Source: OSEN
Lee Myung-woo PD is under controversy for sexually objectifying underage girls in the drama.
On the 19th, SBS' new Friday-Saturday drama 'Convenience Store Sae-byeol' written by Son Geun Joo, directed by Lee Myung-woo and produced by Taewon Entertainment aired its first episode. Main characters Choi Dae-hyun (Ji Chang Wook) and Jung Sae-byeol (Kim Yoo Jung) were reunited as store manager and part-timer after three years from their first meeting.
The drama is based on popular webtoon of the same name and raised concerns about sexual objectification and sensationalism of underage girls even during its planning phase.
In its premiere broadcast, high school student Sae-byeol who smokes is seen acting cute to Choi Dae-hyun in order to purchase cigarettes. This caused controversy for playing into the "male fantasy.
In another scene, Choi Dae-hyun visits the home of part-timer Sae-byeol and mistakenly enters an officetel where illegal prostitution is taking place. In another scene, webtoon writer Han Dal-sik (Moon Moon-suk) draws a 19 yr old girl's legs in detail and several drawings of women causing criticism.
In an exclusive interview with OSEN on the 20th, PD Lee Myung-woo addressed the allegations stating, "I hope you can trust in the sincerity of the production team as well as the planning and director team. The biggest reason why I thought to remake this particular webtoon into a drama was because I was attracted to the story and the happenings at the convenience store. I wanted this to be a program the whole family watches. I tried to pick the powerful and positive elements of the original character."
He added, "in that sense I thought that the characters of the two reinforced characters, the manager and part-timer lived well and could be made into a family drama, far from the point of concern in the original story."
