MBC’s Saturday-Sunday drama ‘The Phone You Just Died’ (written by Kim Ji-woon/directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu) recently announced on a viewer bulletin board, “We apologize for causing concern with some of the sign language scenes in the drama ‘The Phone You Just Died’.”
He continued, “The production team is taking seriously the criticism that the drama ‘The Phone You’re Dialing’ treated sign language inappropriately, wich resulted in making fun of deaf people and Korean sign language.” “This is a work planned with an important theme, and there was absolutely no intention to caricature or ridicule sign language, which is a valuable interaction tool for the deaf,” he explained.
“however, we humbly admit that the production team’s efforts to more carefully examine and reflect the difficulties experienced by deaf people and korean sign language were insufficient in the process of producing the work,” he said. “We will do our best to prevent the same mistake from being repeated while completing the work in the future.” “I will make an effort,” he said.
Previously, the first episode of ’The Phone You’re Calling’, which aired on the 22nd of last month, contained a scene of a broadcasting accident in which the sign language meaning ‘mountain’ was repeatedly transmitted while sign language interpreter Hong Hee-joo (played by Chae Soo-bin) was delivering landslide news. in response, news anchor Na Yu-ri (played by Jang Gyu-ri) smiled and said to Hong Hee-joo, “Is this a mountain, right? Moesan?” and raised the middle fingers of both hands, saying, “Good job, interpreter. I fed her properly. No, it’s Moesan.” It caused controversy by associating the sign word ‘mountain’ with an abusive word.
After the broadcast, a message was posted on the bulletin board of viewers of ‘The Phone You’re Calling Now’ titled ‘Demand for an apology for making sign language a joke.’ The author of the article pointed out, “It is indeed not right for non-disabled people to insult and belittle sign language, a means of communication for the hearing impaired, in this way.”
Afterwards, Chung-ang University’s sign language club Fingertipsai issued a commentary and said, “‘san’ sign language is not only different from the finger swear word, but is also a sign language word that is like trauma to deaf people who are used as a joke by hearing people, which is disrespectful to deaf people and sign language. “It goes beyond discrimination, ridicule, and hatred,” he said. “We condemn the inappropriate behaviour of your drama that uses sign language as entertainment for hearing people, and demand that your company apologize to deaf people for the scenes in the drama.” condemned.
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