A group of animal rights activists holds a protest in front of KBS TV headquarters in Seoul on Jan. 21, 2022, following revelations that a horse used during filming of the TV series “The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won” died due to apparent abuse. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — KBS TV said Wednesday it has adopted a guideline to ensure the welfare of animals used in television production, following public outrage over revelations that a horse used during filming died due to apparent abuse.
The public network has come under fire after it was learned last month that showrunners of the TV series “The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won” intentionally tripped a running horse and caused the creature to fall violently to the ground for filming purposes.
The horse died about a week later amid accusations of animal abuse. The epic period series centered around Lee Sung-gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, has been suspended since Jan. 22 following the controversy.
In a press release announcing the resumption of the show on Feb. 26, the broadcaster said it has newly adopted a production guideline on ensuring the welfare and safety of animals while filming.
The network mandated the use of computer graphics as much as possible when producing scenes that could put an animal’s health at risk or place it under stressful conditions.
It also banned inflicting injuries to or killing animals during production and prohibited the filming of live animal eating.
The guideline also called for the designation of a dedicated animal protection supervisor in productions and required the presence of veterinarians during filming.
The station also presented specific measures related to the protection of 10 types of animal and insect species, including fisheries, reptiles, insects and primates.
“We will do our best to improve the awareness of animal welfare throughout the video production industry and present an environment that allows for the safe filming of animals,” KBS said.
(Yonhap)
