Writers Guild of America Expels Park Chanwook, Director of "The Sympathizer," for Rule Violations During Strike

Participation in Union and Major Studio Projects Expected to Be Restricted

There have been reports that director Park Chanwook was expelled for violating regulations during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

According to U.S. entertainment media such as Variety on August 8 (local time), the WGA issued a statement that day announcing the expulsion of director Park and member Don McKellar, who wrote the script for the HBO miniseries "The Sympathizer."

They co-produced the seven-part series "The Sympathizer," based on the novel of the same name by Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen. Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande, the series aired in 2024.

The WGA did not specify which regulations the two writers violated. However, it was reported that they did not contest the expulsion decision. Writers expelled from the WGA are known to face difficulties participating in projects by major studios that have collective bargaining agreements with the union.

The WGA had previously disciplined seven writers for alleged rule violations during the 2023 strike. Of these, the identities of four were revealed during the appeals process, but the remaining three were not known until this announcement.

The WGA is a major labor union representing approximately 11,500 film, TV, and digital content writers in the United States. Beginning in May 2023, they went on strike for 148 days, demanding revenue sharing and compensation systems adapted to the streaming era, as well as improved working conditions. As a result, they reached agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), including Universal and Netflix, on base pay increases, expanded residuals for streaming replays, and measures to protect writers' rights in response to the introduction of artificial intelligence.