"Snowdrop" is set in 1987, with South Korea experiencing widespread protests against the military regime that came into power in 1980. University student Eun Yeong-ro (Jisoo) lives in Seoul, while her father works for the government's intelligence agency. Mistaking Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in) for a pro-democracy activist, Yeong-ro hides him in her dormitory after he stumbles in wounded, unaware that he's secretly a North Korean infiltrator. As Soo-ho and his team work to extract a professor with them back to North Korea, he begins to fall in love with Yeong-ro. This budding romance is complicated by Yeong-ro learning the truth about Soo-ho and the escalating standoff between the North Korean infiltrators and South Korean authorities.

For someone with no knowledge of South Korean history, that premise seems like an interesting direction for a K-drama. But the true history behind the show's setting makes the controversy much more understandable.

The June Democracy Movement in South Korea did unfold in 1987, starting in June of that year as the culmination of years of pro-democracy protests. These social movements began after the brutal suppression of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, which itself was a reaction against the newly founded military dictatorship of Chun Doo-Hwan. Though the official South Korean government estimates place protester casualties to under 200, some estimates place the number as high as 2,000. This galvanized the South Koreans to continue protesting Chun's regime, with university students significantly involved with the social movement's organization and makeup.

1987 began with the murder of Park Jong-chul, a university student who died during police interrogation that January, with the government attempting to conceal the circumstances behind his death. A second university student, Lee Han-yeol, was killed when struck in the head by a tear gas grenade fired by the police at a protest in June 1987. This spurred a dramatic increase in the number of protest movements and participants nationwide, while Chun's government claimed political subversives and North Korean agents were responsible for the growing unrest. Though Chun agreed to step down in February 1988 and cede power to his handpicked successor, Roh Tae-woo, protests continued to intensify.

By the end of June, Roh agreed to release thousands of jailed political prisoners and government-identified dissidents as well as to hold democratic elections the following December.

One of the repeated justifications by the Chun regime in its violent response to the protests was that they were organized by pro-communists and North Korean spies. Despite there being no evidence supporting this, "Snowdrop" not only lends credence to Chun's claim but somehow manages to both glorify North Korea and the actions of the South Korean authorities. Though the show takes place months after the deaths of Park Jong-chul and Lee Han-yeol, these tragedies are downplayed while violent police crackdown on protests persists. This undercuts the sacrifice of two very real activists, killed while still just students, which also endured backlash.

As story details behind "Snowdrop" became public, thousands of Koreans petitioned for the show's production to cease and for it to be canceled. Brands pulled their sponsorship of "Snowdrop" as the backlash continued, though the series proceeded with its December 2021 premiere along with its subsequent Disney+ streaming release. JTBC's response to the controversy was that "Snowdrop" was a wholly fictional story, with the pro-democracy activist elements only a backdrop, with Soo-ho not influencing the movement. After a court ruling that "Snowdrop" did not distort actual history, JTBC threatened legal action on the grounds of libel to those who posted false information about the show online.

Fortunately, Disney has continued to provide a growing number of K-dramas on its streaming services, even after the "Snowdrop" controversy. In the meantime, if you're looking for a less controversial show starring K-pop stars, there's always Lisa's role in "The White Lotus."