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Korea to require safety personnel on TV sets after KBS damages World Heritage site

Published: 20 Mar. 2025, 13:08

Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy [KWON HYUK-JAE]

A written pledge and the deployment of safety personnel will be required when filming movies or dramas at nationally designated cultural heritage sites, the Korea Heritage Service announced on Thursday.

The new guidelines for filming at cultural heritage sites were introduced following controversies surrounding damage that occurred to Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy, a Unesco World Heritage site, and the Mandaeru pavilion, a designated treasure, during a drama shoot.

Controversy arose last December when it was revealed that KBS had driven nails into the pavilion and other structures at Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy to install props while filming the drama “The First Night with the Duke.”

Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy is a cluster of traditional buildings that served as a school during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). This academy was designated as a World Heritage site by Unesco in 2010.

“In order to prevent similar incidents in the future, guidelines have been established to share key precautions regarding filming activities at cultural heritage sites,” the Korea Heritage Service said in a press release.

A filming request, along with a detailed plan and a written pledge, will be required when seeking permission to film at cultural heritage sites. Applications must be submitted at least 15 days before the scheduled shoot to the relevant authority, such as a special self-governing mayor, provincial governor or district mayor.

KBS-hired staff are seen putting nails into the walls of Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy in Andong, North Gyeongsang. [YONHAP]

The submitted plan must include the filming location, purpose, detailed schedule, measures to prevent damage and a list of equipment to be used.

The deployment of safety personnel responsible for managing and supervising the site will be required when conducting commercial productions or when filming involves 10 or more people. A list of these personnel must be submitted in advance.

Qualifications in fields such as architecture, landscape architecture, history or archaeology, or affiliation as a cultural heritage interpreter with the local government, will be required when appointing safety personnel, according to the Korea Heritage Service.

Applicants will also need to consent to a clause accepting full civil and criminal liability for any damage to the cultural heritage, facilities or accidents that may occur during filming.

In response to the recent controversy over driving nails into structures, the guidelines explicitly prohibit “driving nails into wooden components such as pillars in wooden heritage buildings, as well as installing metal fasteners on foundations and stone walls.”

Approval of restricted items will also be required when bringing objects that pose a fire or explosion risk — such as cigarettes, lighters and gas canisters — onto filming sites.

“While these regulations are not legally enforceable, they establish standard procedures for granting filming permits,” the Korea Heritage Service said. “We plan to use them as reference materials during preliminary education and permit guidance.”

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]