Korean dramas rarely face regulatory scrutiny mid-run, which is exactly what makes this story worth following closely. JTBC’s Still Shining, starring Park Jinyoung of GOT7 and Kim Min Ju of IZ*ONE, has drawn significant backlash after Episodes 7 and 8 aired scenes that viewers interpreted as depicting drunk and hangover driving. A formal complaint followed, and the production team issued an official apology on 31 March 2026. Here is a clear breakdown of what happened, what was said, and where things currently stand.
What Is Still Shining About?
Still Shining follows a group of young people who once shared a close-knit world and gradually grow into each other’s source of belief and guiding light in life. The series stars Park Jinyoung (GOT7) as Yeon Tae Seo and Kim Min Ju (IZ*ONE) as Mo Eun A as the central leads. It premiered on 6 March 2026 and airs two consecutive episodes every Friday evening on JTBC, with international streaming available via Netflix. The drama runs for 10 episodes in total, with its finale week expected around 3 April 2026.
What Happened in Still Shining Episodes 7 and 8?
The controversy centers on two separate scenes across back-to-back episodes, both of which aired on 27 March 2026.
Episode 7 — Yeon Tae Seo’s Drive
In Episode 7, Yeon Tae Seo (played by Park Jinyoung) drinks alcohol during a meal with his grandfather. The episode later shows him in a setting with Park So Hyun (Kim Ji Hyun) where soju bottles and paper cups are visibly present, implying further alcohol consumption. He then drives himself to Seoul without any acknowledgment of the drinking that preceded it.
Episode 8 — Bae Sung Chan’s Late-Night Drive
Episode 8 generated stronger backlash. Bae Sung Chan (played by Shin Jae Ha) drinks heavily late at night alongside Mo Eun A and explicitly acknowledges his own state, saying: “I can’t drive anyway” and “I’ll leave quietly at dawn once I sober up.” However, after spotting Yeon Tae Seo and driven by jealousy over his former lover, Bae Sung Chan gets behind the wheel and drives off early in the morning despite his prior acknowledgment that he had been drinking.
Why Did the Scenes Cause Controversy?
The core complaint from viewers was not simply that characters drank and then drove, but that the drama used these scenes as tools for narrative tension and emotional conflict without clearly framing drunk or hangover driving as dangerous or wrong behaviour. South Korea has strict broadcasting standards requiring that drunk driving portrayals carry clear negative framing or visible consequences. Similar past controversies in Korean dramas have led to formal warnings or fines from the KCSC, though outcomes vary case by case.
A viewer filed a formal complaint through e-People, South Korea’s national online petition system, addressed to the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC). The complaint stated that the broadcast repeatedly depicted behaviour interpretable as drunk or hangover driving while failing to position that behaviour as something to be cautioned against, instead embedding it in dramatic storytelling as a device.
Beyond the formal complaint, backlash on social media and online forums has been vocal about what many viewers describe as irresponsible messaging, particularly given South Korea’s strong public anti-drunk driving campaigns and laws. Some observers have also noted that the controversy arrives at an already difficult point for the production, following a consistent decline in viewership since its premiere.
The KCSC confirmed it received the complaint and will review it according to standard procedures before deciding whether to formally place the matter on its agenda. No timeline has been provided for that decision.
The Production Team’s Official Apology
On 31 March 2026, the production team of Still Shining issued an official statement in response to the growing criticism:
“We humbly accept the related criticism and will take special care to ensure that similar cases do not occur in the future.”
As of the time of writing, the problematic scenes have not been edited or removed from the broadcast or streaming versions of the drama. No announcement has been made regarding whether edits will be applied to reruns, VOD releases, or the Netflix version. Viewers continue to monitor whether any corrective action beyond the apology will follow.
Still Shining Ratings Context
The controversy arrives at a particularly difficult point for Still Shining, which has struggled in viewership since shortly after its premiere.
| Episode Range | Viewership Rating |
| Episodes 1 and 2 (premiere) | 2.1% |
| Episodes 3 and 4 | 1.2% |
| Episode 7 | 1.1% |
| Episode 8 | 0.8% |
The series launched with reasonable momentum for a Friday drama. However, the consistent downward trend has placed it among the lower-rated currently airing JTBC productions. The drunk driving controversy has compounded the pressure on the production rather than arriving independently of an already challenging broadcast run. Some viewers and commentators have described the episodes at the center of the backlash as a form of unintentional self-sabotage during a period when the show was already losing its audience.
What Comes Next?
The Korea Communications Standards Commission will review the formal complaint and determine whether to proceed with a formal deliberation. No timeline has been set for that decision. The production team’s statement commits to preventing similar issues going forward. However, it does not address whether the existing scenes will be re-edited in any version of the broadcast or streaming release.
Still Shining continues to air on JTBC every Friday at 8:50 PM KST and streams internationally on Netflix, with its finale expected around 3 April 2026.
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