“Even tried using AI to replace Cho Jin-woong”... ‘The Second Signal’ to finally air in its original form

[Financial News] The tvN drama ‘The Second Signal’ (hereafter ‘The Second Signal’), whose broadcast was postponed indefinitely amid controversy over actor Cho Jin-woong’s record as a juvenile offender, will meet viewers this December. The production team has decided to retain all of Cho’s scenes.
On the 6th, tvN confirmed that ‘The Second Signal’ will premiere on December 7. The series has been scheduled as a Monday-Tuesday drama.
tvN said it is aware of viewers’ concerns about the controversy surrounding Cho Jin-woong. However, the network’s position is that the efforts of the production team and others involved in the series must also be taken into account.
The network said, “We take seriously the concerns and opinions viewers have shared with us. A cast member’s past wrongdoing is an issue that we, as a channel, can never take lightly.” It added, “‘The Second Signal’ is not the work of just one cast member. It is a collaborative creation that embodies the time and effort of many crew members, production staff and others involved, from the planning stage through filming and post-production.”
Explaining the decision to schedule the series, the network said, “We believe that the assessment of an individual cast member, the value of the work itself, and the efforts of the creators who took part in it need to be considered separately.”
‘The Second Signal,’ produced as an eight-episode series, will air at 10 p.m. tvN set the broadcast time with the series’ genre and viewing conditions in mind, and decided to schedule three episodes during the first week to accommodate the story’s progression and viewing flow.
On the first day, the runtime of episode 1 will be adjusted slightly, and episodes 1 and 2 will air back-to-back. Episode 3 will be released the following day, after which one episode will be scheduled each Monday and Tuesday.
tvN said, “On the premiere date, we will slightly shorten and adjust the runtime of episode 1, while preserving the story’s flow and viewers’ immersion as much as possible, and schedule episodes 1 and 2 back-to-back. The following day, we plan to air episode 3, when the main story gets underway. After that, one episode will air each Monday and Tuesday.”
Cho Jin-woong announced his retirement from acting after his past record as a juvenile offender became known. ‘The Second Signal’ had already wrapped filming at the time, but its broadcast schedule was halted amid the controversy. The series, originally set to be released this June to mark the 20th anniversary of tvN’s launch, was later postponed indefinitely.
In deciding to release the series within the year, the network also decided not to remove the scenes featuring Cho Jin-woong.
Technical options for modifying the scenes featuring Cho Jin-woong were also considered. tvN even conducted tests using artificial intelligence (AI) to replace the cast member, but concluded that it would be difficult to make the acting and story progression connect naturally.
The network explained, “Before making this decision, we considered a range of options for minimizing concerns while maintaining the quality of the series. We explored ways to make changes using video technology and also tested replacing a cast member with AI. However, there are limitations to naturally reproducing the performances and narrative flow, making it difficult to ultimately apply that technology.”
tvN also made clear that its decision to air the series does not justify Cho Jin-woong’s past actions. While acknowledging that it would be difficult to fully address viewers’ concerns, the network said it had also taken into account the efforts of fans who had been waiting for the series and those involved in its production.
It added, “We want to make clear that releasing the series does not mean endorsing or justifying the issue. While this decision may not be enough to address all the concerns you have shared, we concluded that we should also take into account the efforts of the many actors, crew members and production staff who have each done their utmost to complete the series, as well as those who have waited a long time for it.” It continued, “We will deliver the story and meaning at the heart of ‘The Second Signal’ in a way that does them justice, while not forgetting our responsibility as a channel.”


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter