South Korea is notorious for expecting its actors’ to have spotless records. So when actors indulge in immoral divorces, drunken driving, bullying, or other scandals, it is not uncommon for contractors to terminate a contract unjustly or replace it in TV shows. Even if the allegations are not substantiated, companies take drastic measures to control pre-closure damage, quickly abstaining from negative implications.
There have been rumors that married celebrities get “divorce clauses” in their acting series contracts, where they are said to pay a fine if the divorce process continues.
Here is a list of Korean celebrities who have been involved in scandals lately and have lost a brand, drama, or an invitation to any film festivals.
1. Kim Ji-Soo (김지수)
The most notorious recent case involves actor Kim Ji-Soo; the drama team removed him from his role in “River Were the Moon Rises” (달 이 뜨는 강) on allegations of sexual harassment and bullying. He later admitted the allegations and apologized for his actions, which many followers criticized. Not surprisingly, actor Na In-Woo got this position (나종찬).
2. Choi Jae-Hyun (조재현)
Choi Jae-Hyun was involved in a sexual assault case and dropped from his 2018 “Cross” (크로스) drama. Actor Choi-Yul wrote on her Instagram, exposing the actor as a perverted person. According to the actress, all of this happened in her early 20’s in 2013. Jae-Hyun admitted to the allegations and got demoted as a professor at Kyungsung University.
3. Jung Joon-Won (정준원)
Jung Joon-Won, a 16-year-old actor, was caught drinking and smoking despite being a minor. This scandal happened during his drama “The World of Couples” (부부 의 세계) while he was playing games. When pictures surfaced online that he made the games with his friends, he was forced out of the show, although only two episodes were left.
4. Han Ji-Sun (한지선)
26-year-old actress Han Ji-Sun dropped from “Secret Life of My Secretary” (초면 에 사랑 합니다) for a physical assault by beating a taxi driver with a thermos while intoxicated in September 2018. She continued to be cruel until she slapped the officer at the police station who escorted the actor to the station and bit another policeman.
For this act, Ji-Sun was fined ₩ 5 million ($3,911.80) and given a year-long probationary term for obstruction of justice. So, the casting team removed her to think about her behavior.
5. Go Hyun-Jung (고현정)
In 2018, actor Go Hyun-Jung was cut from his K-drama “Return” for her beef with the director. It went well until episode 14. The drama crew refused to continue recording “Return” (리턴) because the actor had hit the director. Park Jin-Hee got this position.
6. Ahn Seo-Hyun (안서현)
In May 2019, she got a leading female role in “School 2021” (학교 2021). According to the drama creators, Seo Hyun’s father downgraded her due to his excessive needs and the spread of false information. As a result, actress Kim Sae-Ron replaced her position.
7. Yoon Tae-Young (윤태영)
In 2018, actor Yoon Tae-young was caught in an accident while driving under the influence. He crashed with a car that stopped in front of him at a red light. Tae-Young was supposed to star in his upcoming K-drama “100 Days My Prince” (백일의 낭군님), but the casting team replaced him from the project due to the drunk-driving incident.
8. Kang Ji-Hwan (강지환)
“Joseon Survival” (조선 생존 기) actor Kang Ji-Hwan was arrested on July 9, 2019, after the company accused the actor of sexually abusing and raping two female employees. Ji-Hwan allegedly committed the crime in his home after a company dinner while the women were asleep. “The shoemaker canceled Joseon Survival” without further broadcasts, and they even considered replacing Ji-Hwan with someone else.
9. Lee Seo-Won (이서원)
24-year-old Leo Seo-Won was a rookie player back in 2018. Things did not look good as the actor was removed from “About Time” (멈추고 싶은 순간) and “Music Bank” (뮤직 뱅크) after admitting sexual harassment. He revealed that he had sexually assaulted a drunk female celebrity. He has never been in any position of responsibility to this day.
10. Han Ye-Seul (한예슬)
In 2011, actor Han Ye Seul was temporarily absent from her drama “Spy Myung-Wol” (스파이 명월). Ye-Seul did not appear for the recording and caused panic among the staff. They had to stop episodes 11 and 12 due to Ye-Seul’s absence from the set. She was visiting her parents in Los Angeles. Eventually, she returned to Korea and continued to film but encountered problems as the team accused her of lacking accountability for her work. Ye-Seul stopped his activities recently due to the poisoning in the K-drama industry.
