On January 23, The Korea Herald reported that KBS had suspended the recent controversial drama The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won over a public outcry against the show’s animal abuse controversy.
The show’s Episode 7 featured a chasing scene with a horse. The popular show soon became infamous when viewers noticed the show intentionally tripped the horse to get actual footage of the actor falling off.
The production team tied the horse’s forelegs with a wire to record a natural fall. A group of people stood behind and pulled the wire, making it fall on purpose.
Many viewers expressed how painful it was to watch the scene, let alone pretend that nothing happened. They then raised petitions regarding cruelty towards the animal, which received hundreds and thousands of signatures in a few days, on January 20.
One of the petitions that gained immense attention was titled “Is the horse from Lee Seong Gye’s chasing scene in Episode 7 of Lee Bang Won still alive???” Viewers started lashing out at KBS and the team soon enough.
The Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) took matters into their hands and posted a behind-the-scenes recorded clip that clearly showed the horse falling face-forward on the ground. Some fans even think the hard fall might have impacted its neck.
With 120,000 signatures in just a couple of days, public outcry, and KAWA behind them, KBS was forced to update viewers with the horse’s health status.
On the same day, January 20, the broadcasting company revealed that the horse’s “upper body struck the ground with great force” but it was sent back after checking external injuries. The retired racehorse died after a week of filming.
KBS apologized for the unfortunate news and assured viewers it will “find a way to ensure animal safety on various sets” moving forward.
The discussion surrounding the incident doesn’t seem to calm down anytime soon. Hence, a representative from KBS stated that the show would be suspended for two weeks.
Meanwhile, the particular episode featuring the fall has been taken down from KBS’ official website. It has also been cut out from the streaming platform Wavve.
About The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won
The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won is a South Korean drama directed by Kim Hyung-il and Shim Jae-hyun. The period political thriller is written by Lee Jung-woo. Joo Jang-wook of The Good Doctor fame plays the lead role.
The drama is a fictional series based on Lee Bang-won, the King Taejong, the third ruler of Joseon Dynasty. It shows a new angle of the ruler’s story when he overthrew the Goryeo Dynasty to create an orderly Joseon Dynasty.
News Source: Koreaherald
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