On February 23, his agency SM C&C released an official statement addressing the controversy. The agency said, “We deeply feel the heavy responsibility for causing hurt to the deceased and the bereaved family due to certain expressions used in the broadcast. Regardless of the context, we should have been more cautious when mentioning the deceased.”
The controversy stems from Episode 2 of “Battle of Fates,” which aired on February 11. The episode featured a mission where participants were asked to infer the cause of death based solely on a photo of the deceased along with their birth and death dates. One of the cases involved the late Police Sergeant Lee Jae Hyun, who was fatally stabbed while apprehending a violent criminal in 2004.
During the segment, one shaman participant speculated about the cause of death using a slang term referring to stabbing. While summarizing the comment, Jun Hyun Moo repeated the slang expression and added, “A person in uniform… ‘stabbing.’ That’s too direct.” The use of the inappropriate term sparked criticism from viewers.
In its statement, SM C&C explained, “Jun Hyun Moo repeated certain words while organizing another cast member’s remarks and did not sufficiently consider the appropriateness of the expression. We take seriously the fact that we failed to show proper respect to the deceased.”
The agency continued, “We sincerely apologize to the deceased and the bereaved family. We also apologize to all viewers who felt discomfort while watching the broadcast. We will conduct an internal review with stricter standards and a stronger sense of responsibility to prevent recurrence.”
“Battle of Fates” is a survival-format program in which 49 fortune tellers test their abilities through various missions. Jun Hyun Moo’s agency concluded the statement by reiterating, “We once again deeply apologize.”
Sources: Sports Khan (Kyunghyang),SM C&C Official Statement