Park Hyungsik’s New K-Drama Faces Criticism Over "Unprotected Sex" Scene

SBS's latest thriller K-Drama, Buried Hearts, starring Park Hyungsik and actress Hong Hwa Yeon, premiered on February 21, 2025 (KST) amidst controversy surrounding a scene depicting unprotected sex.

The debut episode introduced viewers to a series filled with suspense and plot twists, but it also sparked intense criticism. Viewers expressed discomfort over several intimate scenes between Park Hyungsik and Hong Hwa Yeon, particularly highlighting an unprotected sex scene as highly inappropriate.

Eunnam took every chance before she left Dongjoo.

She really ate🤭
(remember when Hwayeon said that the most memorable moment was the kiss scene?🥲)#ParkHyungsik #박형식#BuriedHeartsEp1#BuriedHearts #보물섬 pic.twitter.com/kbxokDvYje

— HYUNGSIKNESS (@hyungsikness) February 21, 2025

In a pivotal moment, Hong Hwa Yeon's character urges Park Hyungsik's character to proceed without using a condom, which stirred controversy among audiences.

She knew what was coming, which is why she was pampering DongJu and treating him specially. I'm sure they blackmailed or threatened her to go along with the plan, but she gave DongJu the last offering raw 🤣😭🍒 #BuriedHearts #BuriedHeartsEp1 pic.twitter.com/tFkVQbbPNN

— Ta-da (@te3_tia) February 21, 2025

The depiction of such a scenario drew significant backlash online, with viewers questioning the appropriateness and realism portrayed.

Following the episode, viewers took to social media platforms to voice their dismay, condemning the scene as unnecessarily provocative and out of line with viewers' expectations for the drama.

• “I feel like the scriptwriter doesn’t know how romantic scenes work… The lines during the sex scene? I was appalled.”
• “The whole show is cringe, LOL. I’m sure people who like it, like it. But I can’t watch it. It’s barf.”
• “I don’t even care about the kissing. The condomless sex scene caught me off guard.”

Many expressed concerns about the portrayal of intimate moments in K-Dramas and called for more sensitivity in depicting such scenes.

• “Buried condoms. Barf.”
• [Deleted]
• “WTF…?”
• “I was real let down with them skipping the condom…”

Despite the initial backlash, some viewers remain optimistic about the series' potential. They hope that future episodes will focus more on the promised revenge thriller elements now that the plot has been established.

The criticism surrounding Buried Hearts reflects broader discussions within the entertainment industry about the boundaries of on-screen intimacy and the responsibility of creators to handle sensitive subjects delicately.

For Park Hyungsik, known for his versatile acting, Buried Hearts marks a daring role in a genre departure from his previous works.