In what will probably truly go down as a ‘When will your faves?’ moment, it was recently reported that the Financial Services Commission (the Korean government’s top financial regulator) was pressuring financial companies to bulk buy tickets to the movie “A Melody To Remember“, which stars ZE:A‘s Siwan.

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) recently made phone calls to banks, insurance companies and securities firms asking them to buy between 3,000 and 17,000 tickets to the Korean movie “A Melody to Remember,” which opened in local theaters Thursday, according to multiple sources in the film and financial industries.

One bank told Yonhap News Agency that it bought 17,000 tickets and gave them to its call center employees, while an insurance company said it bought 3,000 tickets and used them to promote its insurance plans. In total, the number of tickets bought at the FSC’s request could exceed 40,000, according to preliminary estimates.

When will your faves get the government to pressure financial institutions to buy 40,000 tickets at like $10 a pop who will then pressure their employees to go to said movie and spend $15 on bullshit sustenance they don’t need? A million dollars of the public’s money in one go? You damn right.

THE IMPACT

Of course, there was a reason for this, mainly that the FSC reportedly wanted to kickback financial gain to their honorary ambassador and also raise his public profile.

The FSC has oversight over financial firms, suggesting that it used its influence to promote the movie starring Lim Si-wan, an honorary ambassador for the government’s “fintech” service, which combines finance and technology.

Predictably, this drew criticism…

“This is very inappropriate behavior by a government body with the right and responsibility to direct financial policy and oversee financial firms,” said Kim Sang-jo, an economics professor at Hansung University in Seoul and the chairman of Solidarity for Economic Reform. “It not only comes under abuse of authority by public officials but also government intervention in the film market.”

…but the FSC denied it forced companies to do it.

“After being tapped as an honorary ambassador for fintech, Lim has made efforts to promote the government’s financial reform by filming advertisements and writing articles in the media,” the FTC said. “So there was a consensus to help the promotion of the movie.”

So yeah, nobody forced the companies to do it. They did it because they appreciate some random idol so much!

*Ahem*

Sorry. I meant that nobody forced the companies to do it. They did it because they appreciate some random idol so much!

Either way, I’m guessing nothing will be done about this, and the pressure to bulk buy tickets paid off, cause the movie opened #1 at the box office.