KBS has revealed its position after it was revealed that the production team of the new KBS 2TV drama ‘I Stole the Male Lead‘s First Night’ (written by Jeon Seon-yeong and directed by Lee Woong-hee) starring actors Ok Taecyeon and Seohyun damaged Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

KBS stated in an official statement on the 2nd, “First of all, we sincerely apologize for causing concern to viewers due to this incident,” and explained, “The production team of ‘I Stole the Male Lead’s First Night’ received permission to pre-film at Byeongsan Seowon in Andong late last year and, during the process of installing props, received complaints from on-site visitors asking how they could nail and hang props on cultural assets.”

KBS stated, “Regardless of the reason, KBS realizes the severity of the situation and is sorry about the situation that occurred on-site. We are currently discussing the exact situation and the best way to recover,” and added, “Regarding the situation at the time, the drama staff is checking the site with the Byeongsan Seowon staff and discussing the recovery procedures. We will also actively discuss future prevention measures and any additional damage that may occur.”

They then apologized, saying, “KBS once again bows its head and apologizes to everyone regarding this entire incident related to the filming of the drama.”

There was a report that the filming crew for ‘I Took the First Night of the Namju’ damaged Byeongsan Seowon, a cultural heritage site. As a result, Andong City and the National Heritage Administration have begun to investigate the situation.


● Here is KBS’s official statement

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, KBS has released a statement
Seriously discussing the exact damage confirmation and recovery measures

First of all, we sincerely apologize for causing concern to viewers due to this incident.

The production team received permission to film in advance at Andong Byeongsan Seowon at the end of last year, and during the process of installing props, they received complaints from on-site visitors asking how they could nail and hang props on cultural assets.

Regardless of the reason, KBS realizes the severity of the situation that occurred on-site and feels sorry. We are currently discussing the best way to accurately understand the situation and restore it. Regarding the situation at the time, the drama staff is checking the site with Byeongsan Seowon staff and discussing restoration procedures. We will also actively discuss future measures to prevent recurrence and any additional damage that may occur.

KBS once again bows its head in sincere apologies to everyone for all of these incidents related to the filming of the drama.

Hong Se-young, reporter for Donga.com, projecthong@donga.com