Controversies Caused by Production Teams: From “The Queen Who Crowns” to “Love Scout”, What Did the Actors Do Wrong?
The highly popular “The Queen Who Crowns”, co-produced by tvN and TVING, and SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “Love Scout” are embroiled in separate controversies: explicit 19+ scenes for the former and allegations of past violent conduct by the PD for the latter.
Both shows have drawn significant attention and impressive ratings, emerging as standout works in the new year. However, the controversies surrounding their production teams threaten to dampen their success. Despite statements from the networks, the damage to the dramas’ reputations may be inevitable, potentially impacting their viewership.
“The Queen Who Crowns”, a tvN Monday-Tuesday drama and a TVING original, is released with 15+ and 19+ ratings depending on the platform.
Since its debut, it has dominated TVING’s paid subscription rankings and weekly viewing metrics, while achieving strong cable TV ratings. Its most recent episode recorded a nationwide average viewership of 5.6%, peaking at 6.8%, setting a new personal best.
However, the series has faced backlash due to its explicit bed and nudity scenes, sparking debates over their necessity for the narrative. Some viewers argue the scenes were inevitable for the story, while others criticize them as a marketing ploy.
Concerns grew when it was revealed that certain scenes involving actresses Cha Joo-young and Lee Yi-dam used CG and body doubles to enhance the explicit content. A report by Munhwa Ilbo further fueled the controversy, stating that the original script lacked descriptions of such intense nudity. According to the report, actors only learned about the heightened exposure levels during the storyboard phase, with the production team allegedly using both CG and body doubles to amplify the scenes.
Despite the backlash, the production team of “The Queen Who Crowns” explained that the 19+ content was disclosed during casting and that explicit scenes were part of the OTT version of the drama. They added that discussions regarding nudity levels were held with the actors and their agencies during production.
Nevertheless, criticism continues, with some accusing the work of employing deepfake-like techniques and questioning the ethical implications of such methods.
SBS’s “Love Scout”, starring Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk, started strong with a 5.2% rating and recently reached its highest at 11.3%. However, the revelation of PD Ham Jun-ho’s violent past has caused an uproar.
On January 13, reports resurfaced of an incident in 2020 involving PD Ham, who was arrested for indiscriminately pouring soju on passersby and assaulting them in Hannam-dong. The police sought an arrest warrant for Ham Jun-ho, citing his criminal record, but the prosecution denied the request, and he was released.
SBS confirmed the allegations, stating that Ham had apologized to the victims, reached settlements and faced disciplinary action from the company. After three years of reflection, he returned to work as a director.
Viewers, however, are outraged, expressing disappointment and frustration, “It was such an enjoyable rom-com, but knowing the PD’s violent past makes it hard to keep watching”, “For the drama’s sake, the PD should step down”, “If this were an actor, they’d be immediately removed from the industry”, “Dropping the show altogether”…
Both “The Queen Who Crowns” and “Love Scout” are now mired in controversies stemming from their production teams, not their cast. With episodes airing in the wake of these revelations, all eyes are on whether the dramas can sustain their viewership or if the scandals will take a toll on their popularity.
