Variety Show ‘Knowing Bros’ Explains the Real Reason Why They Aired Segment With ‘Single’s Inferno’s’ Song Ji-a
The main cast of Netflix‘s Single’s Inferno has come to face their fair share of scrutiny since their time on the show. Song Ji-a gained an immense following from Single’s Inferno, but after controversy over her wearing fake designer items, she landed in hot water. The scandal pushed The Manager to edit out her segment on the variety show while Knowing Bros gave the public their reasoning for why they aired Ji-a’s guest appearance.
Why did Song Ji-a issue a public apology?
On Single’s Inferno, Youtuber Ji-a impressed the contestants and audiences with her looks and fashion sense. Compared to the other contestants, Ji-a often wore designer items and accessories. Recently, she came under fire when fans noticed a majority of the items she wore in the show were fake. One item was her pink knit Chanel sweater.
Fans also noticed other fake designer items posted on her Instagram. After the scandal broke, Ji-a posted a hand-written letter to fans apologizing and admitting to having counterfeit items. She also explained she had taken down any social media posts, including the fake items. There was another issue Ji-a would face concerning the scandal.
Her rise in popularity landed her guest appearances on two Korean variety shows. The Manager and Knowing Bros had to decide whether to edit Ji-a out of the segments.
Producers of ‘Knowing Bros’ explains why they aired Song Ji-a’s segment
On Jan.20, a representative of MBC’s The Manager variety show announced their decision not to air Ji-a’s segment where she guest-starred alongside actor Kang Ye-won. JTBC’s Knowing Bros or Ask Us Anything originally reported they would air Ji-a’s segment despite the scandal.
The producers of Knowing Bros explain why they aired the episodes with Ji-a on Jan.24. According to Soompi, the decision was partially based on the episode’s other guest star.
“The controversy regarding Song Ji A blew up right before the broadcast, and so it was unavoidable that we had to air [her footage]. We didn’t want to edit out our footage of Lee Young-ji, who appeared together with her as a guest, or cause [Lee Young Ji] any damage,” said the producers of Knowing Bros.
The producers also felt it was nearly impossible to edit Ji-a out of the episode without fully canceling the broadcast. Instead, they edited as much of the “footage as we could without breaking the flow of the program itself.”
Why is the fake designer items scandal involving Song Ji-a a big deal?
Counterfeit designer items are not new and have been circulating in many parts of the world for years. What makes Ji-a’s involvement so detrimental? The production, selling, and purchasing of counterfeit items have grave consequences in South Korea.
According to The Korea Herald, there is a law where “selling and importing counterfeit goods are illegal.” The consequences of the offense are also tied to individuals who plan to use the items to produce duplicates. But there is a loophole. A buyer who is unaware of the fake items is saved from perjury.
Netizens have commented that Ji-a admitted that she was aware some of her items were fake in her letter. Some also believe the situation worsened when she actively wore some of the items on Single’s Inferno. But some fans side with Ji-a and believe it was a naive mistake that she took responsibility for.
Since the scandal, Ji-a has erased all posts from her Instagram account with the exception of the apology letter.
