Popular Korean actor caught cheating, forced to quit shows after private photos explode online

Indian Express

18 hours ago

Popular South Korean musical theatre actor Park Jun Hwi has been caught cheating on his fiancée after a private photo of him went viral online. On June 5, Park was spotted half-naked, head down, sitting on a bed next to co-star Woo Jin Yung, throwing the theatre world into chaos. According to SPOTV, the picture was first uploaded to Park's own Instagram and stayed up for a good 10 minutes before getting deleted, but by then, screenshots had already made their way around. Park was scheduled to headline a major project under Showplay.
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Park was supposed to get married soon. A lot of people online guessed his fiancée might've been the one who found the photo and leaked it. Some even said it looked like a real-time confrontation. Right after the mess blew up, more stuff started leaking —a marriage contract details with a woman named 'A', private chat screenshots between Park and his co-star from Bare: The Musical. In those messages, the two were together when Park got a call from his fiancée. Woo asked if she could shower, and the texts went something like this:
Woo: 'Is it fine if I shower?'
Park: 'Wouldn't it be fine if you shut the door?'
Woo: 'I'm just being cautious. It'll be fine, right?'
Park: 'Yeah shut the door. I'll raise the volume.'
'From the photos, it looks like the fiancée caught them red-handed, took the photos, and posted them,' one person commented. 'Wow, the first photo totally looks like it's from a cheating scene,' another added. 'At least the ex-girlfriend found out before she got married,' a third said. 'This is embarrassing.'
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The backlash was immediate. The production company behind their current shows, Showplay, shortly confirmed both actors were stepping down. Park Jun Hwi was removed from Bare: The Musical and Nijinsky. Woo Jin Young was asked to quit Bare. The company released a statement saying the actors were leaving due to personal reasons. 'Actors Park Jun Hwi, who played Peter, and Woo Jin Young, who played Tanya, have withdrawn from the performances due to personal reasons. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to the audience due to the actors' withdrawal and the resulting casting changes. Those who wish to cancel or receive a refund due to the casting changes can do so without any fees through the ticketing agency.' Meanwhile, new actors, Kang Byung-hoon and Park Do Yeon, have already been announced as their replacements.
Jun Hwi made his debut in 2016 with Secretly, Greatly. In no time, he climbed the ladder and went on to appear in projects like The Goddess Is Watching and Sonata of a Flame. Right after the scandal caught fire online, Park wiped his Instagram clean. As of now, there's been radio silence; neither he nor his co-star has said a word, quietly stepping down without so much as a statement.