K-Pop Star Scandals Exacerbate “Actor Risk” Due to Rising Production Costs and Schedule Delays

South Korea’s entertainment industry is facing growing instability caused by “actor risk” stemming from controversies involving stars. Rising production costs, schedule delays, and casting changes are deepening overall sectoral uncertainty, prompting concerns about a decline in global investment. The drug case involving actor YooA is a prime example. YooA is involved in legal battles over allegations of habitual drug use and received a suspended sentence in the second-instance trial in February. The film he starred in, “The Match,” was delayed for approximately two years before finally releasing in theaters in March. Despite minimizing publicity featuring YooA, the production still managed to break even. YooA even received a nomination for Best Actor at the Directors’ Cut Awards organized by the Korean Film Directors Association for his acting performance in the film. Another film, “High Five,” completed filming in 2021 but was set to release on May 30. Director Kang Hyung-chul described YooA’s scandal as “regrettable and something that should never happen,” but stated that since most of the filming had already taken place during post-production, “YooA’s scenes were hardly edited” and the film proceeded with its scheduled release. Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s controversies caused even more direct damage to production schedules. He faced intense criticism over rumors of a romantic relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron and allegations that their relationship might have started when he was a minor. As a result of these controversies, streaming platform Disney+ indefinitely postponed the release of the blockbuster series starring Kim Soo-hyun, “Nokout.” Originally scheduled for a April release, the project’s future became uncertain due to negative public opinion toward Kim Soo-hyun. The variety show “Good Day” also edited out scenes featuring Kim Soo-hyun after the controversy arose. An industry insider in South Korea’s entertainment sector expressed concern over the fallout, saying, “Significant investment and collective effort go into each production.” There are also warnings that global streaming services may become more cautious about investing in K-dramas due to the risks posed by star scandals. Even as K-pop and K-dramas continue to gain global momentum, such instability within the industry is expected to influence future content planning and investment decisions.