Behind-the-Scenes of ‘Shining’ Drama’s Iconic Scenes... Controversy Over Drunk Driving Episode

The scene depicting the main characters of JTBC’s Friday series “Shining” experiencing a second breakup has drawn significant attention. Yeon Tae-seo (played by Park Jin-young) and Mo Eun-ah (played by Kim Min-ju), who reignited their relationship after 10 years, saw everything cool down due to a single miscommunication. When Yeon Tae-seo found Mo Eun-ah alongside her ex-boyfriend Bae Seong-chan (played by Shin Jae-ha) in front of him amid his grandmother’s serious illness, he ultimately decided to end their relationship.

The production team and actors revealed their favorite scenes and lines from the drama. Director Kim Yoon-jin chose the first breakup scene in episode 3. Describing the long dialogue and intense emotions required in that scene as “by no means easy,” she explained that the two actors attended filming together to support each other during separate phone call shots. In particular, Park Jin-young mentioned that he traveled all the way to Gyeongsang-do to personally assist Kim Min-ju with her phone call acting, even though it wasn’t his turn to film.

Writer Lee Suk-yeon said she was most moved by the narration that appears during the scene where Yeon Tae-seo transforms from his past self to his present self, expressing empathy for his calm acceptance of feelings of loss and loneliness. Park Jin-young noted that both the breakup scenes in their twenties and thirties were deeply impressive, calling it a work that meticulously portrays the process of two characters meeting and parting. Kim Min-ju selected the line “Where? What? With whom?” — something Mo Eun-ah always thinks about when worrying about the future.

Meanwhile, the drama has faced controversy over a drunk driving scene. A complaint was submitted to the communications review agency KCSC. The issue arose from episode 8, where Bae Seong-chan, who had been drinking, says, “I’ll drive once I wake up in the early morning,” and then suddenly starts driving while intoxicated after spotting Yeon Tae-seo. The complainant argued that this scene failed to clearly depict drunk driving as a dangerous behavior and instead used it merely to increase dramatic tension. KCSC stated it will decide whether to review the scene according to standard procedures. The production team issued a statement saying, “We humbly accept the concerns raised and will take extra care to ensure similar issues do not occur in the future.”