The production company behind "The Man Who Lives with the King," which has surpassed 10 million viewers, flatly denied allegations that the film plagiarized a drama screenplay.
"The plagiarism claims are groundless, and we will respond firmly through all processes including legal proceedings," Ondaworks, the film's production company, said in a statement on January 10.
"While there may be creative works claiming similarities given that the film is based on historical figures and events, there is no pathway or causation through which we encountered the work in question during the creative process, and there was absolutely no plagiarism of other copyrighted works during planning, development, and production," the company added.
Earlier, MBN reported that the bereaved family of writer A, who wrote the screenplay for the drama "Eom Heung-do," demanded an explanation from the production company, claiming the film's key settings and content are similar to the deceased's work.
"Eom Heung-do" is known to be a draft written by theater actor A, who died in 2019, with the intention of producing a drama in the 2000s. A was a 31st-generation descendant of the historical figure Eom Heung-do, known for caring for King Danjong during his exile in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. A submitted the screenplay to broadcasters at the time, but it never went into production.
The bereaved family claims there are at least seven similar settings between the film and the screenplay. These include: a scene where King Danjong expresses satisfaction while eating at Eom Heung-do's recommendation; a plot where Eom Heung-do delivers King Danjong's words to a villager in charge of food; a process where King Danjong refuses food before opening his heart; and a setting where Eom Heung-do rescues King Danjong who attempts to jump off a cliff.
Additional similarities cited include: a plot where Eom Heung-do's son is taken to a government office; a setting that consolidates King Danjong's court ladies into a single character named "Maehwa"; and the adaptation of Eom Heung-do's children, who were actually three sons, into an only son.
The bereaved family is demanding that A's name be credited in the film if he is confirmed as the original creator.
In response, Ondaworks stated, "'The Man Who Lives with the King' is a purely original work based on historical facts, and the entire creative process is documented in detail and can be proven."
Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The Man Who Lives with the King" depicts the story of the deposed King Danjong Yi Hong-wi (played by Park Ji-hoon) spending his final days in exile in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, in 1457, bonding with village chief Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin) and the villagers at Cheongnyeongpo.
While the film follows historical facts regarding King Danjong's dethronement and exile, the relationship between King Danjong and Eom Heung-do and the process of villagers connecting with the king were reconstructed based on cinematic imagination.
The film surpassed 10 million viewers on January 6 and has recorded a cumulative audience of approximately 11.706 million as of this date.