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Director Park Chan-wook expelled from the Writers Guild of America for violating union rules

Published: 10 Aug. 2025, 13:14 Updated: 10 Aug. 2025, 17:18

Director Park Chan-wook speaks during a lecture at the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on June 20. [YONHAP]

Director Park Chan-wook has been expelled from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for violating union rules during the 2023 strike by working on an HBO miniseries.

The WGA recently expelled Park and Don McKellar, U.S. outlet Variety reported on Friday. The two were accused of breaking strike rules by cowriting the HBO series "The Sympathizer" during the 2023 work stoppage.

The WGA did not explain exactly how the two violated strike rules, but said that they did not contest the expulsion.

The 2023 strike, which lasted from May to September 2023, was called to demand safeguards for writers’ rights in the era of AI, increases to base pay and streaming residuals, and greater job security.

Seven writers were disciplined for breaking strike rules, four of whom appealed their expulsions. Park and McKellar did not.

The WGA is a major labor union representing 11,500 film, TV and digital content writers in the United States. The union’s 148-day strike in 2023 won agreements from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — which includes studios such as Universal and Netflix — to raise base pay and streaming residuals and adopt protections for writers’ rights regarding the use of AI.

Expulsion from the WGA can make it difficult to work on projects with major studios that have collective bargaining agreements with the guild.

Park’s next film, "No Other Choice," is set to premiere in Korea in September.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]