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| ▲ This photo, provided by KBS, shows a poster of "The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Feb. 4(Yonhap) – KBS historical drama "The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won,” which faced animal abuse controversy due to the death of a horse during filming, has topped the Contents Power Index.
"The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won” has ranked No. 1, 10 steps higher than the previous week, in the overall category, according to Contents Power Index(CPI) of the 3rd week of January, 2022 (Jan. 17~ Jan. 23), released by CJ ENM on Feb. 4. The CPI recorded 325.5.
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| ▲ This photo, provided by CJ ENM, shows the CPI report of the third week of January, 2022. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
"The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won,” which drew expectations as the first historical drama in 5 years by KBS, has continued to record double digits in viewership in the 8th episode, but the controversy arose as criticism has been raised that they abused animals during filming.
As criticism grew, the production team announced on Jan. 21 that it would take two weeks off from broadcasting, and decided not to air this week, facing a "3 consecutive weeks of cancellation."
The controversial scene is the fall scene of Yi Seong-gye(Kim Yeong-cheol) in the 7th episode aired on Jan. 1. According to the video from the field released by an Animal Protection Organization, KBS filmed the scene by tying a wire to the horse's ankle and forcibly knocking it down.
The controversy over animal abuse even flared up as it was confirmed that the horse died a week after the filming.
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| ▲ This file photo shows the Animal Protection Organization regarding the animal abuse controversy of KBS drama. (Yonhap) |
Although KBS apologized, “We cannot help but feel a deep sense of responsibility,” 60,000 people signed the petition posted on an online bulletin of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, calling for the termination of "The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won.”
Criticism of the program also headed towards the actors starring in the drama. On social media page of the main actors, such as Joo Sang-wook and Park Jin-hee, there were comments that demand quitting the drama or apologizing.
KBS later apologized again for the issue and said it would provide regulations regarding production for the safety and welfare of animals as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will also establish guidelines to protect animals that appear in movies, dramas, and advertisements to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.
"The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won” is a drama that highlights the life of Yi Bang-won(Joo Sang-wook) in the late Goryeo Dynasty and the early Joseon Dynasty, starring actors Joo Sang-wook, Kim Yeong-cheol, Park Jin-hee, and Ye Ji-won.
☞ Contents Power Index or CPI is an indicator on viewers' behavior based on direct searches, news subscriptions, and social media buzz. The index calculates programs with various genres such as dramas, entertainment, music, and infotainment from 29 different channels. Through the Response About Content On the Internet (RACOI), data, including number of video views, posts, and comments, are collected weekly and converted into standard scores based on 200 points to calculate the average.
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