Actor Yoo Ah-in, who is on trial for drug charges, has been completely excluded from the promotional events for the movie "Victory", but he will appear in the film without any special edits.
At the production report for "Victory" held in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 7th, Director Kim Hyeong-joo said, "The film was unintentionally hurt before it came out into the world. I didn't want to inflict any more damage to it." When asked how Yoo Ah-in's scenes were edited, he mentioned that they did not use a method that would essentially remove Yoo Ah-in's segments.
Director Kim said, "Considering the story structure and the original intent, it seemed that editing an already completed story wouldn't work," and added, "Since it's a story of two noodles, there was a structural issue." He continued, "I want to believe that audiences will fully understand when the film is released. I thought it was courteous to present the film as intended to the audience that comes to the theater."
"Victory" depicts the story of genius Go players Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho representing Korea. It showcases Cho Hun-hyun's journey as he challenges the peak again after losing to his disciple Lee Chang-ho. Lee Byung-hun plays Cho Hun-hyun, while Yoo Ah-in plays Lee Chang-ho. Originally, "Victory" was scheduled to meet viewers in 2023 through an online streaming platform (OTT), but after Yoo Ah-in was investigated for drug charges in February of that year, the release schedule could not be set. Subsequently, the direction changed to a theatrical release instead of OTT, allowing the movie to meet the audience.