‘The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won’ Canceled for the Fourth Week
For the fourth week in a row, "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" broadcast of two episodes for the upcoming weekend have been postponed.
"The KBS 1TV historical drama 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won,' which will be aired on the 12th and 13th, will be canceled," a representative shared to Sports News.
Due to this, it is still unclear whether the broadcast network will temporarily delay the airing of the Kdrama or will permanently halt the program due to the ongoing issue.
'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' Controversy
To recall, "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" is the newest Kdrama, facing massive controversy after being accused of animal cruelty on the set.
The historical Kdrama received high viewership ratings during their pilot episode aired on December 11 after garnering an average nationwide rating of 8.7 percent.
It remained the most-watched program in its time slot, reaching its highest viewership rating of 11 percent nationwide.
Unfortunately, things went south after airing their 7th episode featuring Kim Yeong Cheol's character, Lee Seong Gye, riding a horse while in the middle of the woods.
The particular scene featured his stunt actor being thrown off the horse to escape the enemy's attack.
READ MORE: Industry Personalities Demand to Cancel 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' Despite Apology from KBS Regarding Animal Abuse Controversy
However, a behind-the-scene video circulated on social media, showing the production crew purposely tied the animal's leg, causing it to head dive on the ground.
With this, viewers and various organizations called out SBS and "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" for alleged animal abuse on the set.
Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA) was the first non-profit organization to express its disappointment towards the historical Kdrama.
Over KAWA's Instagram, they issued a statement criticizing the tragic incident that happened on set alongside receipts showing photos of the behind-the-scenes.
It was also noted that KAWA requested an interview with the KBS Drama Center head, the executive producer and Drama Center's head planning and operation team.
The non-profit organization suggested creating "new established guidelines on animal welfare" and having an "animal filming ethics committee to be organized that includes experts, such as animal organizations, versed in animal welfare and safety."
KBS publicly apologized and took "grave responsibility" following the massive backlash.
'The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won' Petitioned to Cancel
A petition reached the Blue House Committee noting that "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" will be canceled from the broadcast.
At the time, the plea was signed by over 39,000 petitioners seeking punishment.
"Please halt airing a KBS drama that treats animals as props for just a one-second-long scene and punish them," the petition read.
