Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk sues sexual harassment accusers
Arthouse filmmaker Kim Ki-duk has sued three actresses and a TV show for falsely accusing him of sexual assault.
According to industry sources, Kim recently filed a suit with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office against an actress over false accusations. He also sued two more actresses, who claimed they were sexually harassed by him, and the MBC show “PD Notebook” for defamation.
“As a man with a family, I cannot say that I haven’t done something embarrassing. But I am not a rapist that ‘PD Notebook’ depicted me to be. I have suffered great damage from the false accusations, report and TV production based on false information,” the complaint reportedly read.
Director Kim Ki-duk attends the red carpet event for “Human, Space, Time and Human” at the 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 17. (EPA-Yonhap) |
Last March, the MBC investigative news show “PD Notebook” featured two additional actresses who claimed that they were sexually harassed by Kim. They accused Kim of abusing his power as a famed director.
After the news of Kim’s lawsuits surfaced, producer Han Hak-soo of “PD Notebook” wrote on his social media account that the production staff had confirmed specific facts regarding the matter through various channels.
“The production team is sorry that Kim, who didn’t make an objection during the coverage, has now filed a lawsuit,” the post read. “It would have been a hard decision for the actresses to come forward, but now they are being sued.”
Kim, who won the Golden Lion for “Pieta” at the Venice Film Festival in 2012, was invited to this year’s Berlin International Film Festival for his recent film “Human, Space, Time and Human” amid the controversies.
By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)