Director of ‘I Stole the First Night of His Majesty’ Apologizes for Heritage Vandalism
Director expresses regret over cultural heritage damage before drama’s premiere.
A Controversial Start for the Drama
The upcoming KBS2 drama ‘I Stole the First Night of His Majesty’ has already faced significant controversy even before its first episode airs. The show’s director, Lee Ung-hee, issued a formal apology during a press event for damage caused to Byeongsan Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, during the drama’s production process.
The Incident and Apology
Director Lee Ung-hee addressed the issue directly, acknowledging the gravity of the situation and apologizing for the incident. “I deeply apologize for the concerns caused by the damage to the cultural heritage during our production,” Lee stated. He explained that all related footage had been scrapped, and KBS has since updated its guidelines to prevent future occurrences.
Current Investigation
The director further mentioned that the production team is currently cooperating with the National Heritage Administration, stating, “We are taking immediate actions based on expert advice, which includes monitoring the wood affected for a year before undertaking restoration.”
Drama’s Plot and Characters
Despite the rocky start, ‘I Stole the First Night of His Majesty’ is eagerly anticipated by fans. The drama is adapted from a web novel of the same name with over 600 million cumulative views and an impressive reader rating of 9.8.
The story follows Cha Sun-Cheok (played by Seo Hyun), an unnoticeable character from a romance novel who becomes entangled in a rapturous night with the novel’s obsessive lead, Yi Beom (played by Ok Taec-yeon). The narrative unfolds into a romantic fantasy that challenges familiar romance genre tropes.
Acknowledgments and Future Broadcasts
The director’s apology coincides with efforts to keep the drama’s narrative engaging and reflective of its source material, featuring an exciting cast including Kwon Han-sol as the female lead Jo Eun-ae, Seo Beom-jun as the secondary lead Jeong Su-gyeom, and Ji Hye-won as the antagonist Do Hwa-seon.
The highly anticipated drama premieres on June 11 at 9:50 PM, and despite the initial controversy, fans are hopeful for a captivating watch.
