[Sportschosun Lee Ji-hyun] JTBC's weekend drama "Apartment" came under fire for distorting reality soon after it aired. Critics said the plot, which centers on corruption and embezzlement at a multi-unit housing management office, could fuel distrust in real management practices. The Korea Housing Managers Association later revealed that it had filed an official protest with the production team.
In a notice recently distributed to its members, the Korea Housing Managers Association said, "'Apartment' uses a 17.8 billion won fraud scheme involving a large apartment complex's long-term repair reserve fund as its main storyline." It added, "The drama sensationally portrays corruption and suspicion surrounding the reserve fund as if they are widespread, and includes distorted plot points such as a superintendent covering up wrongdoing and an accountant manipulating bank balances to commit embezzlement."
The association also said it was deeply concerned that such content could trigger baseless distrust and misleading complaints from residents in multi-unit housing complexes.
It also said it had already taken action against the production team and JTBC before the controversy grew larger. According to the association, it sent formal protest letters to JTBC and the production company before the broadcast, held meetings with officials, and staged both a solo protest by the association president and a group demonstration.
The association said it had reached a partial agreement with JTBC during the process. It explained, "We received a promise from JTBC to insert a subtitle stating that the drama's setting is fictional and to minimize expressions that could cause misunderstandings about multi-unit housing management sites." It added, "We also formally agreed to air a message of appreciation in the final episode honoring the hard work of housing managers nationwide."
The association urged its members to focus on maintaining trust with residents rather than reacting emotionally to the drama. "Please actively explain that management fees and long-term repair reserve funds are being handled transparently in accordance with the law," it said. "The real problem on site is not 'hidden money' but rather the shortage of reserve funds, and there are already sufficient institutional safeguards in place to manage them."
It added that it had also distributed a "field response guide" containing relevant legal provisions so members could use it immediately on site.
Meanwhile, "Apartment" is a JTBC weekend drama set in a large apartment complex. It depicts a massive fraud scheme involving 17.8 billion won in long-term repair reserve funds, along with the characters' desires.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
