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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is striking against “CoComelon: The Melon Patch” in protest over wages and working conditions.

The union representing crew members working on the live-action YouTube series said the workers are being overworked and that the production is understaffed.

The crew, which consists of 22 workers, recently signed cards seeking the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, to represent them in collective bargaining. The production’s management refused to bargain, according to the workers.

“The crew on this project experienced firsthand what working conditions can be like on a non-union production and organized for fair wages and industry-standard benefits after they started the second season,” IATSE said in a statement to The Times.

The strike began on Wednesday, halfway through the series’ shoot. The workers are currently picketing outside the Stage This studio in Sun Valley.

Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind the “CoComelon” franchise, declined to comment on the matter.

“The Melon Patch” first launched in 2025 and is a spinoff of the original “CoComelon” on YouTube. Over the last several years, “CoComelon” has become a staple in households with young children, known for its brightly colored 3D animation style. The franchise has spawned many spinoffs including Netflix’s “CoComelon Lane.” Universal Pictures is set to release a full-length feature in early 2027.

Several previous “CoComelon” productions have successfully been unionized and covered by IATSE’s contract, including the Netflix series.

Chris Roberts worked as an art director on the first season, but says he was initially offered a lower rate for season two. Though the project is non-union, he said it’s ironic to have to picket a company that makes kids’ content, as he’s unable to support his own family.

“It’s a little disheartening to be offered less money than we were paid in the first season and then have less staff, a heavier workload, and not be able to provide for my kids,” said Roberts, who has been a member of IATSE since 2016.

April 17 (Asia Today) — Corporate loan delinquency rates in South Korea are rising three times faster than household debt, increasing pressure on banks as lending expands, financial data showed Thursday.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the delinquency rate on corporate loans at domestic banks reached 0.76% at the end of February, up 0.09 percentage points from a month earlier and 0.08 points from a year earlier.

By comparison, the household loan delinquency rate rose 0.03 percentage points from the previous month to 0.45%, highlighting a much steeper increase in corporate defaults.

The corporate delinquency rate marked its highest level in nine months. Small and medium-sized enterprises recorded a rate of 0.92%, with small corporations at 1.02% and sole proprietors at 0.78%, indicating rising stress across the sector.

Delinquency rates among large corporations also increased, reaching 0.19% – the highest level in 28 months – suggesting that financial strain is spreading beyond smaller firms.

The trend comes as banks expand corporate lending under policies aimed at boosting “productive financing.” Outstanding corporate loans at the country’s five major commercial banks totaled about 859.8 trillion won ($573 billion) as of the end of March, up roughly 15.0 trillion won ($10 billion) in three months.

Loans to small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for about 79% of the total, while large corporate loans made up about 21%.

Regulators said rising delinquencies are most pronounced among smaller firms but warned that broader economic uncertainty could push default risks higher across the corporate sector.

Banks are responding by tightening risk management while maintaining lending growth. Major lenders are strengthening oversight from initial loan screening to post-loan monitoring, using systems such as early warning tools and AI-based credit assessments to identify high-risk borrowers.

Industry officials said the combination of expanding corporate lending and rising delinquency rates is rapidly increasing the burden on banks to maintain asset quality.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260417010005508