Court Dismisses Plagiarism Allegation Against 'The Man Living with the King'... "Core Theme and Structure Are Different"

Regarding the plagiarism controversy over the film ″The Man Who Lives with the King,″ directed by Jang Hang-jun, the court did not accept the claim that the drama ″Eom Hong-do″ was plagiarized. According to the legal community on the 23rd, the heirs of the drama ″Eom Hong-do″ screenplay writer filed a preliminary injunction to ban the screening against the film’s production companies Onda Works and BA Entertainment, as well as the distributor Showbox, but the court dismissed the request. The court ruled that although the two works share some similarities as historical dramas based on real-life figures, there are fundamental differences in the core themes, narrative structures, and character settings. The court explained that while the heirs’ screenplay centers on Confucian loyalty, the film mainly depicts the interactions, changes, and growth of King Danjong, Eom Heung-do, and the villagers. Furthermore, the court stated that no evidence was submitted to prove that director Jang Hang-jun had accessed the heirs’ screenplay or produced the film based on it. Previously, the heirs argued that key elements such as Eom Heung-do’s actions under King Danjong’s secret orders, the setting of the Geomgye organization, and the prison break scene were substantially similar to the screenplay, leading to their request for the injunction. With this decision, the production companies can proceed as planned with the film’s screenings on airlines and ships, OTT services, DVD releases, and overseas exports.