'Big Deal' production company speaks out regarding the director credit dispute.

On the 28th, 'Big Deal' production company The Lamp announced an official statement regarding the director credit dispute.

Previously, production company The Lamp and the director had been experiencing internal conflict. Initially, 'Big Deal' was filmed under the title 'Moral Hazard,' and a first editing version was completed, but became embroiled in a scenario copyright dispute during post-production in 2023, leading to controversies. Director Choi Yoon-jin received a notification from the production company last September about being dismissed, and subsequently filed for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the director contract termination in court.

At that time, the production company claimed the reason for the termination was that "the director deceived them by stating he was the sole writer and later it became apparent that there was a separate original author. Trust was broken between us, and the first editing version was too bad to entrust to him any longer." The production company and SHOWBOX noted Choi Yoon-jin as 'on-site directing' in the credits, but Choi's side protested that such a term did not exist.

As both sides engage in a legal battle, The Lamp stated, "We have filed a lawsuit for the confirmation of the director contract termination against the dismissing party and the joint production company they represent, and it is currently ongoing. In response, the opposing side has applied to the court for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the termination, and the court that heard the case recognized The Lamp's claims and dismissed all of the opposing side's provisional injunction applications on the 27th."

The Lamp explained, "Although we signed a contract with the dismissing party, who has no experience as a film director, we later discovered evidence that there might be another original author for the 'Big Deal' scenario." It was noted that based on the evaluation by the Korean Scenario Writers Association, writer Park Hyun-woo was deemed the original author and first screenwriter, with the dismissing party acting as the second screenwriter.

Furthermore, "We requested a discussion with the dismissing party, but they instead distributed documents containing criticisms and distorted claims," they stated. "Amidst this, victims from the film industry have emerged, and we took measures, including the termination of the director contract, to protect the rights of the rookie writer without concealing the matter."

In addition, "The court acknowledged these circumstances, dismissed all of the dismissing party's provisional injunction applications, and determined that we cannot conclude that the termination notice was unlawful," and added, "It was also stated that the script without Park Hyun-woo's name would constitute copyright infringement."

Additionally, "Although we were sued for defamation by the dismissing party, the prosecution found no charges," and noted, "In another lawsuit related to a different screenplay, 'S-H,' it was determined that the original author was not the dismissing party but a rookie writer."

Finally, The Lamp stated, "The title of director should not be used as a means to seize the labor of others, and we will continue to strive for the protection of rookie filmmakers' rights and ethical management."

Full statement from The Lamp, the production company of 'Big Deal'

director dismissal not improper according to
Seoul Central District Court decision and
The Lamp's statement
May 28, 2025.

The Lamp Co., Ltd. (CEO Park Eun-kyung, hereinafter 'The Lamp') terminated the director contract during the production last year when preparing for the release of 'Big Deal,' dismissing the existing director, and continued the production of 'Big Deal,' completing the screening version. The dismissing party received 'on-site directing' credits, considering their contributions on set until the dismissal.

The Lamp has initiated a lawsuit regarding the confirmation of the termination of the director contract against the dismissing party and the joint production company they represent, which is currently ongoing. In response, the opposing party applied to the court for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the termination notice, and the court that heard the case recognized The Lamp's claims, dismissing all of the opposing party's applications for provisional injunction on May 27, 2025.

The Lamp had entered into a directorial hiring contract with the dismissing party, who had no experience as a film director and was provided a script for 'Big Deal' marked as written solely by the dismissing party. The Lamp believed that the dismissing party was the sole author of the 'Big Deal' script and thus entered into a director contract for the commercial film 'Big Deal' with a total budget of approximately 10 billion won.

However, The Lamp received information during filming that there might be another writer who had significantly participated in creating the 'Big Deal' script, and an investigation revealed a high similarity to other scenarios previously written by rookie writer Park Hyun-woo.

Regarding this, the evaluation conducted by the Korean Scenario Writers Association determined that 'Big Deal' was created based on Park Hyun-woo's scenario and judged Park Hyun-woo as the original author and first screenwriter of 'Big Deal,' with the dismissing party being deemed the second screenwriter.

Therefore, The Lamp concluded that Park Hyun-woo should be recognized as the true first screenwriter based on their own judgment and evaluations from external organizations, and sought to rectify the matter through negotiations, expecting the dismissing party to acknowledge their error and Park Hyun-woo's original authorship. However, the dismissing party did not respond and instead disseminated distorted materials while accusing both The Lamp and Park Hyun-woo of wrongfully claiming to be the first screenwriter over a prolonged period. This is predicted to cause significant damage to 'Big Deal,' and other victims from the film industry affected by the dismissing party have also been discovered. The Lamp attempted for over a year to resolve the issues through negotiations without resorting to litigation, but ultimately had to take a series of actions, including terminating the director contract and filing a lawsuit, to protect the rights of rookie writers without concealing the original author controversy discovered during film production.

The Lamp provided evidence to support these facts during the court's provisional injunction procedures, and the court accepted this, dismissing all of the opposing party's provisional injunction requests. Notably, the court acknowledged in its ruling that the termination notice from The Lamp could not be deemed unlawful, that the moral rights of authors including Park Hyun-woo's right to attribution cannot be transferred, and that if Park Hyun-woo's name is not listed in the script credits, it could pose a copyright infringement issue. The court also recognized that the final version of the 'Big Deal' film, which is currently ready for screening, appears to have been edited by someone other than the dismissing party.

Meanwhile, regarding the original author controversy of 'Big Deal,' a director from The Lamp was previously sued for defamation by the dismissing party in early 2024, but the prosecution issued a no-charge disposition to The Lamp's official in March.

Additionally, regarding another scenario 'S-H,' where the dismissing party claimed to be the sole author, a lawsuit initiated by the original rookie writer led the court to rule in early May that another rookie writer, not the dismissing party, was recognized as the original author of the scenario 'S-H.'

The film industry is currently facing difficulties. The Lamp recognizes its role as a production company and understands the weight and preciousness of the saying that 'film is the art of the director.' Therefore, we believe that the title of 'director' should not be used as a means to gain honors at the expense of others' labor or as power to trample on the efforts of others. We also believe that The Lamp has the duty to strive to create a film industry where more new filmmakers can showcase their talents without fear. Consequently, The Lamp has dedicated itself to the production and completion of 'Big Deal,' while implementing measures such as director termination to uphold the fair rights of rookie writers and ethical management, as well as to maintain public trust in the film industry.

During this time, the dismissing party created unjustified posts that slandered The Lamp and indiscriminately distributed them to film industry organizations and related parties, while also individually contacting associates of The Lamp to deliver unilaterally biased claims. This has made the process truly challenging for both The Lamp and its employees. Fortunately, however, the film industry has maintained patience and refrained from being swayed by baseless criticisms, allowing The Lamp's resolution process to unfold. The court also recognized the legitimacy of The Lamp's actions, enabling the smooth release of 'Big Deal.'

We hope that you will love 'Big Deal' a lot. And we hope that the vacant director title of 'Big Deal' serves as a reminder of how noble, precious, and an important position it is to unite and protect all participants.

Thank you.

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