Song Joong Ki just returned to the small screen after several months of being away from the limelight. While most of his fans have praised Song Hye Kyo's husband for his exemplary performance in the first few episodes of the Arthdal Chronicles, his critics continue to make issues about the show. So, when will these controversies end?
Just a few weeks before the Arthdal Chronicles, officially, premiered on tvN and Netflix, the show faced backlash due to alleged mistreatment to its staff. Hanbit Media Labor Rights announced, on April 9, that the network had not provided good working conditions for the staff. Because of this, the agency requested the Employment and Labor Administration to, personally, check the working environment of the staff members. Song Joong Ki and other cast members remained silence regarding this matter.
"Staff members of 'Arthdal Chronicles' have suffered from too long hours of labor. We initially filed complaints, but nothing has improved. When it comes to filming abroad, staff worked over 20 hours a day," an unnamed representative from the Hope Solidarity Labor Union stated about the Song Joong Ki-led show. "A staff member who works with lights has suffered a fracture because of this. The incident occurred due to long hours and not the individual worker's attention," the spokesperson went on.
Besides the supposed unfriendly working environment, Arthdal Chronicles was, also, said to have copied several elements of the popular HBO series titled Game of Thrones. From the costumes, location, and plotlines, critics claimed that the latest tvN series led by Song Joong Ki has similarities with the show based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
More recent reports suggested that even viewers were not impressed with the new drama series of Song Joong Ki. Some think that Arthdal Chronicles is a "cheap copy" of Game of Thrones. "Why spend all that money to make a copy?" one of the disappointed viewers commented. In a previous press conference in May, the management refused to answer the allegations about the show being a South Korean version of the hit American fantasy drama television series by D.B. Weiss and David Benioff.
With these controversies, the management, recently, decided to find ways wherein the fans and press members would be allowed to ask questions to the show producers. Questions should be sent via email. Visit the official website of the tvN network for more details. Arthdal Chronicles airs every weekend on tvN and Netflix. Stay tuned Business Times for the latest news and updates about Song Joong Ki!
