Director Jang Hang-jun's remarks on the plagiarism controversy surrounding Wang Sa-nam.
The film "King and the Man" is facing plagiarism accusations as it approaches the 12 million viewer mark. The bereaved family of the late theater actor, identified as Mr. A, who passed away in 2019, has demanded an explanation from the production company, stating that some content in "King and the Man" is similar to the drama script 'Eom Heung-do,' written by Mr. A in 2000.
The family claims seven points of similarity, including Eom Heung-do persuading Danjong to stop refusing food, Eom Heung-do saving Danjong from attempting to jump off a cliff, the plot where Eom Heung-do's son is escorted to the government office, the setting of multiple palace maids as a single character named 'Maehwa,' and the adaptation of Eom Heung-do's children to a single son. They sent a certified letter detailing these claims.
광고 영역
In response, the production company of "King and the Man," Onda Works, refuted the accusations, stating, "It is a purely original work based on historical facts, and the claim of plagiarism is groundless." They emphasized, "There was no exposure to the said work during the creative process, nor any causal link, and there is absolutely no plagiarism of other works," and announced their intention to take legal action.
※ 이 포스팅은 쿠팡 파트너스 활동의 일환으로 수수료를 제공받습니다.
Regarding the plagiarism allegations, netizens showed mixed reactions. Some commented, "Similar settings don't necessarily mean plagiarism; it's a stretch," and "They're claiming plagiarism now that it's about to hit 10 million," siding with the production company. Others defended the family's claims, saying, "If the settings are not based on actual history, it could be a problem."
Meanwhile, the film's surging popularity has also brought renewed attention to past remarks by director Jang Hang-jun, sparking controversy. In a 2021 broadcast, Director Jang's statement about his wife, writer Kim Eun-hee, resurfaced. He said, "The night before our wedding, I said, 'Eun-hee, let's sort out our lives. Let's count how many people we've each slept with so far.'"
