"The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" continues to gain criticism due to animal cruelty allegations. It came after the KBS historical Kdrama was under fire for allegedly abusing a horse to film its seventh episode.
The scene, which aired on January 1, featured Kim Yeong Cheol's stunt actor, who played the role of Joseon Kingdom founder Lee Seong Gi.
In "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" episode 7, the actor dramatically fell from the horse after he was being attacked by the enemies. However, viewers noticed that the horse he was riding took a head dive and landed on its side.
Animal Welfare Organization Accuses 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' of Animal Abuse
With this, the Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) did a series of investigations and found out that the horse was tied up and purposely tripped the animal to carry out the scene.
"We have now confirmed the suspicions that the horse was tied up with action wire, then tripped purposely by the crew in order to create this scene," KAWA explained, noting that the animal had a severe physical injury.
In addition, KAWA also pointed out that the production team did it "in such a dangerous manner that the stunt actor who also fell off the horse could have suffered significant injuries."
Petition to Abolish 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' Reaches the Blue House
READ MORE: Industry Personalities Demand to Cancel 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' Despite Apology from KBS Regarding Animal Abuse Controversy
In the wake of the controversy, the public expressed their dismay over the alleged animal cruelty on the set of "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won."
Due to this, a petition seeking to cancel the KBS historical Kdrama reached the Blue House, also known as the executive office of the Republic of Korea's head of state.
According to local media outlets, signatures to halt the program soared to 41,000 as of noon on January 21.
Prior to this, personalities from the industry expressed their concern regarding the issue. BH Entertainment CEO Son Seok Woo called out the production team and criticized them for mishandling the situation. He mentioned on his SNS that he feels ashamed of what happened despite being in the same industry.
Moreover, he boldly hints to boycott the person behind the Kdrama, saying, "I don't think I will ever work with a director like you."
KBS Apologizes Amid the Animal Cruelty Controversy
Following the wave of backlash, KBS release an apology statement addressing the accident on the set of "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won."
The broadcast network said they would take "grave responsibility" regarding the issue.
"We cannot help but take serious responsibility for this unfortunate incident that has occurred," KBS mentioned, expressing their apology to the public "for not preventing this accident and causing such an unfortunate event."
Unfortunately, the horse died a week after filming due to sustained injuries.
