The director of 'The Male Lead's First Night' has once again apologized regarding the controversy over cultural heritage damage.
On the afternoon of the 11th, a production presentation for the KBS2 Wednesday-Thursday drama 'The Male Lead's First Night' (hereafter referred to as 'The Male Lead's First Night') was held in Sindorim, Seoul. Director Lee Woong-hee and actors Seo Hyun, Ok Taec-yeon, Kwon Han-sol, Seo Bum-joon, and Ji Hye-won attended.
Director Lee Woong-hee opened by saying, "We filmed in the cold and endured hardships. I’m glad that our hard work seems to have borne fruit."
He continued, "On a personal note, I want to express my sincere apologies for causing concern to many due to the cultural heritage damage incident during our drama's production. We are indeed at fault. After the apology, we discarded the related footage."
Additionally, the director explained, "KBS has restructured its existing guidelines. This is not to boast about what we have done, but we are undergoing investigations by the Cultural Heritage Administration and related agencies, so we have taken the minimum necessary actions first. Experts have advised that we should conduct monitoring first. Rather than immediate restoration, we plan to proceed with monitoring for now."
He added, "We should be providing joy, but I sincerely apologize for delivering bad news during the production process. The actors and staff have worked very hard, and I feel honored to participate in directing this fantasy historical drama."
Previously, the filming team of 'The Male Lead's First Night' faced criticism for damaging the architectural structure by hammering nails into a pillar for prop installation while filming at Andong Byeongsan Seowon, which is designated as Historic Site No. 260 in South Korea and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In response, KBS issued two apologies and discarded all related footage.
'The Male Lead's First Night' is a 'no-brake' romance fantasy drama that unfolds as the spirit of an ordinary female college student inhabits a minor character in a romance novel and spends a night with the novel's most obsessive male lead. It will premiere at 9:50 PM today.
