Channel A's 'Straightforward Show' shows a photo of the 'King in Love' actor instead of the SHINee member when reporting about the late singer's funeral procession.
- December 21, 2017
AceShowbiz -
Even a South Korean network is prone to make such terrible mistake when reporting about one of the biggest K-pop stars. "Straightforward Show" which airs on Channel A used a photo of actor Hong Jong Hyun instead of SHINee's Jonghyun when reporting about the late singer's funeral procession on Thursday, December 21.
It didn't take long for the show's crew to notice the mistake. Near the end of the broadcast, Lee Nam Hee acknowledged it and apologized to the "King in Love" star. "While we were introducing Jonghyun's song 'End of a Day', we accidentally used Hong Jong Hyun's photo instead of SHINee's Jonghyun's photo. We apologize deeply to Hong Jong Hyun. We will work harder to create a better broadcast," she said.
Previously, NBC Chicago upset fans after it mistook BTS' (Bangtan Boys) member RM (Rap Monster) for Jonghyun in report about his death. Fans criticized the local news outlet for disrespecting the late singer and not doing enough research, while some others reminded the network that not all Asians look the same.
NBC Chicago later posted an apology on Facebook. "Yesterday, while reporting on the death of Kim Jong-hyun, a member of the popular South Korean boy band SHINee, NBC 5 mistakenly aired video of the band BTS during our morning newscast," the outlet wrote. "We sincerely apologize for this error."
Born Kim Jong Hyun, the "She Is" singer is better known mononymously as Jonghyun. He debuted as a member of five-piece boy group SHINee in May 2008 and released his first solo EP titled "Base" in 2015. He's reportedly set to make his comeback as a solo artist in January 2018 before his tragic passing on Monday, December 18.
Jonghyun was known for his diverse style in music. Kim Da-hee of the Korea Times named him as one of four K-pop musicians who have distinguished themselves from the mass-produced singers in the idol industry by their "exceptional talent in songwriting, producing and dancing, plus other abilities that make them successful musicians."
His SHINee groupmates Onew, Key and Taemin served as chief mourners at Jonghyun's wake along with his family, and were joined by Super Junior's Leeteuk, Lee Donghae and Eunhyuk as the pallbearers at the funeral. Meanwhile, Minho led the procession with Jonghyun's sister.
In a final text message he sent to his sister, the idol reportedly wrote, "It's been hard. Let me go. Tell me I've worked hard. This is my farewell." Jonghyun's best friend, Dear Cloud's Nine9, has also released his suicide letter which revealed his struggles with depression. Another friend said the root of Jonghyun's struggle was music.
