Controversy is growing as it is known that the horse, who was accused of abuse during the filming of "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won", died a week after the scene was filmed.

KBS apologized for the controversy over animal abuse.

On January 20th, KBS said, "We deeply feel responsible and apologize for the accident that occurred while filming "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won". The accident occurred on November 2, while filming the scene of Lee Seong Gye's fall from the horse, which was aired on the 7th episode of "The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won" in their official statement.

They then continued to explain, “Filming a falling scene is a very difficult shoot. This is because the horse’s safety is considered the basic and the safety of the actor on the horse as well as the staff filming it must also be considered. For this reason, the production team has been preparing and checking for possible accidents since a few days ago.”

“Despite these efforts, however, an accident occurred in which the actor fell far from the horse and the horse’s upper body hit the ground. Immediately after the accident, the horse woke up on its own and after we confirmed that there was no apparent injury, we sent the horse back. However, recently, there are many viewers who are worried about the horse’s condition, due to which we checked the horse’s health again, and unfortunately, it’s confirmed that the horse died about a week after the filming,” they said.

KBS apologized again, saying, “We have no choice but to take deep responsibility for the unfortunate occurrence. We would like to apologize again to the viewers for failing to prevent the accident and the unfortunate thing that had happened.”

A KBS representative said, “Through this accident, it was confirmed that there was a problem with the method of filming a fall from a horse. Therefore, we will try to find other ways of filming and expressing so that such accidents do not happen again. In addition, we will find ways to ensure animals’ safety at filming sites through advice and cooperation from related organizations and experts. Once again, we sincerely apologize to viewers and those who love animals.”

Earlier, the Korean Animal Welfare Association claimed in a statement on January 19th that “The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won” had abused horses during filming.

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BTS's Jin continues to shine bright with his massive popularity, securing the No. 1 spot in the MY1PICK weekly rankings for an impressive 43 consecutive weeks!

In the MY1PICK K-POP Individual Category Weekly Ranking for the third week of December (December 16–22), Jin earned a massive 6,154,905 hearts, keeping his position at the top. From the 5th week of February to the 3rd week of December, Jin has been unbeatable in the weekly rankings, proving he has an enormous fanbase and global influence.

But Jin’s achievements don’t stop there. In November, he dominated the K-POP Individual Category Monthly Ranking, topping it with 25,452,283 hearts. He has held the No. 1 spot for 11 months straight, from January to November, showing his continuous popularity throughout the year.

Jin also claimed victory in the One Pick Chart’s “November Monthly Chart K-POP (Solo)” category, holding the No. 1 position for 8 months in a row, from April to November. On top of that, he won the 2024 Season Chart K-POP (SOLO) for both the 2nd and 3rd quarters, making him the best One Pick star of the season.

The Season Chart awards honor artists who have consistently earned love from fans, with a physical trophy given to the top artist. Jin’s back-to-back victories solidify his place as one of the most beloved stars in K-pop.

Jin’s fan power doesn’t end with rankings. He’s also triumphed in numerous themed votes, taking first place in categories like “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of,” “Star You Want to See First Pitch at a Baseball Game,” “Best Cooking Genius Idol,” “Star Who Would Be the Best Child,” and “Star You Would Fall in Love With at First Sight.” His reward advertisement for the “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of” vote began airing on December 26 and can be seen at Yeoksam Station until December 30.

Meanwhile, Jin’s first solo album Happy was released on November 15 and quickly became a global hit, showcasing his talents as a solo artist. He held a special showcase, Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage, on November 16 and 17, where fans were captivated by his beautiful vocals and flawless live performance.

Jin has also been keeping busy with appearances on popular variety shows like Salon Drip 2, Neighborhood Star K4, and Limousine Service. He’s also appeared on famous American talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Japan’s top music program Venue 101, where he impressed fans with his humor and solid live performances. His reputation as the “Vocal King” and “Live King” is stronger than ever!

As if that wasn't enough, Jin is also gaining attention globally for singing the main theme song for the new tvN drama Ask the Stars. Jin's talents continue to wow the world, and it's clear he's not slowing down anytime soon!

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