Famous Korean Director Reportedly Expelled From The Writers Guild Of America, Here Is Why
Director Park Chan-wook has reportedly been expelled from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) by the U.S. entertainment media, allegedly for violating regulations during the 2023 WGA strike.
The WGA is a large labor union representing 11,500 writers in the U.S. who work in film, television, and digital content.
According to U.S. entertainment outlets such as Variety on the 8th of August (local time), the WGA issued a statement that day announcing that Park and fellow member Don McKellar had been expelled for their work on HBO’s miniseries The Sympathizer during the 2023 strike.
The series, based on the novel of the same name by Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen, was co-produced by Park and McKellar. Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande, it aired in 2024.
The WGA did not explain exactly how the two violated strike rules, nor did it say whether they engaged in actions conflicting with union activities. However, it was reported that Park and McKellar did not contest the expulsion decision.
The WGA had previously stated that seven writers were disciplined for various violations during the 2023 strike. Four of them had their names revealed during the appeal process, but the identities of the remaining three were unknown until this announcement.
The strike, which lasted 148 days starting in May 2023, called for reforms to compensation systems to reflect the streaming era, improvements in working conditions, and safeguards for writers’ rights in response to the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). It resulted in agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)—including Universal and Netflix—for increased base pay, higher residuals for streaming replays, and protections related to AI use.
It is reported that being expelled from the WGA makes it difficult to work on projects with production companies that have collective bargaining agreements with the union.
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