K-Culture ensnared in drug scandal

As actor Lee Sun-kyun faces investigation over drug use allegations, the mood within the South Korean film industry, still reeling from the pandemic's impact, has further darkened.

The much-anticipated film "Escape: Project Silence," with a production budget of 20 billion won, has had its release indefinitely postponed. Following its invitation to the May Cannes Film Festival and active pursuit of international sales, all activities have now ground to a halt. Another film, "The Land of Happiness," costing around 9 billion won to produce, was halted in its post-production phase. The drama "No Way Out" was on the verge of beginning filming but is now seeking a replacement for Lee Sun-kyun, who has stepped down, casting doubt on the future of "Dr. Brain” Season 2, in which he stars.

Previously, in March this year, actor Yoo Ah-in, who was also under investigation for drug use, faced indefinite delays of his film "The Match," "Hi.5," and the Netflix series "Goodbye Earth” despite being scheduled for release. The total production cost of these three works amounts to 65 billion won. The delayed projects featuring both Lee Sun-kyun and Yoo Ah-in amount to approximately 94 billion won in production costs. A production company representative expressed grave concerns, saying, "Investment in Korean films has not recovered to its former level post-pandemic, and the drug scandal has only added to our worries. Even rumors of actors' drug use are enough to put production and investment companies on edge."

Holding actors personally accountable is not straightforward. Each project has its own contract terms, and the existence and extent of penalty clauses vary widely. Generally, penalties are proportional to the actor's fees, but these are negligible compared to the hundreds of billions won invested in content. An investment and distribution company representative noted, "Given the importance of personal networks in this business, it's not easy to engage in legal disputes with the agencies of actors who have caused problems."

"As the status and influence of K-content have risen rapidly, celebrities should have felt a corresponding sense of responsibility, but this has often been lacking,” Cultural critic Jeong Deok-hyeon commented. “To prevent the trust in K-content from being undermined by a few individuals, it's crucial for celebrities to fully recognize their influence and the repercussions of their actions and to monitor themselves rigorously."


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com