Netizens File Blue House Petition For Actress Lee Yul Em’s “Giant Clam Controversy”

Actress Lee Yul Em was recently charged with violating wildlife laws in Thailand and netizens have been filing Blue House petitions in hopes of exempting her from possible punishment.

On July 7th, one netizen filed a petition on the official Blue House website titled, “I request actress Lee Yul Em’s exemption from up to 5 years in prison and request harsh punishment on Law of the Jungle production staff.” The netizens argued that Lee Yul Em’s charges were a result of the producer and the production staff’s mistakes and not hers. The netizen also pointed out that if the Thai coordinator and production staff had properly delivered the facts to Lee Yul Em beforehand, the controversy would not have risen.

On June 29th’s episode of Law of the Jungle, Lee Yul Em hunted a giant clam from the oceans of Thailand and the program showed the cast members eating them as well. The giant clam Lee Yul Em hunted turned out to be an endangered species and those hunting them are subject to a 20,000 THB ($650 USD) fine and up to 5 years in prison according to local laws.

After the broadcast, Narong Kongeiad, chief of Hat Chao Mai National Park, announced that he had filed police charges against Lee Yul Em for violating local wildlife laws.

The one who must be responsible is the actress who caught the shellfish because she directly violated the law. Others who were involved with the incident could be charged as well.

– Narong Kongeiad

Law of the Jungle apologized for filming in the location without a thorough understanding of local regulations. However, Thai media outlets revealed a letter written by Law of the Jungle‘s producer to the Thai government, which may suggest otherwise.