Upcoming KBS drama Café Minamdang accused of violating labor laws, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to stage protest

Seon In-guk's upcoming KBS2 drama Café Minamdang finds itself in hot water with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions after several employees were allegedly fired for requesting fair work hours.

The KBS2 show is based on a popular webcomic called Minamdang: Case Note. The mystery comedy will follow a former police profiler, Nam Han-joon, as he takes on the mantle of a baksu mudang or a male shaman. Nam Han-joon comes face-to-face with the violent crimes division’s team leader Han Jae-hee, leading to a comedy of errors.

While the show, which also stars Oh Yeon-seo and Kwak Si-yang, is being eagerly awaited by fans, the ongoing controversy has put a wrench in the show's production.

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Korean Confederation of Trade Unions accused KBS of violating the law on the set of Café Minamdang

The Broadcast Staff Branch of The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is scheduled to host a public protest outside the production company's building in Seoul's Yeouido area on June 7, decrying the company's alleged anti-worker policies for the crew of the show.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions claimed that many of the employees who were hired by KBS for Cafe Minamdang were fired as soon as they started requesting that the company abide by South Korea's Fair Labor Standards Act. Article 53 of the Fair Labor Standards Act states that companies may extend employees' work hours by up to 12 hours a week only with mutual agreement. But when the crew on the set of the drama asked the production company to act in accordance with Article 53, the company allegedly refused to do so, stating that the act is not applicable to staff and crew members.

According to the confederation, a spokesperson from KBS said,

"Staff members on the set of a drama are not laborers, and so the Fair Labor Standards Act does not apply."

In light of these remarks, The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is gearing up to protest against KBS and the production of Café Minamdang. The reasons for the protest, as stated by the union, include accusations against the production company for having "violated the Fair Labor Standards Act" and "pushed forward with the filming and airing of the drama series knowing that its actions were illegal."

Café Minamdang happens to be jointly produced by People Story Company and Monster Union.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has a list of demands on the agenda for the public protest. The confederation will demand that the premiere of the KBS drama be postponed until the issue is resolved. They also plan on demanding that the production company abide by the Fair Labor Standards Act for the rest of the filming schedule.

Café Minamdang is directed by Go Jae-hyun and is written by Park Hye-jin. The director of the upcoming show also helmed the recent drama Dinner Mate and Player.