HONG KONG — The Korean entertainment industry is a tough world. You can rise to fame overnight — or lose everything in just one day.

In Hollywood, sometimes celebrity scandals are viewed as simply another form of entertainment and controversy can even end up promoting the star in question. But in K-biz, celebrities mired in controversy often face harsh consequences.

South Korean celebrities are closely judged and scrutinised by the public and their careers can quickly disintegrate after scandals, which can end up damaging their co-stars, bandmates and production teams as well.

So which K-drama and K-pop stars are facing scandals this year, and will their careers be able to survive the media storm?

Kim Seon-ho

The spotlight is shining on Kim Seon-ho these days. The recent hit K-drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha catapulted him to A-list status, with multiple upcoming projects including Sad Tropical, Dog Days and 2 O’clock Date.

But right before the Netflix series ended, the 35-year-old’s ex-girlfriend accused him of forcing her to have an abortion and badmouthing his colleagues in an anonymous post. The incident sparked public outrage, causing the cancellation of a press event, according to AllKpop.

After he apologised to his ex-girlfriend, he was dropped from the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night and he stepped down from the films Dog Days and 2 O’Clock Date, according to News 18. Many brands also stopped advertisements featuring the Start-Up actor, according to the same source.

Recently, however, South Korean media outlet Dispatch published a detailed investigation into the incident, revealing a different side to the story. The publication identified Kim’s girlfriend as Choi Young-ah, a former weather anchor and influencer.

Looking at a series of text messages between Kim and Choi, as well as Kim and his friends, the report suggests that the actor had actually been a nurturing boyfriend who took care of his partner when facing an unplanned pregnancy.

After the Dispatch report, mask brand Miima restored advertisements featuring the actor on their YouTube channel. The brand’s website also features images of him again, according to AllKpop.

Kim Jung-hyun

Another actor who also got into trouble with an ex-girlfriend is Kim Jung-hyun. After the huge success Crash Landing on You and Mr. Queen, his star continued to rise and showed no sign of stopping. However, a storm was kicked off by a conflict in his contract with his former agency, O& Entertainment, in April.

Kim was allegedly uncomfortable with romantic scenes with co-star Seohyun in the romantic drama The Time in 2018. He reportedly cleaned his hands with a wet tissue after holding her hand in one scene and asked to change the script to cut down on romantic scenes and physical contact with her, which made Seohyun cry many times, according to TheSmartLocal.

Eventually, Kim left the drama series, citing mental health issues.

But the story goes deeper. Dispatch also revealed that It’s Okay to Not Be Okay star Seo Ye-ji allegedly “controlled” his behaviour during the filming of The Time. She had apparently commanded him to remove all “skinship” scenes – referring to intimate but non-sexual touching – and to distance himself from his female cast members on set, according to The Straits Times. He also had to send her videos from the set for her to monitor his actions, added the same source.

Although Kim apologised to the staff of The Time, a petition demanding that he leave the entertainment industry was filed on the website of the office of Korean president Moon Jae-in, or Blue House, according to Manila Bulletin.

Seo didn’t emerge from the drama unscathed either. She withdrew from the upcoming drama Island in April this year, which forced the production crew to change the script and delay filming, according to KBiZoom News. She also lost many endorsement contracts, most of which she had just signed last year.

Kim Ji-soo

After many years of playing supporting roles and a few main ones, Kim Ji-soo was selected for the male lead role of On Dal in River Where the Moon Rises, one of the blockbuster K-dramas of this year.

However, the 28-year-old actor was accused of perpetuating violence and sexual harassment during his school years, according to Soompi. The accusations were made in March during a time when a series of celebrity school bullying scandals rocked the country.

In July, the actor’s legal representative, law firm Shin & Kim, issued a statement saying that the creator of a post accusing Kim of sexual assault had admitted the post was “false” and apologised, according to Soompi.

The actor also shared a handwritten apology on his official Instagram, saying, “I sincerely apologise to the people who suffered because of me. There is no excuse for my past misconduct. They were things that cannot be forgiven,” according to Soompi.

According to Republic World, the star was removed from TV series River Where the Moon Rises and will be replaced by actor Na In-woo.

Lucas Wong from NCT

K-pop idol and NCT member Lucas Wong – real name Wong Yuk-hei – was embroiled in a scandal with various women in August when the group was gaining a lot of success after its 2018 debut.

Several alleged ex-girlfriends of the 22-year-old singer accused him of cheating, leeching money and gaslighting, according to SportsKeeda. One of the alleged victims uploaded a Twitter thread with screenshots of chats and hotel receipts, claiming that Wong always wanted her to spend money. However, fans of the star claimed the evidence was fabricated, according to the same source.

Another alleged victim claimed that Wong badmouthed his fellow NCT group members, saying they didn’t work hard and some were picked only for their good looks.

None of the accusations have been confirmed yet, but his agency’s response doesn’t bode well for the star.

The reaction from fans was mixed. While some asked him to leave NCT, others still supported him and tried to debunk the claims. However, his agency SM Entertainment apologised to fans for their “poor management of the artist” and cancelled the release of his song with fellow group mate Hendery, Music Times reports.

The singer also posted a handwritten apology on Instagram, saying his past behaviour was “irresponsible” and “clearly wrong”, according to Sportskeeda. Recently, a photo of new NCT merchandise was revealed without Wong’s name, according to AllKpop. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST