WGA expels Park Chan-wook for writing ‘The Sympathizer’ amid strike



Acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook — known for “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden” and “Decision to Leave” — has been tossed out of the Writer’s Guild of America for allegedly violating the rules of the 2023 strike, which ran for a record-breaking 148 days.

The South Korean writer-director and Don McKellar were identified Friday as two of the guild’s expulsions, for working on HBO’s “The Sympathizer” during the historic work stoppage, Variety reports.

Park and McKellar co-created the Emmy-nominated, Vietnam War-era miniseries. Neither of the men have appealed the WGA’s decision.

In a memo cited by Variety, WGA said its Strike Rules Compliance Committee volunteers “investigated dozens of allegations of violations and determined whether there was sufficient evidence to send cases on to the Board for further action.”

Park and the “Sensitive Skin” director, both 61, were among seven writers penalized for alleged strike violations. Also identified Friday was “The Last Breath” scribe Anthony Cipriano, whose suspension lasts through May 1.

Roma Roth, Edward Drake, Julie Bush and Tim Doyle were previously identified when filing their appeals, per Variety.

The Daily News has reached out to the Writer’s Guild, as well as representatives for Chan-wook and McKellar, for comment.

“The Sympathizer,” adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, centers on a spy (Hoa Xuande) and his role as a double agent in Vietnam and the U.S. during the waning days of the war.

The critically acclaimed show — which boasts an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — premiered in the spring of 2024 and netted Robert Downey Jr. a Supporting Actor Emmy nomination for the revolving door of roles he played.

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