Korean actors who are still popular after huge scandals: Song Hye Kyo, Joo Ji Hoon, and more
Despite being caught up in scandals about personal life, dignity, and even going to prison, the following Korean actors still managed to return to the screen and convince the audience.
Korean netizens are famous for being strict. Artists who are involved in serious controversies are often boycotted and have to drop out of the industry. However, the 4 Korean actors below still successfully moved on from their scandals, made impressive comebacks and became even more famous.
1. Joo Ji Hoon
The best post-scandal comeback in the history of Korean entertainment industry belongs to the “Crown Prince” Joo Ji Hoon. Specifically, in April 2009, when he was at the peak of his career, the actor was caught in a scandal of using illegal drugs. He confessed to using ecstasy and Ketamine, and was sentenced to 6 months in prison, 1-year probation, 120 hours of community service and paying a fine of 360,000 won.
His career was thought to be destroyed for good, but thanks to KeyEast Entertainment recruiting him after his military discharge, Joo Ji Hyun gradually made his way back to industry. The role of the guardian Hae Won Maek in the box office hit “Along with the Gods” and Crown Prince Lee Chang in Netflix’s hit series “Kingdom” have helped Joo Ji Hoon shoot to fame once again. Currently, he is playing the male lead next to A-list actress Jeon Ji Hyun in the drama Jirisan.
2. Song Hye Kyo
In August 2014, the administration of Korea’s National Tax Service brought the tax evasion behavior of numerous celebrities to light. Surprisingly, one of the stars who got caught is the A-list actress Song Hye Kyo. In response to the accusation of not paying her due taxes for 3 consecutive years with an amount of up to 2.5 billion won, Song Hye Kyo‘s representative admitted to committing tax evasion, but stated that the actress was not at fault, as she no longer worked with her previous accountants and were not aware of what was going on. At that time, many people thought that Song Hye Kyo was only making excuses. However, the wave of criticism did not last long after the actress paid her taxes and continued to take part in huge projects, typically the hit drama Descendants of the Sun.
3. Lee Byung Hun
In September 2014, Lee Byung Hun suddenly filed a lawsuit against two young female artists, Dahee and Lee Ji Yeon, for blackmail. It is reported that these two females threatened to expose a recording of Lee Byung Hun‘s sexual conversations with them unless he paid them $5 million USD. Despite the fact that the case resulted in prison sentences of one year and one year two months for Dahee and Lee Ji Yeon, Lee Byung Hun was harshly criticized for his decadent lifestyle and irresponsible attitude toward his wife.
After this serious scandal, Lee Byung Hun‘s career was significantly affected. Netizens boycotted him, the brand canceled his contract, and his movie Memories Of The Sword was delayed for 7 months. However, Lee Byung Hun‘s reputation was swiftly rebuilt with a string of hit projects such as Terminator Genisys, Inside Men, Master,…
4. Kim Min Hee
Kim Min Hee was at the peak of her career when it was reported that she was dating director Hong Sang Soo, who worked with her on Right Now, Wrong Then. She is alleged to have ruined this director’s marriage, prompting him to divorce his wife. Kim Min Hee seemed to disappear for a long time. She also did not present to receive the prestigious award at the 2016 Blue Dragon Awards.
Following a long hiatus, the couple teamed up for the second time on On The Beach At Night Alone, a film about their own love story, a story between a single actress and a married director. Moreover, regardless of how terrible the prior scandal was, Kim Min Hee‘s films have consistently made excellent results and been honored at prestigious awards domestically and overseas. She even said to the whole world, “I love you, Hong Sang Soo.”
Sources: kenh14
