[HanCinema's News] "Cafe Minamdang" Under Fire for Illegal Working Conditions
By William Schwartz | Published on
On June 27th, the new KBS2 drama "Cafe Minamdang" held its official press conference for the drama which aired later that day. However, the event was bitterly protested by a coalition seeking to call attention to the mystery drama's appalling working conditions. A media labor union, a film labor union, a labor-oriented law firm, and a KBS press organization sent official representatives. Director Lee Eun-gyoo and a whistleblower against "Cafe Minamdang" were also present.
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According to the whistleblower, "Cafe Minamdang" has been violating the rights of its crew members by forcing them to work beyond their contractual obligations under the threat of termination. "Cafe Minamdang" has denied these accusations, but not in an especially convincing way. They have admitted to forcing employees to work fifty two hour work weeks, and have been defiant about continuing to adhere to their current labor practices in order to finish the drama on schedule with no delays.
The labor lawyer present at the protest noted that much of the dispute stems from "Cafe Minamdang" refusing to acknowledge that its crew members are regular employees and is instead treating them as if they were freelancers. The press organization representative noted that KBS2 is also doing a disservice both to its employees and its image by not attempting to censure "Cafe Minamdang" for its behavior. The labor union leaders noted KBS2 is severely lagging behind the industry on this issue.
Lee Eun-gyoo in particular also noted that it's not the credited director or screenwriter that do most of the work in any drama, but rather the crew, stating that any television drama with a major timeslot such as "Cafe Minamdang" has should not tolerate such behavior. The whistleblower has also claimed that the names of any employees protesting this treatment have been put on a blacklist. All six representatives were firm in asserting that the threats must stop and changes be made.
Written by William Schwartz
William Schwartz
Staff writer. Has been writing articles for HanCinema since 2012, having lived in South Korea from 2011 to 2021. He is currently located in the Portland metropolitan area. William Schwartz can be contacted via william@hancinema.net, and is open to requests for content in future articles.