Gong Hyo Jin's Character in SBS' 'Incarnation of Jealousy,' Weather Forecasters Reveal Disappointment
The character of Gong Hyo Jin in her new SBS drama entitled "Incarnation of Jealousy" has reportedly angered real-life weather forecasters because of the portrayal of her character.
On the first episode of the drama which aired on August 24, Gong Hyo Jin plays the role of Pyo Na Ri, a weather forecaster who tries hard to make ends meet because of her low income and also gets treated harshly by announcers. She is also the go-to person for all the unwanted side work.
Allkpop wrote that after the airing of the first episode, weather forecaster "A" of a major broadcast network expressed her anger in an interview with Star news, saying, "Even though the drama is fiction, it has downgraded us too much."
She further commented, "We gather information about the weather and even write articles. Our job is distinct from announcers. The part where those who do not make it as announcers become weather forecasters is exaggerated. There are academies solely for weather forecasting major nowadays. There are a lot of things that make no sense in the drama. Stuffing our butts with pads and trying to show our body line is portraying us without knowing our job."
The real-life weather forecaster ended the interview by saying, "I was really angered after watching the drama. A lot of people have been asking me about the job, but it's not like that. I do not understand why it was depicted that way. We too, work with great pride as weather forecasters. It angers us that viewers might just believe everything they see on the show. I am not sure how we will continue to be shown in the drama, but this is wrong. I hope it will not be exaggerated any worse."
On August 25, a representative of the production company of the drama released a statement saying, "We had absolutely no intention of degrading the job of weather forecasters. The reason the character is portrayed so dramatically is because it is a drama. We hope that you will not make judgments based on the first episode alone, and will continue watching to find out how the female lead comes to find pride in her work as a weather forecaster."
Aside from actress Gong Hyo Jin, the drama "Incarnation of Jealousy" also stars actors Jo Jung Suk and Go Kyung Po. It airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 10 p.m. and slated to have 24 episodes.
