On January 15th, a historic moment unfolded in South Korea as President Yoon Suk Yeol became the first sitting president in the country's history to be arrested. In response to this unprecedented event, major South Korean broadcasters, including KBS, MBC, and Channel A, implemented emergency programming changes and canceled numerous scheduled programs to provide continuous coverage of the president's arrest.
KBS 1TV made significant alterations to its schedule, replacing its regular programming with live news coverage throughout the day. Popular shows such as 'Screening Humanity,' 'AM Plaza,' 'Animal Kingdom,' 'Hometown Report,' and 'Mysteries of the Human Body' were all canceled. Notably, the planned broadcasts of 'Our House's Golden Calf' and 'My Merry Marriage' were also scrapped.
Since the morning, KBS switched to an emergency broadcast mode, providing detailed reports on the process surrounding President Yoon’s arrest. The station has also been offering in-depth analysis of the developments, focusing on the implications of the situation and potential outcomes following the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.
SBS, while maintaining most of its regular schedule, made adjustments to its flagship entertainment programming. The SBS 8 News was extended, leading to a delay in the airing of the popular variety show 'Kick a Goal,' which was rescheduled to 9:10 PM instead of its usual 9:00 PM slot. Additionally, reruns of certain programs were canceled in favor of news coverage. This episode of 'Kick a Goal' featured the opening match of the G-League, pitting FC Topgirl against FC Actionista. According to an SBS representative, “After the delay of 'Kick a Goal,' reruns were replaced by the special news coverage.”
MBC also made scheduling adjustments. The planned airing of 'Desperate Mrs. Seonju' was canceled, and a special MBC News Desk broadcast was aired instead. Earlier in the day, 'Live Broadcast: This Morning' was replaced by a news special as well.
Channel A, known for its popular entertainment show 'Sinrang Class,' also canceled its scheduled broadcast. As the situation continues to unfold, all major networks are prioritizing the president's arrest and its aftermath, dedicating significant airtime to ongoing developments.
In related news, President Yoon had been accused of leading an insurrection following the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. At 10:33 AM on January 15, he was arrested by the High-ranking Public Official Crimes Investigation Agency (CPIA), marking the first-ever arrest of a sitting president in South Korea's history.
The arrest has sent shockwaves both domestically and internationally. In light of the exceptional nature of this event, broadcasters are adjusting their schedules and providing extensive news coverage to report on and analyze the developments surrounding the president’s arrest.
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