Actress Han under fire for abandoning role

After Han suddenly went to Los Angeles skipping the shoot for the KBS drama series “Myung-wol the Spy” Sunday, KBS called her actions “absurd and irresponsible.”

The broadcaster has been airing the drama on Mondays and Tuesdays since July 10 and Han was playing the main role of Myung-wol. After Han’s boycott, the 11th episode of the show on Monday night summarized the previous 10 episodes.

Earlier Tuesday, the director of the KBS drama department Goh Yeong-tak said it was unlikely Han could return to the series unless she came back for the 12th episode, due to be aired Tuesday.

The stance of the broadcaster came as multiple news reports in the U.S. said Han was seen at the Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 15 morning, local time.

"Han’s actions were unilateral, irresponsible and will not be tolerated. It is not true that she refused to shoot due to a dispute with the production staff,” KBS drama department director Goh Yeong-tak said in a press conference.

Jeong Seong-hyo, chief producer of the KBS, said that the rumors that KBS did not fully prepare the scripts forcing actors to memorize the scripts on the spot or went ahead with excessively tough shooting schedules were groundless.

“After the drama began, Han asked us to reduce her parts and we had to make revisions to some scenes where she did not want to act a comic scene. But she was also busy with her commercial shootings,“ Jeong said. 

Han has reportedly claimed in an interview that she was unfairly working long hours due to excessively tight filming schedules of the drama. 

“The drama-producing conditions were too tough. Now I have put everything down,” Han was quoted as saying at the Los Angeles International Airport by Hankook Ilbo. The daily said she arrived at the airport on Korean Air flight 017 at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 15, local time.

“I hope that hubae (junior) actors and actresses don’t become a victim like me,” the actress was quoted as saying. 

KBS executive producer Lee Gang-hyeon said he received a phone call from Han on Saturday who complained about “being treated like an outcast by other actors and production staffs at the filming scene.” 

“Han was supposed to be at the filming scene on Saturday by 8:30 a.m. but she appeared at around 4 p.m. and the producer must have scolded her at the scene. She later said to other staff that day she would not be shooting the drama from Sunday,” Lee said.

Lee Kim Production, the outsourcing production company of the KBS drama, released a statement, saying it will take a legal action against Han.

“The production company has been trying its best to be considerate for Han Ye-seul, when she asked for revisions to the script, filming schedule and even when she was late for shooting time,” Lee Kim Production said.
 
“We want to make it clear that there was no reason in the filming process to justify Han’s boycotting. Eric, who plays the main male character, had to bear the burden of shooting more scenes since the 5th episode, due to Han’s requests for cuts in the number of scenes,” it said.

KBS said it will go ahead with airing the initially-planed 16 episodes, with a new actress.

Goh said because the drama was based on the script that had won the broadcaster’s drama script contest, it will not change the story but ask viewers’ understanding for changing the actress for the role of Han Myung-wol.
The drama depicts a story of a North Korean spy Han Myung-wol who is on a mission to disrupt the Hallyu Wave by kidnapping a top star, Kang Woo, played by Eric.

 
By Kim Yoon-mi
(yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)

 

<관련 한글기사>

한예슬 파동이 남긴 것

     
KBS 월화극 ‘스파이 명월’의 파행을 야기한 배우 한예슬이 곧 귀국한다. 미국으로 출국한 지 거의 이틀 만이다.

한예슬이 귀국을 서두르게 된 것은 예상보다 자신에 대한 비난이 커진데다 줄소송에 대한 불안으로 관측된다.

한예슬은 LA 공항에서 “이 일을 계기로 다른 연기자분이 좋은 환경에서 드라마를 촬영했으면 좋겠다”고 말해 이번 행동의 책임을 열악한 제작환경으로 돌리는 모습을 보였다.

한예슬이 제기한 불만은 한국 드라마 제작환경의 총제적 문제이고, 언제건 다시 터질 수 있는 ‘화약고’라는 점에서 한예슬이 총대를 멨다고 볼 수도 있다.

한예슬이 요구한 ‘주5일제 촬영’은 배우의 컨디션과 건강을 위해서도 필요하다. 하지만 쪽대본이 나오고 생방송에 가까운 촬영방식을 고수하는 한 이 문제는 해결되기 어렵다. 드라마를 촬영 중인 여배우를 인터뷰해보면 대부분 “2~3시간밖에 못 잔다”고 말한다. 한류에도 크게 기여하는 ‘드라마 왕국’의 어두운 면인 셈이다.

50분짜리 드라마를 주1회 방송하는 일본이나 제작기간이 우리보다 훨씬 여유있는 미국과 달리 우리의 경우 65분짜리 드라마를 주2회 촬영한다. ‘총알택시’를 탄 것이나 다름없다. 규정속도를 지킬 수 없다는 말이다. 우리의 드라마 제작환경은 배우, 작가, 스태프가 모두 힘든 상황을 조금씩 감내하는 식이다.

한예슬은 이 점을 문제삼고 싶었겠지만 그 표현 방식이 ‘유아적’이었다. 드라마의 주연배우는 제작사나 방송국과 계약을 맺지만 시청자와의 약속이기도 하다. 따라서 약속은 지켜가면서 제작진과 투쟁(?)을 해야 옳았다. 그렇게 하지 못했기 때문에 한예슬에게 비난이 쏠리는 양상이다.

KBS 고영탁 드라마국장은 “한예슬의 행동은 일방적이고 무책임한 행위”라고 비난했고, 정성효 CP도 “한예슬의 요구대로 대본을 수정하고, CF 일정에 스케줄을 맞추는 등 많은 부분에서 배려를 해주었다”면서 한예슬에 대한 공세를 폈다.

하지만 황인혁 PD를 비롯한 제작진도 주연배우를 컨트롤하지 못한 데는 일말의 책임감을 가져야 한다

한예슬의 소속사인 싸이더스HQ가 보도자료를 통해 “한예슬 씨가 바쁜 촬영 스케줄로 인해 심신이 상당히 지쳐 있었고, 그런 상태에서 촬영을 강행하다 보니 판단이 흐려져 많은 분께 피해를 끼치게 됐다”고 밝혔다.

우리의 열악한 드라마 제작환경은 주연 여배우 한 명을 심판한다고 해서 해결될 문제는 아니다.

서병기 기자/wp@heraldcorp.com