Author of 'The Goryeo-Mongol War' Responds to Criticism from Original Creator Calls it a 'Separate Redesign'

Author of 'The Goryeo-Mongol War' Responds to Criticism from Original Creator Calls it a 'Separate Redesign'

 

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'Korean War' Poster

[Edaily Starin, Reporter Kim Hyun-sik] The recent public criticism of the original novel author regarding the KBS 2TV historical drama 'Korean War' (written by Lee Jung-woo, directed by Jeon Woo-sung and Kim Han-sol) has sparked controversy, leading the writer Lee Jung-woo to defend himself against the backlash.

In a lengthy statement released on the 23rd, Lee Jung-woo stated, "I would like to address the recent issue where the original novel author raised concerns about 'Korean War' on their blog, which was then sensationalized and caused misunderstandings among viewers."

 

He continued, "First and foremost, I want to clarify that 'Korean War' was not planned as an adaptation of the novel 'Korean War Chronicles.' It was an independent project by KBS, and the title has always been 'Korean War' from the beginning." He emphasized, "Although the original contract states that it is based on the novel, it did not contribute to the creation of the drama or serve as its foundation."

Lee Jung-woo further explained, "After becoming the writer for this drama, I reviewed the original novel but found that our visions did not align. From then on, I redesigned the story based on Korean history." He added, "Every scene in the script was newly created through this process, and there is not a single scene that matches the original novel. I believe the original author would know this best."

He also stated, "Since it was always a separate work, it is meaningless to compare it to the original. Yet, the original author claims that the drama deviated from the original starting from episode 17."

In my opinion, it is natural for adaptations to have differences from the original work. As a writer, Lee Jung-woo has the creative freedom to interpret and present the story in his own way. It is important to appreciate the drama for its own merits rather than constantly comparing it to the original novel. Ultimately, 'Korean War' is a valuable piece of literature and a significant part of Korean history that should be appreciated and celebrated.