KBS has issued a second apology for damaging the Byeongsan Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, during the filming of the new drama 'The Male Lead's First Night.'
On the 3rd, KBS stated, “We sincerely apologize for the damage caused to the cultural heritage during the filming of 'The Male Lead's First Night' at Byeongsan Seowon, located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do.”
They further explained, “Today, we dispatched the drama center head and the responsible producer to assess the situation on-site. We confirmed that new nails were inserted to hang props on over ten existing nail marks, applying pressure in the process.”
KBS added, “The locations where the nails were inserted include eight spots on the main pillars of the Mandae Pavilion and two spots on the Dongjae Pavilion, totaling over ten locations. These are unrelated to the 'Mandae Pavilion pillar nail marks' photos reported by some media. Even if there were existing nail marks, inserting new nails and applying pressure constitutes damage to cultural heritage, and we sincerely apologize for this matter.”
They continued, “During the filming process, the production team consulted with the head of Byeongsan Seowon to confirm whether it was possible to hang props in the designated locations, and filming commenced with the head's presence. We will humbly accept the results of the police investigation and the inquiries from Andong City and the Cultural Heritage Administration. We will also actively cooperate in restoring the damaged areas in the future.”
KBS stated, “We will provide education to the external production company about the precious value of Byeongsan Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and strengthen management and supervision in the future. We will create guidelines to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. The guidelines will include seeking advice from cultural heritage experts or conducting filming under the supervision of experts when filming at cultural heritage sites, historical sites, and ruins.”
Finally, they added, “We sincerely apologize once again for causing great concern and disappointment to the public due to the damage to cultural heritage during the drama filming, and we will actively cooperate with the investigations by the authorities.”
The damage to cultural heritage was brought to light when architect Min Seo-hong posted on his Facebook that he witnessed the damage at Byeongsan Seowon around 3 PM on December 30 of last year. He also shared on-site photos showing nails being driven into the top of the Mandae Pavilion for props.
In response, KBS stated on the 2nd, “We sincerely apologize for causing concern to our viewers due to this incident. Regardless of the reasons, KBS acknowledges the seriousness of the situation that occurred on-site and is deeply sorry.”
They added, “We are currently discussing the best methods for accurately assessing the situation and restoring the site. The relevant personnel from the drama are in discussions with the Byeongsan Seowon officials to confirm the situation and negotiate restoration procedures. We will actively discuss preventive measures and potential additional damages that may arise in the future.”
'The Male Lead's First Night' is a romance fantasy where the spirit of an ordinary female college student inhabits a minor character in a romance novel, leading to a 'no-brakes' deviation romance with the novel's most obsessive male lead. It stars Seo Hyun, Ok Taec-yeon, Kwon Han-sol, Seo Beom-jun, and Ji Hye-won.
