KBS drama series The First Night With the Duke has ignited outcry as claims circulate about property damage on its shoot location; Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy, a World Heritage Site belonging to UNESCO, in Byeongsa-ri village, Pungcheon-myeon township in Andong of North Gyeongsang Province. It currently sits at the focal point of inquiries led by the city administration of Andong and the National Heritage Administration into improper activities executed by the television drama’s staff after several grievances.
Reports claim that the crew nailed the props into the wooden pillars of the academy, which is strictly prohibited under their filming permit. A National Heritage Administration official admitted to receiving complaints through the National Safety Report System on January 2. “Filming permits issued by local governments explicitly prohibit damaging cultural properties,” they said. The production team has clearly breached these conditions. The Andong City government is examining the case and may file legal cases.
The scandal broke out when an architect, who prefers to be known as “A,” posted her experience on social media. On December 30, 2024, they witnessed staff driving nails into the wooden pillars and raised objections, which were met with hostility. “Even in traditional Korean homes, nailing requires care. When dealing with heritage sites, such actions must be avoided altogether,” the architect stated, expressing concern over recurring neglect in safeguarding cultural heritage during filming. They also alerted Andong City’s cultural heritage department and media outlets, calling for stricter protections.
KBS issued a public apology for the event, saying, “We deeply regret the concerns caused by this incident.” Although the network acknowledged that the crew had broken the conditions, they did affirm that they had been granted permission to film earlier. In order to examine and repair the site while guaranteeing future preventative measures, KBS committed to collaborating closely with Byeongsanseowon officials.
The event has rekindled public calls for more stringent control to safeguard cultural heritage sites during commercial endeavours like movie projects, even as investigations continue.
