SEOUL-- JTBC, the South Korean broadcaster of the controversial romance "Snowdrop," said Thursday that it will release key episodes of the show this week, earlier than its original schedule, in an attempt to straighten out misunderstanding about historical issues depicted in the show.

"The debate over 'Snowdrop' seems to be caused by the story that unfolded in the early episodes," the cable channel said in a statement. "To ease the concerns of viewers, we will advance the scheduled broadcast of the fifth episode, which features a twist in the narrative."

Under the new program time table, the third to fifth episodes of JTBC's weekend primetime drama will be broadcast at 10:30 p.m. from Friday to Sunday, the TV station said.

The move came as the show, about a romantic relationship between a female South Korean university student and a North Korean spy, has been under growing criticism that it distorted the history of South Korea's pro-democracy movement of the late 1980s right after the first two parts were aired last weekend.

People pointed the finger at scenes depicting the female lead giving shelter to a North Korean spy, who jumps into her dormitory covered in blood, as she mistakenly believes that he is a pro-democracy protester being chased by heavy-handed state secret service agents under the military dictatorship.

Critics say the story could reinforce the narrative of the past authoritarian governments that pro-democracy student activists were linked to North Korea when many such activists and dissidents were tortured and prosecuted on trumped-up charges of being North Korean spies.

More than 300,000 people have signed a petition, posted on an online bulletin of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae calling for the termination of the TV production.

JTBC said the coming episodes will tell the lead character's story of having come to the South and reveal the political maneuvering by the authorities in the two Koreas, ironing out the controversial issues.

Source: Yonhap News Agency