A complaint has been filed with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) regarding alleged broadcast manipulation and biased refereeing in the SBS variety show 'Shooting Stars.'
On September 4, the Sports Ethics Center, an affiliate of the MCST, confirmed to Dispatch that the complaint had indeed been forwarded to them. However, the center clarified that a formal investigation has not yet begun. The fandom of 'Shooting Stars' submitted the petition on September 2, calling for a review of alleged partiality and manipulation in the program.
The controversy stems from the August 27 broadcast, which featured the G-League final match between FC GUCHEOK JANGSIN and FC WONDER WOMAN. GUCHEOK JANGSIN claimed victory with a 2–1 win. Issues arose from the conduct of GUCHEOK JANGSIN players, who were seen pulling the arm of Wonder Woman’s ace, Yu Mashima, to obstruct her play. Despite this, the referee did not call a foul.
In an attempt to address the criticism, the production team released the official match record on August 30. However, the disclosure intensified the dispute, as it revealed that Yu Mashima had received a warning around the 12th minute of the second half—the only player to be cautioned during the game.
Adding fuel to the controversy, the foul incident was missing from both the televised broadcast and the full match replay uploaded on YouTube. Viewers have since demanded an explanation, questioning why Yu Mashima was singled out for a warning.
This is not the first time 'Shooting Stars' has faced fairness-related backlash. In 2021, the show came under fire for allegedly altering the order of goals in a match broadcast. At the time, SBS issued an apology, vowing to “return to basics” and replaced the production team.
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