tvN Confirms December Premiere Of “Signal 2” Despite Cho Jin Woong Controversy, Reveals It Even Tested Replacing Him With AI

tvN has confirmed the December broadcast of its drama “Signal 2,” whose airing had been uncertain due to Cho Jin Woong‘s past controversy.

In an official statement on November 6, tvN began, “We are taking seriously the concerns and opinions that viewers have sent regarding the drama ‘Signal 2.'”

tvN said, “The wrongful past conduct of a particular cast member is something that cannot be taken lightly even as a channel. However, ‘Signal 2’ is not the work of one particular cast member. It is a collective creation that holds the time and effort of many staff, production crew, and associates from the planning stage to filming and post-production. We believe the evaluation of an individual cast member needs to be viewed separately from the value of the work itself and the efforts of the creators who took part in it.”

It continued, “After long deliberation, we carefully plan to air ‘Signal 2’ as a tvN Monday-Tuesday drama starting December 7. Considering the genre characteristics and viewing environment, we plan to air it at 10 PM, later than the usual time. Also, considering the flow of the 8-episode story and the overall viewing flow, we will air up to episode 3 in the first week. On the first air date, within a range that maintains the flow and immersion of the story as much as possible, we will partially reduce and adjust the length of episode 1 and air episodes 1 and 2 consecutively, and the next day we plan to air episode 3, where the real story begins. After that, one episode will air each Monday and Tuesday.”

tvN said it reviewed ways to maintain the work’s quality and minimize concerns before confirming the schedule, and revealed, “We explored modification methods using video technology and also ran a test of replacing the character using AI. However, there were limits to naturally implementing the acting expression and narrative flow, so final application of the technology is difficult.”

It added, “We make it clear that releasing the work does not mean defending or justifying the problem. Although this decision cannot resolve all the concerns that were sent, we judged that we must also consider the efforts of those who have waited a long time for the work, as well as the many actors, staff, and production crew who did their best in their own places to complete it. We will convey the original story and meaning of ‘Signal 2’ with value, but will not forget our responsibility as a channel.”

“Signal 2” is the sequel to “Signal,” which aired in 2016 and was greatly loved. Writer Kim Eun Hee and the lead cast of season 1, Kim Hye Soo, Lee Je Hoon, and Cho Jin Woong, reunited for it, drawing hot interest from drama fans. Under a pre-production system, all filming was completed last year, and it was scheduled to air this year to mark tvN’s 20th anniversary.

However, in December last year, Cho Jin Woong’s past controversy broke and held up the broadcast of “Signal 2.” After allegations of juvenile offenses were raised, Cho Jin Woong officially apologized and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.

Source: (A)