KBS Drama Team Accused of Nailing on World Cultural Heritage Site, Reported to Police

Complaint Report Assigned to Andong Police Station

The KBS drama filming team that hammered nails into the wooden pillars of Byeongsan Seowon Mandaeru has been reported to the police on charges of violating the 'Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Act.'

According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on the 3rd, a complaint was filed through the People's Petition Service around midnight that day. The complainant, known to be a citizen, requested punishment based on Article 92 (Crimes of Damage or Concealment) Paragraph 1 of the 'Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Act.' They stated, "The act of damaging cultural heritage by the KBS drama filming team is clearly subject to legal punishment," and added, "Even if there was an agreement on restoration procedures, the act of damaging cultural heritage itself cannot be denied as a legal violation."

The police plan to assign the complaint to the Andong Police Station during the morning of the same day.

The previous day, Andong City confirmed that the KBS drama filming team hammered nails into the wooden pillars of Mandaeru on the 30th of last month to hang six model lantern props. The nail marks were identified as 2-3 cm thick and about 1 cm deep per nail.

Byeongsan Seowon is Historic Site No. 260 and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Among its structures, Mandaeru is a representative example of Korean seowon pavilions, showcasing the simple and restrained architectural features of mid-Joseon Dynasty buildings. It is designated as a Treasure.

KBS had previously faced public criticism in the 2000s during the filming of the historical drama 'Dae Jo-yeong' for hammering large nails into various gates of the private Mungyeong Saejae.