Oddly tough times for Korean cinema

Aug 8, 2019

An image of a battle scene from "The Battle: Roar to Victory," which has been accused of damaging endangered plants during filming in a conservation area in Gangwon Province.

Not long after the historical film "The King's Letters" disappeared from the box office with disappointing ticket sales following accusations it distorted history, another historical film has been facing accusations that the crew damaged the environment and some endangered plants while shooting the film.

"The Battle: Roar to Victory" caused a stir among the public for allegedly causing severe damage to the plants on set during the filming of its battle scenes in a conservation area near Dong River in Gangwon Province, last November.

The allegation was raised when an internet user started a petition on the presidential office website, Monday, calling for harsher punishment for those who harm endangered plants.

The user claimed the production team harmed the endangered plant habitat last year by filming in the environmental conservation area. It harshly criticized the production company WPictures, saying the damage is irreversible.

The petition quoted the nonprofit environmental group The National Trust of Korea as saying that the company illegally paved the road and continued to use gunpowder there, despite the continued warnings from the Ministry of Environment and the environmental group. The two warned the production company of the deleterious impact on the ecosystem of the preserved area.

The production company released a statement on June 12, admitting the destruction and explained that it would take responsibility for the damage.

"The team conducted the restoration for the damages inflicted on plants under the government agency's supervision, last year," the statement read.

"For the usage of gunpowder and causing noise (in the preserved area), we have paid a fine and taken legal responsibility accordingly. But as for moral responsibility, we have re-filmed the part at a different location in January."

Their statement, however, didn't stop criticism. People continued to share the stories on social media and the presidential petition came this week.

The environmental group refuted some points made in the petition. "It is true that they caused damage in the environment while filming, but there have been some baseless accusations," Kim Geum-ho, managing director of the group, told reporters.

Kim explained that the flowers which were destroyed during the filming were not endangered ones as the petition claims.

He noted that the production company and the film's distributor made a joint effort to prevent violations of the law, after receiving the warning. They gathered together to discuss constructive ways to create an ethical guideline for filming in an environmental area.

The environmental ministry's local agency also commented on the ongoing fuss.

"The location was open to the public and for filming," the source from the agency confirmed with Hankook Ilbo. "The agency only warned them about damaging tree branches, leaving tire marks, and scaring the wildlife animals by firing gunpowder."

The film "The Battle: Roar to Victory" is a historical blockbuster that premiered, Wednesday. Directed by Won Shin-yeon, the film is about the first victory of Korean independence fighters who were part of the massive battle against the Japanese army at Fengwudong in Manchuria, China, in 1920.

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