Song Joong Ki’s tvN Drama 'Asadal Chronicles' Reported to Seoul’s Labor Administration for Alleged Mistreatment of Production Staff

Song Joong Ki’s new drama titled “Asadal Chronicles” is involved in controversy after allegations that the production staff was mistreated on the set have surfaced. It was said that the working condition while filming was very poor so this was reported to the labor rights agency in South Korea.

Allkpop reported that on April 9, the country’s Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center declared that the tvN television network has been overworking their employees while filming Song Joong Ki’s “Asadal Chronicles.” Based on the report, the organization has called for a press conference on April 10 to address the issue on the staff’s working conditions.

Commenting on the unfair labor practice, the representative of the Hope Solidarity Labor Union said, "Staff members of “Asadal Chronicles” have suffered from too long hours of labor. We initially filed complaints, but nothing has improved.”

The rep added, “When they are filming overseas, the worked for more than 20 hours per day. Once, a staff member who works on the lights suffered from a fracture due to this long work hours.”

In any case, the Hanbit Center was formed after the producer of “Drinking Alone” committed suicide in 2016. It was believed that he ended his life due to pressures at a workplace with poor working conditions.

In connection with Song Joong Ki’s “Asadal Chronicles,” the Center submitted a request to the Seoul Employment and Labor Administration. They asked the agency to send a government worker on the filming set and supervise the working condition of all the workers.

Meanwhile, “Asadal Chronicles” also stars Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ji Won and Kim Ok Bin and will premiere in the second half of this year, Drama Beans reported. It is a fantasy period drama that shows many sides of life including love, conflict and harmony. The drama was written by Park Sang Yeon and Kim Young Hyun.