At a press conference held in June 2006, 254 right-wing conservative groups accused the state-run
KBS network of distorting history. They complained that
Seoul 1945 had a left-wing bias, with its portrayal of
Syngman Rhee as "a Japanese collaborator whose lust for power leads him to abandon a unified Korea, while characters of the Left are usually portrayed as considerate and concerned for the future of the nation," and that the drama accuses Rhee and others of involvement in the assassination of the center-left leader
Lyuh Woon-hyung. They asked for a halt to the broadcast and threatened a campaign to boycott the television subscription fee. In July 2006, Rhee In-soo, adopted son of South Korea's first president
Syngman Rhee, and Jang Byung-hye, daughter of former prime minister
Jang Taek-sang, filed a lawsuit against the producers of
Seoul 1945, claiming that the drama distorts history and belittles the achievements of their late fathers. In May 2007, Seoul Central District Court dismissed the lawsuit, stating that since the drama is based on fiction rather than historical facts, KBS is not responsible for
defamation of character. In its ruling, the court said, "Such a description is part of artistic expression, which should be respected in producing soap opera that is based on fiction rather than facts." The court also said since there are historical documents that support the idea that former President Rhee was pro-Japanese and pro-American, the drama did not seriously distort facts. ==References==