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SNL Korea hit for mocking breast cancer survivor

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A scene from last week’s SNL Korea / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Park Jin-hai

SNL Korea finds itself embroiled in another dispute. This time the show is being criticized for making fun of a breast cancer survivor.

During the latest show aired on Saturday, female comedian Jung Yi-rang dressed as veteran actress Um Aing-ran and said, “Whenever I hear the word breast, I feel ashamed. I have no breast to hold.”

Veteran actress Um was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy last year. After the show was broadcast, netizens criticized the comedian for mocking the cancer survivor.

Some viewers said SNL Korea lacks a sense of political humor and is flooded with nothing but vulgar parodies. They demanded the show be taken off air.

“The show production crew keeps saying they didn’t know. If they say so, can the wrong-doing become undone?” said viewer Lee Hye-mi in a comment posted on the show’s online message board.

“It is hard to expect a decent program like Yeouido Teletubbies from the past,” said another viewer named Park Min-ae. “It seems those comedians have no philosophy and think making people laugh is all that matters. I’m disappointed by the vulgar humor.”

Jung posted an apology on Facebook saying she didn’t know actress Um went through surgery and she is sorry to have caused such trouble.

SNL Korea also stated, “Jung truly did not know Um Aing-ran’s personal situation and made an impromptu remark to fit the content of the broadcast segment, which caused a misunderstanding.”

Last week, the show came under fire when some viewers accused show host Lee Se-young of sexually molesting members of the K-pop boy band B1A4, forcing her to leave the show last week.

Lee is being investigated by the police after B1A4 fans filed an online petition claiming she groped the K-pop idols in a backstage video.

The video uploaded on SNL Korea's Facebook page last Saturday showed some of the female staff members, including comedian Lee, touching the B1A4 members in their genital areas and running off.