Actors and agencies expressed their disappointment regarding the KBS Kdrama "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" after being involved in an animal abuse controversy.
The historical series made it to the headlines for the wrong reasons after viewers raised concerns with the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) regarding the possible animal abuse in one of the episodes of the Kdrama.
The specific scene featured Lee Bang Won's father, Lee Seong Gye, played by Kim Young Chul, was riding a horse and got thrown from it.
However, in one of its behind-the-scenes, the production crew pulled the rope tied around the horse's legs, causing the animal to head dive and dramatically fall.
Due to this, industry personalities took to social media and expressed their stance regarding the issue.
BH Entertainment Demands' The King Of Tears, Lee Bang Won' to be Canceled
The CEO of BH Entertainment, Son Seok Woo, strongly criticized the production team handling "The King Of Tears, Lee Bang Won," pointing out the animal cruelty that happened on the set.
Over his SNS, the talent agency head shared a national petition condemning the abuse saying, "I am in the same industry, but I am really ashamed."
The BH Entertainment CEO, also hints at the possible boycott of the production team of 'Taejong Lee Bang-won,' saying, "I don't think I will ever work with a director like you."
The agency, which is also co-founded by renowned actor Lee Byung Hun, is known for housing a roster of talented stars, including Lee Jin Wook, "Squid Game" star Park Hae Soo, Hallyu actress Kim Go Eun and more.
Apart from the BH Entertainment CEO, actors also shared their thoughts regarding the issue.
"Mr. Perfect" star Ko So Young shared to Instagram Stories a screenshot of the behind-the-scenes saying that she felt sorry for the animal.
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The same goes for model-actress Kim Hyo Jin, who shared a post by KAWA and called the incident "terrible."
"The actor was injured, and the horse eventually died. I hope the stunt actor will get well soon. Animals on set are life, not props," she wrote to which Gong Hyo Jin also agreed and said, "It hurts so much."
KBS Addresses Animal Abuse Controversy Involving the Historical Drama 'The King Of Tears, Lee Bang Won'
In a lengthy post by the non-profit organization for animals, the group raised the testimony from one of the staff and pointed out how the production team mishandled the situation.
"Kara was grasping the situation at the time through various channels. Through this, the testimony of the staff at the scene at the time was secured. "Adult men pulled the rope from behind and knocked down a running horse. The actor was a stuntman, but the only general protective gear was given without safety equipment. In the end, the actor also fell and lost his mind for a while, and the filming stopped due to injury," the statement reads as posted on their Instagram.
Following this, KBS released an apology stating that they are taking "serious responsibility" regarding the incident.
"We cannot help but take serious responsibility for this unfortunate incident that has occurred. We apologize to the viewers for not preventing this accident and causing such an unfortunate event."
