Director Kim Juhwan: "I Rewrote the Script Because of Kim Saeron's Drunk Driving"

'The Hunting Dogs' Director Kim Juhwan Interview

Debate Over Kim Saeron's Complete Cut
"Trying to Protect the Team" Director's Explanation

Director Kim Juhwan [Photo by Netflix]

Director Kim Joo-hwan explained why he did not completely cut out actress Kim Sae-ron's (23) scenes from 'Hounds' despite the controversy caused by her drunk driving accident, saying, "A regrettable incident occurred during filming," and "We sincerely tried to minimize her screen time."

On the 13th, at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Director Kim recalled, "The incident happened in mid-May last year, and coincidentally, it was the day after we filmed a fire scene. The production was completely stopped." He added, "It was unfortunate, but we tried to overcome that situation. Fortunately, the team was not destroyed because of that."

Kim Sae-ron was prosecuted for causing an accident while driving under the influence around 8 a.m. on May 18 last year in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, hitting guardrails and street trees multiple times. The vehicle she was driving also collided with a transformer, cutting off electricity supply to 57 nearby stores and other locations, which was restored after about three hours.

Immediately after the accident, Kim Sae-ron refused a blood alcohol concentration test, so the police requested a blood test from the National Forensic Service. The test results showed a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.2%, far exceeding the license cancellation threshold of 0.08%.

On April 5, Judge Lee Hwan-gi of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 4 sentenced Kim Sae-ron to a fine of 20 million won for violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving and failure to take action after an accident).

At that time, Kim Sae-ron was actively filming the Netflix original series 'Hounds.' Director Kim Joo-hwan, who directed the work, recalled, "Filming was halted, and about a month was given before resuming." He added, "We rewrote the scripts for episodes 7 and 8 from start to finish. Minimizing Kim Sae-ron's screen time was sincere."

Director Kim Joo-hwan said, "We significantly revised episode 7 of 'Hounds,'" adding, "Although it was not what we wanted, we deliberately and boldly changed 80 pages of the script."

He continued, "I told the actors, 'I will write the script somehow over the next month, so please hang in there.' After finishing the script, I was exhausted both physically and mentally, wondering how we would shoot it, but Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi had worked hard to get in shape. Seeing that gave me strength." He added, "Woo Do-hwan on the right and Lee Sang-yi on the left stood firm like missiles."

Kim Sae-ron [Photo by Yonhap News]

Despite Director Kim Joo-hwan's efforts, viewers' reactions to Kim Sae-ron's appearance in the released 'Hounds' are not favorable. Regardless of her role's weight, many find it uncomfortable to watch. With recent frequent drunk driving accidents, voices calling for social awareness are gaining strength.

Director Kim emphasized, "We really edited out many scenes." He said, "We even cut Kim Sae-ron's three-minute kendo scene. The supporting actors in that scene had passed auditions and were happily acting, so I feel sorry. If there is a chance next time, I want to give them hope."

He also expressed his personal efforts, recalling, "Filming was not easy. We barely ate and filmed through the night with just a cola."

Director Kim cited 'universal empathy' as the strength of 'Hounds,' saying, "We signed the original contract at the end of 2019, right after the COVID-19 pandemic began. It matched my theme of 'contemporary stories.' Many people worldwide suffered from COVID, and I thought we could gain thematic empathy. I wanted to portray the protagonist overcoming the pain of the times."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.