SEOUL: A wave of once-disgraced South Korean celebrities are returning to the spotlight following high-profile public blowups.
Actor Seo Ye-ji recently appeared on TV for the first time since stepping away from the public eye following a series of media firestorms.
The allegations against her included mistreating staff, falsifying her academic credentials, engaging in school bullying and pressuring her then-boyfriend, actor Kim Jung-hyun, to cut romantic scenes and physical contact with a female co-star.
She was also entangled in rumours of alleged romantic ties to actor Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Ro-be, the co-founder and co-executive producer of Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist.
Seo, who rose to stardom through hit dramas such as “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” “Save Me,” and “Eve,” has since faced fierce backlash, prompting an extended hiatus.
On March 30, she made her small screen comeback for the first time since the controversies emerged in 2021, appearing as a guest on the long-running culinary travel show “Huh Young Man’s Food Travel” — in which she visited Wonju, a city in Gangwon Province, alongside host Huh Young-man.
Seo is also slated to host the second episode of “SNL Korea” season 7, which is known for its satire and often confronts the controversies of its celebrity guests. The episode is scheduled to stream on Coupang Play on Saturday.
Meanwhile, actor Yoo Ah-in, who was released from prison in February after serving five months on drug-related charges, has also resurfaced in the entertainment scene. Yoo stars opposite Lee Byung-hun in “The Match,” a drama film based on the real-life story of legendary baduk, or Go, players Lee Chang-ho and Cho Hoon-hyun.
Production of “The Match” was completed in 2021, but its release was indefinitely shelved after Yoo was charged with drug offences.
Initially slated for distribution by Netflix, the streaming platform later opted not to release the film. It was then picked up by local studio BY4M Studio for a theatrical rollout, marking Yoo’s first screen appearance since his downfall.
Actor Kim Hieora, who found mainstream success through her portrayal of Lee Sa-ra, a character struggling with drug addiction, in Netflix’s hit revenge drama “The Glory,” is also making a comeback.
Following her breakout role, Kim was accused of bullying other students in her middle school years — allegations that hit especially hard given the premise of “The Glory,” which centres on a woman seeking revenge against those who bullied her at school.
Kim returns to the big screen later this year with an occult thriller “The Savior.” She plays Choon-seo, a single mother entangled in supernatural chaos. It marks her first film project in two years following the controversy.
Actor Park Han-byul — best known for “Whispering Corridors” and “Couple or Trouble” — has returned to TV. Her career came to a halt after her husband, Yoo In-suk, was implicated in the Burning Sun scandal, which centred on a network of celebrities accused of crimes ranging from filming illicit videos without consent to sexual assault and prostitution. Yoo was reportedly a key figure in the case alongside former Big Bang member Seungri.
Park returned to TV on Wednesday through the tvN entertainment show “Father and I,” where she opened up about the toll the scandal had taken on her life.
The episode showed her breaking down in tears while discussing her relationship with her father. She also addressed the public fallout directly: “I was overwhelmed with extreme thoughts, to the point where I wondered if things would only end if I died,” she said.
“There was nothing I could do.” - The Korea Herald/ANN
