South Korean actor Ji Soo has tendered an apology after admitting to bullying and sexual assault claims. This development has affected the production, cast and crew of his ongoing drama River Where the Moon Rises, where he plays the lead role.
Currently, KBS has announced that the shooting of River Where the Moon Rises scheduled for March 4 has been cancelled. A meeting is being held to discuss if Ji Soo should be replaced, following the scandal around the actor.
Shooting Cancelled
"KBS drama River Where the Moon Rises has cancelled filming for today, March 4, and are discussing whether to replace Ji Soo as the main actor following his bullying scandal. "We are holding a meeting today regarding whether Ji Soo should continue to appear in the drama or not. We will make our position clear as soon as the decision is made."
If the team decides to continue to shoot with Ji Soo, then the filming will resume on March 5. But the team is also taking public sentiment into consideration and will decide on the same after thorough deliberation.
Koreaboo reported that currently more than 5,500 netizens have signed a petition demanding removal of Ji Soo from the drama River Where the Moon Rises. It is a 20-episode drama also starring Kim So Hyun and has aired only six episodes so far.
Ji Soo stars as On Dal, a warrior who is forced to live like a fool to survive after his father and the entire clan gets killed by the Goguryeo kingdom. He falls in love with Princess Pyeonggang and the story revolves around how they get married despite adverse circumstances and rise to the top position in the kingdom.
KBS Drama Ratings to be Affected
The drama River Where The Moon Rises premiered on February 15, 2021 and is aired on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:30 PM (KST). The drama opened to a rating of 9.4 percent. It crossed double-digit and secured 10 percent rating for its fourth episode. The second part of latest episode recorded 9.2 percent rating.
Many celebrities including Kpop singer Jimin had to end their career due to bullying controversies. With Ji Soo admitting to crimes including bullying and sexual assault, it is likely that his career is going to take a hit. KBS' decision regarding Ji Soo's role in the drama River Where the Moon Rises will have a big impact on Ji Soo's career.
Meanwhile, netizens have expressed anger against people defending Ji Soo. "If he's admitting to sexual harassment and exploitation, he needs to be charged. He can't just apologize for that and be left of the hook," wrote a person on Instagram. Another comment read: "Being honest about a terrible thing you've committed is not a thing to be praised. Stop saying "at least he's honest", you don't applaud killers because they confessed."
I can’t believe Jisoo actually did that he was one of my favorite actors and to think that he’s a bully and even assaulted someone disgusts me and a lot of people are trying to defend him need to get some fucking help and hold him accountable pic.twitter.com/zGzodL4SD8
— â£ï¸ hyunjinsheadband â£ï¸ (@bee47530905) March 4, 2021
