KBS to delete drama scenes featuring Jisoo after bullying scandal
KBS will delete as many of the scenes it can featuring actor Jisoo in the upcoming seventh and eighth episodes of its ongoing drama series "River Where the Moon Rises."
The broadcaster made the announcement Friday after the actor admitted to bullying allegations against him, adding it would replace his character with a different actor for later episodes.
"We will be skipping a week and not run the two episodes scheduled for next week. We will delete as many scenes as possible in which Jisoo appears in the seventh and eighth episodes," KBS said in the statement.
"We have decided to replace the actor and reshoot the program afterward."
The decision comes after a series of online posts accused the actor of bullying others in his middle and high school years.
Jisoo posted a handwritten apology on his Instagram account Thursday, admitting that his past is "unforgivable."
“I will atone, and to those who were tormented for a long time because they had to see me on the screen, I’ll spend the rest of my life feeling remorseful and repent my past,” the actor wrote.
KBS explained that while it did consider shutting down the program altogether, it felt that it would be inappropriate considering the people who love the drama, as well as the staff and other actors.
"We had to take into account that canceling the drama altogether would create more victims," KBS said.
“River Where the Moon Rises” is a periodic romance based on the novel “Princess Pyeonggang” (2010) by Choi Sa-gyu, which started airing on Feb. 15.
Jisoo played the main character Ondal. Actor Na In-woo revealed Friday that he had been offered the role and was "considering" it.
BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]