On Aug. of last year, the concluded "The Great Show: Taekwondo" was engulfed in controversy over unpaid appearance fees and winner prize money.
On the 5th, after confirming with multiple agencies representing cast members of MBN variety show "The Great Show: Taekwondo," it was reported that the production company has not properly paid appearance fees even though seven months have passed since the program ended.
That day one media outlet reported that "The Great Show: Taekwondo" stipulated in the contract that episode-by-episode appearance fees be paid by the 15th of the following month based on the air date, but after the first episode payment, the remaining episode appearance fees were not paid to all cast members.
"The Great Show: Taekwondo" is the world's first global taekwondo audition, a survival program in which domestic and international taekwondo national team members, dan holders, demonstration teams, and martial artists from various fields such as dance and parkour, as well as foreigners, challenged to select the final one. It first aired in June of last year and ran for a total of eight episodes, concluding on Aug. 15.
However, according to reports, settlements have not been made for all cast members, including hosts Jang Seongkyu and Na Tae Joo and judge Park Kal-lin. In addition, the winner's prize of 100 million won that should have been paid to final winner Kwon Young-in was also not delivered. In response to the cast members' protests, the broadcaster reportedly replied that it was a problem with the outsourced production company.
"The Great Show: Taekwondo" was produced with a structure in which cast members signed contracts directly with the outsourced production company Studio and Creative, and MBN signed a scheduling contract with that production company, so the obligation to pay appearance fees and prize money is reportedly contractually on the outsourced production company. However, because the broadcaster is central to decisions on scheduling, broadcasting, and advertising sales, some argue that even with an outsourced production structure, the broadcaster would find it difficult to avoid responsibility.
Meanwhile, regarding this unpaid appearance fee incident, an MBN official told OSEN, "We are checking the production team's position."
[Photo] MBN
[OSEN]