‘Snowdrop’: Petition To Cancel New Drama Starring Blackpink’s Jisoo Gains Over 200,000 Signatures

Over 200,000 petitioners signed a campaign calling for cancelation of the Korean drama, "Snowdrop" which aired its first two episodes over the weekend.

Concerned citizens launched the signature campaign Sunday, stating that the controversial drama was distorting the history of South Korea.

The call for the show's cancelation was posted on the National Petition board on the website of the Blue House, South Korea’s executive office and the official residence of its head of state.

The post has already gained over 200,000 signatures as of Monday, just two days after the first two episodes were aired on JTBC and streamed on Disney+, Koreaboo reported.

Starring Jung Hae-In and Blackpink’s Jisoo, “Snowdrop” is set during South Korea’s chaotic 1987 nationwide Democracy Movement. Jisoo plays Young Ro, a university student who hides a wounded spy named Suho, played by Hae-In, in her dorm room. Young Ro treats the wounds of Suho and together, the pair evade authorities who have placed the area under strict surveillance in search of Suho.

The petition to cancel the drama said that “Snowdrop” not only distorts history but also mocks actual supporters of the democratic movement who lost their lives after they were accused of being a spy.

Previously, fan-funded digital advertisements of “Snowdrop” in Seoul’s subway stations were taken down due to similar complaints. The digital ads were arranged by fan group Jisoonly Vietnam, and were displayed on select train stations between Nov. 25 and Nov. 29. However, they were all taken down following civil complaints by residents who are highly opposed to the airing of the drama.

JTBC had previously released a statement defending the drama against angry citizens after the production faced backlash in March. JTBC said the storyline “uses the background theme of 1987’s political situation surrounding the presidential election and not the Democratic Movement.”

“Under this backdrop, the main characters that appear are a North Korean agent and a National Security Agent that chases after him. The characters are not representatives of their affiliated government or organizations," JTBC assured the public.

"They are characters that will highlight the unscrupulous greed for power to reform the regime, as well as a critical view of the National Security Agency that actively supports this. As so, the criticism that Snowdrop is romanticizing espionage and the National Security Agency is irrelevant,” JTBC added.