JTBC’s Friday drama Shining has reportedly come under regulatory review after airing uncritical portrayals of drunk and hungover driving by its main characters.
On the 31st, multiple outlets reported that a team within the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) overseeing general programming and news channels formally accepted a public complaint via the National Petition Portal, requesting deliberation and action on episodes 7 and 8 of Shining (aired March 27).
The controversy centers on scenes where the male leads, Yeon Tae-seo (played by Park Jinyoung) and Bae Seong-chan (Shin Jae Ha), each get behind the wheel immediately after drinking. In particular, after consuming a large amount of alcohol late at night, Bae Seong-chan acknowledges his condition by saying, "Once I sober up, I’ll head out quietly at dawn," yet he still jumps into the car in the early morning, driven by jealousy toward an ex—sparking backlash.
The complainant argued, "This broadcast repeatedly depicts scenes that can be interpreted as driving after drinking or while hungover, yet fails to clearly frame them as behavior to be avoided, instead using them as devices for narrative tension and emotional conflict, which is highly problematic."
Meanwhile, Shining, starring Park Jinyoung and Kim Minju, follows youths who illuminate each other’s trust and direction in life, but the show has been airing to disappointing ratings in the 0% range.
Online reactions poured in: "Ratings in the 0% range and now controversy," "What’s going on with 'Shining'?", and "Hungover driving doesn’t belong in a romance drama."