Korean OTT service TVING has made a formal apology after putting up the last episode of ENA's action thriller 'The Defects' prematurely, inadvertently revealing huge spoilers to viewers.
On August 5, episode 8—the last episode—became available on the platform in lieu of episode 6.
The mistake was live for about 20 minutes before it was removed and swapped with the proper installment.
In that time, some viewers had watched or seen bits of the last episode, prompting online outrage and complaints about the spoiler-infused gaffe.
In a release issued on August 6, a spokesperson for TVING clarified the situation, stating,
"When uploading the video of 'The Defects' on August 5, there was a misfire in metadata matching and episode 8 was briefly made available instead of episode 6.We are truly sorry for misleading viewers."
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The spokesperson went on, "TVING is handling this matter very seriously and is consulting closely with the broadcaster and production company to fully discuss countermeasures to stop such incidents from happening again in the future.
Furthermore, we will utilize this incident as a chance to enhance our internal system checks and management procedures to prevent this from occurring again."
The Defects, which is adapted from a hit webtoon, is about children who are abandoned by their adoptive families as they search for survival and retribution.
The series features Yum Jung Ah, Won Jin Ah, Choi Young Joon, Dex, and Lee Naeun.
The final episode of the series is said to be slated for air on August 12, with the next episode scheduled to drop on August 11 at 10 p.m. KST
The incident has brought back discussions on the necessity for strict digital management protocols among OTT platforms, especially regarding highly anticipated serialized series.
