KBS drama 'The First Night With the Duke' has come under scrutiny following allegations of damaging Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reports emerged that crew members nailed into wooden pillars of the historic site during filming. Both the Andong City government and the National Heritage Administration have launched investigations.

On January 2, a representative from the National Heritage Administration told HeraldPOP, “We’ve received complaints through the National safety report system. Filming permits are delegated to local governments, and Andong City issued the permit for this shoot. Currently, the production team has violated the permit conditions.”

The official elaborated, “The permit explicitly prohibits damage to cultural heritage. This is a clear violation, and Andong City is reviewing measures to address it. We may need to obtain a detailed statement about the incident. Given the damage, legal action, including filing charges, is a possibility.”

The controversy gained traction after an architect, identified as 'A,' shared their observations on social media. They claimed to have witnessed the crew damaging the historic structure during filming on December 30, 2024. 

A stated, “When I visited Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy that afternoon, I saw staff nailing into wooden pillars. Despite my protests, they reacted angrily.”

A further alleged that they contacted Andong City’s cultural heritage department and media outlets to report the incident. They expressed shock upon learning that such incidents are not uncommon. “In some cases, modern heritage sites have even had pillars or walls dismantled for filming purposes,” A revealed.

“Some might think nailing into wood isn’t a big deal,” A added, “but even in traditional Korean homes, driving a single nail requires careful consideration. When it comes to cultural heritage, even greater caution is necessary.”

As investigations continue, the incident has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for stricter regulations to protect cultural heritage sites during commercial activities like filming.

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