Animal Cruelty Controversy: 'Taejong Yi Bang-won' Production Team Fined 10 Million Won

The Court: "Could Have Used Horse Model and CG"

The KBS production team, who were prosecuted for abusing a horse by forcibly making it fall during the filming of the drama 'Taejong Yi Bang-won,' resulting in the horse's death, was sentenced to a fine in the first trial.

[Photo by KBS1, screenshot from 'Taejong Yi Bang-won']

On the 17th, Yonhap News and others reported that Judge Jeon Beom-sik of the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 8 sentenced KBS PD Kim and three production staff members, including the martial arts director and the horse riding team leader, each to a fine of 10 million won for violating the Animal Protection Act. KBS, which was jointly tried under the joint penalty provision, was fined 5 million won.

They are accused of tying the horse's front legs with a rope and making it run quickly downhill to force it to fall during the filming of a horse-riding scene in the drama 'Taejong Yi Bang-won' in November 2021, and then neglecting to provide proper treatment. It was reported that the horse that was forced to fall during the filming died five days later.

The court stated, "Considering the pain the horse suffered and the social repercussions caused after the broadcast, the guilt is not light," but also noted, "The defendants acknowledged the basic facts, and considering that the crime resulted from following customary filming methods, and that KBS later established broadcasting production guidelines for animal appearances under its supervision."

Earlier, animal protection organizations filed a complaint with the police in January 2022, accusing the production team of violating the Animal Protection Act, calling it a "clear act of animal abuse." Article 10, Paragraph 2 of the Animal Protection Act defines and prohibits abuse as "acts that cause pain or injury by cruel methods such as using tools unnecessarily for animal breeding or training."

The problematic scene appeared in episode 7 of 'Taejong Yi Bang-won,' which aired in January 2022. About three weeks after the broadcast, KBS issued an official apology stating "We deeply regret our responsibility," suspended the airing of the drama, and stopped online replays of the problematic episode 7.