Snowdrop: the controversial and 'cursed' Disney+ series

The reputation of the South Korean TV series 'Snowdrop' for being 'cursed' is back in the news, as Korean actress Park Soo-ryun of 'Snowdrop' fame died in June 2023, bringing the total number of actors who have died from this series to two. What is it about this series that makes it so 'cursed'?

All images are from JTBC unless otherwise stated.

‘Snowdrop’ is a South Korean TV series that was originally produced and aired by JTBC, then later streamed on Disney+.

'Snowdrop' is a series that is based on a fictional account of South Korea's June 1987 Democracy Movement.

The June 1987 Democracy Moment is a major event that shaped today's Korea, as it signalled the end of authoritarian rule and the beginning of democratic rule, which is how Korean politics is still conducted today.

'Snowdrop' was also famous for its casting of A-list stars, which included Blackpink’s Rose, and star actor Jung Hae-in. Other celebrities in its star-studded cast include Jang Seung-jo, and Kim Hye-yoon.

According to Hankyung, 'Snowdrop's development had been in the making for twelve years by the screenwriter of ‘SKY Castle' fame, Yoon Hyun-mi. The screenwriter had intended to base this series loosely on an unnamed memoir of an escaped prisoner from a North Korean camp.

However, the series would go on to be infamous for its scandals. The topic focus and writing turned out to be 'Snowdrop's first hurdle.

The Korea Times reported that in March 2021, 'Snowdrop's plot was leaked online and the plot riled up netizens, who accused writers of historical revisionism – falsifying accounts of actual historical events to promote an often biased and untrue account of history.

According to the same report, netizens were upset with how the show portrayed peaceful June 1987 pro-democracy protesters, portraying them as North Korean spies and instigators of violence - an account that was once asserted by authoritarian leader Chun Do-hwan, who led Korea before authoritarianism was abolished.

In response to the online criticism, JTBC asserted that Snowdrop does not touch on the 1987 June Democracy movement but instead is meant to be a satirical account of the 1987 presidential election, according to SPOTV News.

Although JTBC initially refuted online criticism about the characters' names which asserted that the original character name of the female protagonist was inspired by real-life pro-democracy activist Chun Young-cho, the broadcaster eventually changed its stance and renamed the character Eun Yeong-ro, according to a report in The Straits Times.

The same The Straits Times report notes that the backlash was so bad that in the same month of the leak, protest trucks lined up outside JTBC headquarters protesting the release of 'Snowdrop.'

The political backlash has persisted since its broadcast. 'Snowdrop's release enraged so many Koreans that The Korea Herald reports that over 300,000 people signed over 30 petitions to the Korean government's Blue House demanding that 'Snowdrop' be removed from the air.

The drama surrounding 'Snowdrop' prompted netizens to file an official complaint against the showrunners of the series with South Korea's Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

According to the Manila Bulletin, the complaint claimed that both the screenwriter and director of 'Snowdrop' violated the country's National Security Act by distorting history in the show.

According to the Daily Tribune, the public outrage against Snowdrop was so strong that many brands pulled their advertising from the show and even apologised publicly for having aired their ads on the controversial series.

These were not the end of troubles for the series, as the show would earn its reputation for being ‘cursed’ for more reasons.

KBIzoom reported that some netizens have gone after the actors in Snowdrop themselves, where main actors Jisoo and Jung Hae-in have been harassed on their social media profiles for their involvement in the show.

Image: su.ryeon_p / Instagram

An important event to suggest 'Snowdrop's reputation as ‘cursed’ was when death started to follow the series with the demise of Korean actress Kim Mi-soo in January 2022. The actress played the minor character Yeo Jeong-min.

The hype and controversy surrounding 'Snowdrop' would resurface in 2023, when another actress who played a minor character, Park Soo-ryun, died in June. This brought the series' negative attention to the forefront once more.

Image: su.ryeon_p / Instagram

With the real-life death toll from 'Snowdrop' rising to two by 2023 and the insane backlash it received, it's no surprise that news outlets like KBIzoom have published opinion pieces calling the series a ‘cursed’ one.

Although the series is once again receiving negative attention, NME reports that since moving to Disney+ in Asia, 'Snowdrop' has become one of the service's most popular shows among Asian viewers. However, it's unlikely the show will return for a second season after all the criticism it's received.