‘Would You Marry Me?’ under fire over illegal filming scene, deletes clips after criticism

Scenes showing a bystander illegally filming Yoon Jin-kyung (Shin Seul-ki) while she performs CPR in the SBS drama "Would You Marry Me?" / Captured from SBS

SBS drama “Would You Marry Me?,” which has been enjoying rising viewership, came under fire for featuring a scene involving illegal filming, prompting the network to remove related clips after viewers criticized the depiction.

In the episode aired on Saturday, the character Yoon Jin-kyung (played by Shin Seul-ki) performs CPR on a cardiac arrest patient in a park. During the rescue, part of her body becomes exposed, and a bystander secretly films the scene. Witnessing this, Baek Sang-hyun (Bae Na-ra) covers her with his jacket and says, “Please cover up.”

He then seizes the bystander’s phone and deletes the video, warning, “Illegal filming can lead to up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($36,000). I’m letting it go this time, but next time, there won’t be any leniency.”

However, many viewers took issue with the scene, saying it undermined the gravity of sexual crimes by showing the perpetrators being forgiven without police involvement or legal consequences.

SBS later uploaded clips of the sequence on its official YouTube channel with titles such as “Rich kid caught secretly filming Shin Seul-ki, Bae Na-ra gives a satisfying lesson.” As the backlash intensified, the broadcaster deleted all related videos.

“Would You Marry Me?” follows a man and woman who enter a 90-day fake marriage to win a luxury newlywed home giveaway. Starring Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min, the series has seen its nationwide ratings climb from 5.6 percent at its premiere to 7.5 percent by the fifth episode, according to Nielsen Korea.

Actors Jung So-min and Choi Woo-shik in "Would You Marry Me?" / Courtesy of SBS

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.