[2023 BIFF] Why did Steven Yeun and John Cho go on strike in Hollywood?

Korean-Americans Steven Yeun and John Cho expressed their thoughts on the Hollywood strike.

On the afternoon of the 6th, a press conference for the 28th Busan International Film Festival ‘Korean American Special Exhibition: Korean Diaspora’ was held at the KNN Theater in Busan. Director Lee Isaac Chung, director Justin Jeon, and actors John Cho and Steven Yeun attended.

Steven Yeun said, “This strike began with the goal of raising our voices to protect artists and guarantee good conditions for writers and actors. “It means paying a fair income and acknowledging the individual’s life,” he said.

He continued, “In fact, there are many writers and actors who do not have a safety net. I feel privileged just to be here and tell this story. It is not appropriate to have no safety net when a storm is coming to our business. “We want to secure their future and create a safety net,” he added.

John Cho said, “In the entertainment industry, as in other industries, there is something called automation. “Through that, humans are being replaced by machines, and there are situations where humans cannot work because of AI,” he began.

He continued, “Art is about understanding the human mind. I want to see human drama written by people and storytelling about our human experience. “Because this field of art is as long as it is, we should not deprive it of the expressions that only humans can do,” he explained.

John Cho also said, “What the union is trying to do now is to make the profession we are doing, a field that humans can do, professional. And there should be corresponding compensation. He added, “The idea is to make it possible to produce better works of art only if there is compensation,” adding, “We are asking to create a system that will allow us to do this continuously.”

‘Korean American Special Exhibition: Korean Diaspora’ was designed to provide an opportunity to look in depth at the world of work by Korean-American filmmakers active in Hollywood and to provide an opportunity to reexamine the position of the American film industry.

[Busan = Reporter Yang So-young, Star Today]