The film "The King and the Man" has put plagiarism suspicions to rest following a court ruling.
On July 23, Civil Division 21 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Shin Myung-hee) dismissed the injunction request filed by the bereaved family of the screenwriter of the drama "Eom Heung-do" against Onda Works and BA Entertainment, the co-production companies of "The King and the Man," as well as distributor Showbox.
The court determined that it was difficult to find similarities between the script submitted by the bereaved family and the film "The King and the Man." It also judged that there are fundamental differences in their creative expression methods.
The court stated, "While some similarities are found in the materials and settings between the bereaved family's script and 'The King and the Man,' the overall plot and main themes are completely different," adding, "It is difficult to acknowledge similarities in the unique and inherent characteristics of the bereaved family's script."
It also explained the difference that while the bereaved family's script focuses on a "Confucian narrative of loyalty" as its core emotional theme, "The King and the Man" focuses on the interactions, changes, and growth among King Danjong, Eom Heung-do, and the villagers as its core theme.
Furthermore, the court noted that there is no evidence to prove that Director Jang Hang-jun, who revised the scenario for "The King and the Man," had access to the bereaved family's script.
Previously, "The King and the Man" became embroiled in suspicions of plagiarizing the script of the drama "Eom Heung-do," which aired in the 2000s. The bereaved family of the drama's writer claimed that the film plagiarized the drama script and requested that its screening and OTT (video streaming service) distribution be halted. With this court ruling, the production company of "The King and the Man" is able to screen the film on aircraft and ships, provide it via OTT and DVDs, and export it overseas.
"The King and the Man," released in February, recorded a cumulative audience of approximately 16.88 million, ranking second all-time at the box office following "Roaring Currents" (17.61 million), which was released in 2014.
(Photo: SBS Star, reported by Kim Ji-hye)
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