A union strike has led to the cancellation of hit variety shows on the MBC network. The media company regretfully announced on Jan. 31 that following the protest of some 500 workers on Jan. 30 flagship programs due to air over the weekend of Feb. 4 and 5, such as “We Got Married,” “Infinite Challenge,” “The Great Birth” and “I Am a Singer,” will not air. Instead, re-runs of special edition shows will be broadcast. However, programs that are outsourced to external production companies will be aired as scheduled.

The strike, orchestrated by the MBC labor union, is calling for the resignation of the network’s current president Kim Jae-chul. “We are calling for an end to distorted news coverage that is currently taking place at MBC under Kim Jae-chul’s leadership. We won’t stop until justice and impartiality is restored to our programs. Until then, we ask the viewers to support us in our endeavor,” said a representative from the union.

There was also a protest when Kim was nominated for the presidency back in May of 2010. Kim is thought to be a puppet of President Lee Myung-bak which has resulted in biased news reports. “We have a duty to serve the public through maintaining neutrality in our news programs,” said the union representative. Through the protest, it is hoped that Kim will step down from the leadership position.

Meanwhile in Seoul, a photo exhibition of the show “Infinite Challenge” has attracted some 243,000 visitors to Lotte Mall in Gimpo International Airport since it was unveiled on Dec. 22. The exhibition ended on Jan. 15 and MBC said that it did not expect such a large number of visitors.

Are your favorite shows affected?

Source: Koreajoongangdaily