‘Oldboy’ director Park Chan-wook reportedly expelled from US writers’ guild — but why?

Park Chan-wook / Newsis

Park Chan-wook, the acclaimed filmmaker behind "Oldboy" and "The Handmaiden," has reportedly been expelled from the Writers Guild of America (WGA), according to foreign media reports.

On Friday (local time), U.S. outlets including Variety reported that the WGA expelled Park and Don McKellar, co-writers of the HBO series "The Sympathizer." The guild had disciplined seven members for violating strike rules during its 2023 walkout. Four of them appealed their expulsion, but Park and McKellar were said not to have done so.

"The Sympathizer" is a seven-part series released in 2024 based on the novel of the same name by Vietnamese American author Viet Thanh Nguyen. The story follows a North Vietnamese spy who flees to the United States after the Vietnam War. It marked Park’s second television project and third overseas production, drawing strong domestic and international attention. The cast includes Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Oh.

The WGA strike ran from May to September 2023, with demands including higher pay and fairer profit sharing in the streaming era. The work stoppage delayed major projects, with Warner Bros. pushing back the release of "Dune: Part Two" and Sony shelving a planned "Spider-Man" sequel.

Park is set to release his new film "No Other Choice" in Korea in September.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.