‘Really crossing the line’: SNL Korea receives backlash for sexually ridiculing women in parody of K-drama Jeongnyeon

Just how much is too much?

On Oct 27, sketch comedy series SNL Korea attempted a parody of the ongoing K-drama Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, but its take on the women-centric story has sparked backlash.

Set in the 1950s, the drama follows the titular lead Yoon Jeong-nyeon (played by Kim Tae-ri) as she joins an all-female musical theatre company to pursue her dreams.

In the SNL skit, comedian Ahn Young-mi is the lead, whose name has been changed to Jeot-nyeon. Jeot refers to breast milk in Korean.

Similar to Jeong-nyeon in the drama, Young-mi performs a verse of the pansori (a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling) Love Song.

However, the lyrics are changed. Instead of “come over here, and let’s have fun”, Young-mi sings, “Come over here, let’s do it naked,” while making suggestive gestures.

Cast member Jung Yi-rang interrupts: “Stop. Just watching this makes me feel like I might get pregnant. This could help with the birth policy.”

The skit has drawn criticism both locally and internationally.

Korean reports wrote that the public has been expressing their distaste, saying that the attempt at parody “sexually ridicules” women in the drama Jeongnyeon.

A post about the show on the Korean forum Theqoo has received nearly 700 comments overnight, with the majority slamming SNL Korea.

“You’re really crossing the line,” said one netizen.

“The mockery is too much… it’s not funny at all,” commented another.

Another felt the skit is “disrespectful” to the original drama and cast: “If you’re going to do it this way, don’t parody it… It’s a disservice to the original.”

The skit also circulated on X where international netizens pointed out that Jeong-nyeon is a minor in the show.

One even tagged NBC, the American broadcaster that hosts the original Saturday Night Live (SNL), urging them to consider revoking SNL Korea’s licence.

While SNL Korea has yet to respond to the controversy, this isn’t their first time receiving backlash.

They were previously condemned by the public for parodying, to the point of mocking, author Han Kang — who recently made history by being the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize in literature — and NewJeans’ Hanni who spoke about workplace bullying at the National Assembly.