MBC idol sports competition show slammed
SEOUL: MB C’s “Idol S tar Athletics Championships” show has received backlash from fans over its safety problems.
Controversies over the show’s safety a rose a s Ungjae o f K-pop boy band Impact was reportedly rushed to a hospital for shoulder pain a fter a sh oot t hat to ok place at G oyang Gymnasium in Gyeonggi Province, Monday.
It w as r evealed t he si nger, who had already been receiving treatment for a previous shoulder injury, su ffered p ain a fter a n acrobatic p erformance a s one of the main sports events of t he programme. On t he sa me da y, Sana of Twice was also reported to have been taken to a hospital for enteritis while shooting t he same episode.
The two K-pop stars’ agencies later s aid t he st ars w ere recovering. H owever, f urious fans ha ve bee n fl ooding s ocial media with complaints about the accident-ridden program’s safety issues, e ven req uesting t he channel to shut down the show.
“Idol S tar A thletics
The lane is made of adhesive sheets. Does it make sense? It’s a miracle they do not fall down while running on it ... Did you (the staff) use those sheets to save money? Please take care of the artists. Fans of K-pop stars
Championships ”( IS AC) isa variety show featuring droves of K-pop stars competing across different sports events.
“ISAC” has cemented itself as one of t he most popular holiday shows since its first episode in 2010. T he st ar- studded sh ow, which annually airs around Lunar New Year’ s Day in the winter and Chuseok in the fa ll, has also been on the to-do list of many K-pop stars, especially rookies, as it is considered a shortcut to gaining broad public recognition.
Despite it su nwavering popularity ,“IS AC” has found itself embroiled in safety problems since 2013, when Bora of Si star and Daniel of D MTN sustained leg injuries. In 2014, Seolhyun of A OA was forced to withdraw from group activities after sustaining a serious leg injury on the show, while Woohyun of Infinite ruptured his shoulder ligament.
In 2015, Moo nb yul of Mama moo and L. Joe, formerly of Teen Top, injured a leg and finger, respectively, and Xiumin of EXO hurt his leg in 2016.
Amid mounting criticism, production staff recently announced a plan to implement extra safety measures, such as adding to the medical team at the set, and focusing on artistes’ safety starting this year.
Fans, however, have still pointed to the programme as responsible for the injuries. Follow in gUngjae’ s incident, online comm enters took turns sharing photos on social media that showed the set’s racing lane covered with adhesive sheets. Comments read ,“The lane is made of adhesive sheets. Does it make sense? It’ s a miracle they do not fall down while running on it” and“Did you( the staff) use those sheets to save money? Please take care of the artistes.”
Some claimed the K-pop stars, who are not well versed in the sports, could be more susceptible to injuries than others as they have to cr am the competition rules in a short period before the shoot and jump right into the games without adequate preparation.
This year’s “ISAC”, hosted by TV personality Jeon Hyun-moo, Lee teukofSu per Junior and Bomi of A pink, features 23 Kpop acts, including EXO, Wanna One, Twice, Red Velvet, Monsta X, G Friend, Mama moo and Lovelyz.
The show will air during the Lunar New Year holiday period in February.