In an official letter sent to the Thai government by the producers of SBS' popular entertainment show "Law of the Jungle", which was criticized for collecting the endangered species, it has been confirmed that they promised not to film anything related to the hunt.

In an official letter to Thailand's tourism and sports ministry on March 17, the producers of "The Law of the Jungle" said they would not film or broadcast the hunt in Thailand, according to documents released by Thai media including PBS on Monday. The document contains the name and signature of producer Cho Yogngjae, who is in charge of directing "Law of the Jungle". 

In Clause 2, the production team mentioned canoeing, long-tail boat riding and snorkeling as examples of the filming, saying that the original filming will be edited and the actors will stay overnight under the control of the national park.

When the document was released, Thai Internet users criticized the Korean production team for not knowing the local regulations in advance, saying, "They promised not to hunt in the first place and received permission to shoot." 

Earlier, Thai authorities said they would strictly punish the "Law of the Jungle" cast for collecting giant clams. According to the Jakarta Post on Thursday, Thailand's Hot Chao Mai National Park chief, Narong Sauk-ead, told AFP the previous day that he had filed a complaint with the police against the actor for two charges of violating the National Park Act and the Wildlife Protection Act. 

"The production team apologized, but it's a criminal case and we won't withdraw the charges," Narong said. "Even if the actor is no longer in Thailand, the police are looking for a way to find her." The Jakarta Post added that whether investigators will track down the actor depends on the Thai court's decision. The actor Narong named was Lee Yeol-eum, 23, who appeared in episode 370 of "Law of the Jungle"

The broadcast on April 29 showed Lee taking three giant clams for two days from the sea near the southern Thai island of Gomuk, where the cast cooked them and ate them. The scene spread through Thailand's social networking service, causing a stir among Thai Internet users, and on April 4, Hot Chao Mai National Park asked local police to investigate. In Thailand, a maximum fine of 20,000 baht (about 760,000 won) or up to five years in prison or both can be punished if a giant clam is collected, which is protected as an endangered species.

"I deeply apologize for the lack of knowledge of local regulations and the fact that I did not have enough knowledge of the local regulations regarding the collection of giant seals in Thailand," said the producers of "Law of the Jungle", who said there was no illegal part in the early days of the controversy.

The authorities of Thailand say they will not withdraw the complaint.

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Many thanks to Masakibluei for the article link.