A new Korean drama teaser dropped on Thursday. It quickly caused a huge stir online. Viewers immediately saw it as making racist comments. Now, the network broadcasting the K-drama has issued an apology. What exactly was in this controversial preview?
The teaser for the Korean drama ‘To The Moon’ went live early on Thursday. Within just a few hours, social media was flooded with negative comments. People felt the clip made fun of different cultures. As the backlash grew, MBC, the TV channel airing the show, quickly apologized.
The Teaser’s Problematic Portrayal
The problematic scenes showed some Korean characters dressed in what appeared to be Middle Eastern clothing. One male character also seemed to be imitating that style. Later in the video, two women were seen wearing bindis, a traditional South Asian mark. This imagery angered many social media users. It’s important because Korean dramas are hugely popular in many countries, including India.
🎥~ أول إعلان تشويقي من دراما MBC الكوميدية المكتبية القادمة #ToTheMoon يكشف عن التفاعل الديناميكي بين #LeeSunbin و #RaMiran و #JoAram (مع ظهور خاص لـ #KimYoungdae 🤭). الحلقة الأولى ستُعرض في 19 سبتمبر. pic.twitter.com/MAlMGEdNpn
— أخبار الدراما الكورية (@Kdramastars1) August 21, 2025
MBC’s Explanation and Promise
After receiving accusations of racism, MBC quickly offered an explanation. They stated that the video was meant to be a parody of a famous advertisement from the 1980s and 1990s. The drama itself tells the story of a sweets making company. MBC admitted they made a mistake. They did not consider how people from different countries and cultures would react to the teaser. The network expressed regret for their oversight. They promised to be more careful in the future to prevent similar errors.