The film 'The King and the Man' (directed by Jang Hang-jun, distributed by Showbox, produced by Onda Works and B.A. Entertainment) has unexpectedly been caught up in plagiarism allegations.
On the 10th, production company Onda Works released a statement asserting, "'The King and the Man' is a purely original work based on historical facts, with the entire creative process meticulously documented and verifiable."
They further stated, "While there may be other creative works claiming similarities due to the use of historical figures and events, there is no causal link or exposure to such works during our creative process. There is absolutely no plagiarism of other works in our planning, development, or production stages." They added, "Therefore, the plagiarism claims are unfounded, and we will respond firmly through all necessary legal procedures."
The previous day, a media outlet reported that the family of a deceased writer, who had penned the drama 'Eom Heung-do' in the 2000s, sent a formal request to the production company to disclose the origins of the 'The King and the Man' script.
The family claims that the late Mr. Eom's drama script 'Eom Heung-do' shares significant similarities with 'The King and the Man,' identifying seven specific points of resemblance.
'The King and the Man' tells the story of the deposed King Danjong and the village chief Eom Heung-do in exile in Yeongwol. The film recently surpassed 10 million viewers on the 6th and has attracted 11.7 million viewers to date.
Full Statement from the Production Company:
The film is a purely original work based on historical facts, with the entire creative process meticulously documented and verifiable.
While there may be other creative works claiming similarities due to the use of historical figures and events, there is no causal link or exposure to such works during our creative process. There is absolutely no plagiarism of other works in our planning, development, or production stages.
Therefore, the plagiarism claims are unfounded, and we will respond firmly through all necessary legal procedures.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr