MBC every1’s variety show HiddenEye has issued an official apology after admitting it mistakenly used Stray Kids member Hyunjin’s childhood photo in an on-air graphic.
The disputed scene aired on December 8 last year in the episode titled 'Live Issue: Christmas Murder Case.' While covering the so-called 'Sacheon Christmas Murder Case,' the show displayed what it claimed was a photo from the victim’s childhood. It was later confirmed that the image was actually a childhood photo of Hyunjin, sparking controversy.
Fans recognized the photo after the broadcast and raised the issue, prompting the production team to investigate and uncover the error. The team explained that, while sourcing images saved on the victim’s personal device, they confused the materials and inserted the wrong photo.
The HiddenEye team stated, "After verifying the facts, we set the broadcast and the related YouTube clip to private, and we are correcting or removing the OTT replay service as well." They added, "We deeply apologize to Stray Kids’ Hyunjin, the fans, and viewers for the confusion we caused," bowing their heads in apology.
The incident has drawn criticism beyond a simple mistake, exposing serious gaps in the vetting process. Given that the program deals with real crime victims, calls are growing to hold the production accountable for using inaccurate materials.
The producers pledged, "We will further strengthen our material verification and review procedures to prevent similar issues from recurring in the future."