It’s one thing for a drama to depict morally grey characters. It’s another to appear to normalise one of the most dangerous and socially condemned behaviours on screen. JTBC’s Still Shining has found itself at the centre of exactly that controversy — and the production team has now issued a formal apology.
Table of Contents
Still Shining’s Controversy at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Drama Title | Still Shining |
| Network | JTBC |
| Stars | Park Jinyoung (GOT7), Kim Min Ju |
| Controversy | Scenes depicting drunk/hangover driving |
| Episodes Involved | Episodes 7 & 8 |
| Formal Complaint | Filed with Korea Communications Standards Commission |
| Production Response | Official apology issued — March 31, 2026 |
What Exactly Happened in Episodes 7 & 8?
In Episode 7, Yeon Tae Seo (Park Jinyoung) is shown driving to Seoul despite earlier being encouraged to drink while dining with his grandfather, and later appearing in a setting with visible soju bottles alongside Park So Hyun (Kim Ji Hyun). IMDb
Episode 8 further fuelled criticism with a scene in which Bae Sung Chan (Shin Jae Ha) drinks heavily late at night and remarks “I can’t drive anyway” and “I’ll leave quietly once I sober up” — but despite acknowledging he had been drinking, he ultimately gets behind the wheel early, driven by jealousy toward his former lover. IMDb
The second scene is particularly troubling — a character verbally acknowledging he’s too drunk to drive, then doing it anyway, is not ambiguous storytelling. It’s exactly the kind of normalisation viewers were right to flag.
Viewers Took Action — and Were Heard
The scenes sparked backlash for appearing to depict drunk or hangover driving, prompting viewer complaints. One viewer also filed a formal complaint with the Korea Communications Standards Commission. IMDb
In South Korea, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) holds real regulatory power over broadcast content — so this is far more than a social media pile-on. It’s a formal regulatory process.
The Production Team’s Response
On March 31, the production team responded, saying they humbly accept the criticism and will take extra care to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. IMDb
A short statement — but a necessary one. K-dramas carry enormous cultural influence both domestically and globally, and responsible content portrayal is a genuine responsibility, not optional.
This incident joins a growing conversation about how Korean broadcasters handle depictions of illegal behaviour like drunk driving, which causes thousands of deaths annually in South Korea. Learn more about drunk driving laws and statistics in South Korea on Wikipedia and understand why this issue resonates so deeply with viewers.
For more K-drama news, controversies, and updates, visit our latest Korean drama coverage on Technosports and our JTBC drama tracker for 2026.
FAQs
Q: What is Still Shining about and who are the lead actors?
Still Shining is a JTBC youth romance drama starring GOT7’s Park Jinyoung and Kim Min Ju — it tells the story of young people who once shared a world of their own and gradually become the light in one another’s lives. IMDb
Q: Was Still Shining penalised by regulators for the drunk driving scenes?
A formal complaint was filed with the Korea Communications Standards Commission following the controversial scenes, and the production team issued a public apology on March 31, 2026, promising to prevent similar content in future episodes.
