The production company of the film 'Big Deal' clarified the dispute with director Choi Yoon-jin.
On the 1st, the production company The Lamp distributed a press release titled "We have restored the real author's name of the stolen 'Big Deal' script," stating, "The process leading up to the release of 'Big Deal' was not smooth. On one side, there was Choi Yoon-jin, the representative of the film company Kkot, who was removed from directing after facts emerged during the production of 'Big Deal,' and on the opposite side was the hidden real author of 'Big Deal.'
The Lamp stated, "Choi Yoon-jin approached The Lamp in 2020, presenting the scripts 'Big Deal' (then titled 'Moral Hazard') and 'Deep Sea,' where he was listed as the sole author. The Lamp signed a production contract for these two scripts and even entered into a directing contract for 'Big Deal' as requested by Choi Yoon-jin. The reason for signing a directing contract with Choi Yoon-jin, who had no directing experience, let alone assistant director experience, was because The Lamp believed it was his sole script as he presented. However, if there is a separate original author of 'Big Deal,' it constitutes a serious breach of the directing contract and infringes upon the original author's right to attribution."
However, while 'Big Deal' was in production in May 2023, The Lamp discovered that there was a separate original author of 'Deep Sea,' a rookie writer named Kim Ji-yong. As a result, in May, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Choi Yoon-jin had replicated Kim Ki-yong's work to write 'Deep Sea,' cancelling Choi Yoon-jin's copyright registration and ordering him to compensate Kim Ki-yong for infringement of the right to attribution. The Korean Scriptwriters Guild also assessed that Choi Yoon-jin merely regressed and misrepresented Kim Ki-yong's work.
In response, The Lamp investigated whether there was an original author of 'Big Deal' and found rookie writer Park Hyun-woo, who co-wrote the script 'Enemy.' The Lamp stated, "After obtaining the script of 'Enemy,' which was solely authored by Park Hyun-woo, we confirmed a high similarity to 'Big Deal.' The Korean Scriptwriters Guild concluded that 'Big Deal' was modified based on Park Hyun-woo's 'Enemy' and deemed Park Hyun-woo the original author and first screenwriter of 'Big Deal,' while Choi Yoon-jin was determined to be the second screenwriter."
The Lamp emphasized, "In this regard, Choi Yoon-jin recently misrepresented by disclosing only part of Park Hyun-woo's emails, suggesting that Park Hyun-woo agreed to list Choi Yoon-jin as the first author. However, Park Hyun-woo has never agreed with Choi Yoon-jin's opinion, and the court noted in its injunction regarding 'Big Deal' that 'Park Hyun-woo currently seems to hold a different opinion than Choi Yoon-jin concerning the script credits of this film.'"
In connection with this, The Lamp also released the transcripts of calls between Choi Yoon-jin and its staff. In the transcripts, Choi Yoon-jin claimed, "Why would I meet with an unrelated author?" "What do I care about an irrelevant work?" "I will speak precisely: I wrote 'Moral Hazard' (the former title of Big Deal) alone," "I am the author of 'Moral Hazard' (the former title of Big Deal)," and "There is no need to organize credits." However, 'Big Deal' showed similar patterns, even down to the typos, compared to Park Hyun-woo's 'Enemy,' and some comparison scenes were attached.
Later, The Lamp tried to resolve the issue through negotiation but was forced to terminate the directing contract and file a civil lawsuit due to Choi Yoon-jin's refusal and ongoing dissemination of documents portraying herself as the victim. Additionally, it was stated that, considering her contributions on set before being dismissed, she was given a 'field production' credit.
Moreover, The Lamp pointed out that Choi Yoon-jin had a debt of 300 million won from previous projects and stated, "We have no obligation to assume that debt as it is clearly stated in the contract, yet due to unfortunate circumstances, we transferred a total of 335,380,000 won to Choi Yoon-jin's company from 2020 to 2023." They claimed that despite this, Choi Yoon-jin fell into financial difficulties. They emphasized, "If Choi Yoon-jin misappropriated funds received from The Lamp for personal use, it raises ethical issues regarding whether she committed embezzlement against the company Kkot, and it is not the fault of The Lamp for paying more than 300 million won."
The Lamp is currently in civil litigation with Choi Yoon-jin to confirm the termination of the directing contract. The preliminary injunction filed by Choi Yoon-jin to maintain the effectiveness of the directing contract was dismissed in its entirety on the 27th of last month. Additionally, her lawsuit against an executive of The Lamp for defamation was also closed without charges. Furthermore, her multiple reports against The Lamp to various institutions, including the Film Industry Reporting Center, have been dismissed or remained pending.
The Lamp stated, "We have a role as a production company, but we fully understand the weight and significance of the phrase 'the film is the art of the director.' Therefore, the title 'director' must not become a position that can be obtained at the expense of another's hard work and should not be used as power to trample the efforts of others through any means necessary."
In addition, they stated, "It is The Lamp's duty to ensure that more emerging filmmakers can express their talents without fear, which is why The Lamp has taken measures such as conducting investigations and terminating the directing position under the principles of protecting the legitimate rights of rookie writers, ethical management, and maintaining public trust in the film industry."
In closing, The Lamp urged, "Throughout this period, The Lamp and its staff have faced difficult times due to baseless unilateral posts and text messages. Regarding these one-sided claims, please consider whether there is any basis for them and whether they contradict the revealed facts or decisions from reputable organizations."
[Photo] Provided by SHOWBOX, The Lamp.
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