"Forced to Collapse for Drama Filming... Horse's Life at Risk"
"Rushing to Check Actor's Condition, But No One Cares About the Horse"
A horse with its feet tied to a wire forcibly falls to the ground during the filming of the KBS1 drama 'Taejong Yi Bang-won'. / Photo by Animal Freedom Coalition
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] KBS1 drama 'Taejong Yi Bang-won' has been accused of animal abuse on the filming set.
The animal protection organization Animal Freedom Union (Yeondae) issued a statement on the 19th, condemning "the animal abuse that occurred on the filming set of the drama 'Taejong Yi Bang-won'" and released footage from the filming site.
The video shows a scene from episode 7 of 'Taejong Yi Bang-won' where a character falls off a horse while riding it, with the actor on the horse and wires tied to the horse's legs.
The horse runs at a fast speed and at the moment the wire tightens, it falls, with its head crashing to the ground. The fallen horse appears to be in pain, rolling its hind legs on the ground about twice, unable to stand up and remaining collapsed. The scene of the horse falling with its head hitting the ground was broadcast as is.
A scene from the KBS1 drama 'Taejong Yi Bang-won' where a horse falls heavily towards the ground, raising suspicions of animal abuse. Photo by KBS1
The union criticized the act of forcibly making the horse fall as clear animal abuse. They stated, "As many had feared, it was confirmed that wires were tied to the horse's legs to forcibly make it fall during the filming of the scene. The horse fell violently enough to cause serious strain on its body, and the actor who fell with it was also filmed in a way that raised concerns about injury."
They added, "Immediately after filming, the staff rushed to check the fallen actor's condition. However, no one checked the horse's condition. The horse, which was flipped over and slammed to the ground, lay motionless alone for quite some time. Its condition has not yet been confirmed. There is no way to know if it is alive or if it has any injuries."
The union expressed shock that such filming methods are being used by a public broadcaster in South Korea in 2022, emphasizing, "The current Animal Protection Act defines and punishes acts that cause injury to animals for purposes such as gambling, advertising, entertainment, and amusement as animal abuse. Filming and posting videos containing such scenes also constitute a crime of animal abuse."
They further stated, "This incident clearly reveals the ongoing problem of animal abuse on filming sets," and said they requested a meeting with KBS to confirm the horse's survival status and to establish measures to ensure animal safety. They also declared, "We will use all means to respond so that the seriousness of the animal abuse issue is not overlooked, handled carelessly, or superficially resolved."
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