Is it something that can end with an apology? The reason why Song Young-kyu has fallen into the role of a problematic actor
Actor Song Young-kyu was embroiled in a drunk driving controversy. However, the bigger issue is not the accident itself, but the fact that he concealed it for more than a month and continued to appear in both theater and drama. As a result, various works, production teams, and fellow actors have also been affected.
On the 25th, a media outlet reported that Song Young-kyu was caught driving about 5 km in an intoxicated state on the 19th of last month in the Giheung District of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. At that time, Song Young-kyu was apprehended by the police following a witness's report, and it was reported that his blood alcohol concentration was at the level of 0.08%, the standard for license suspension.
An apology has come late. In an interview, Song Young-kyu explained, "I called a designated driver and was in transit, but after meeting an acquaintance, I ended up driving a short distance myself," adding, "My judgment was clouded, and I made a wrong choice," and expressed his regret to those around him.
However, many point out that one apology cannot wash away the damage left by his prolonged silence. Currently, the works in which Song Young-kyu is appearing include the theater production 'Shakespeare in Love,' the drama 'The Defects', and 'Try,' totaling three productions.
In particular, the situation of the theater 'Shakespeare in Love' is more critical, as Song Young-kyu's performance was just yesterday (the 25th), making the controversy even more severe. It was practically impossible to cancel the performance a day before or urgently cast a substitute actor. Ultimately, the production team decided to proceed with Song Young-kyu's appearance on that day, and discussions regarding adjustments for subsequent performances are said to be ongoing internally.
The situation in the drama sector is also complicated. Both 'The Defects' on ENA and 'Try' on SBS are pre-produced dramas that have already completed filming. While Song Young-kyu is not the central character of the story, his significant lines make complete removal from the edit difficult. Both sides are considering reducing appearances to a minimum while retaining only the necessary portions.
Among them, 'Try' is in an even more helpless state. As a work jointly released by SBS and Netflix, the broadcast for this week has already been sent to Netflix. Due to the multilingual subtitle production schedule of the global OTT, a revised broadcast is not possible, and Song Young-kyu's segments will be aired unedited.
Because he continued his artistic activities for over a month without any notification, the production team and fellow actors have had to bear the full brunt of the impact. While there may be some understanding for the judgment error while intoxicated, the subsequent 'silence' is something that cannot be easily overlooked.
Song Young-kyu, embroiled in a 'problematic actor controversy', is already in a situation where emergencies have arisen in all of his works, and he is likely to face even greater responsibilities in his future actions. What is more important than an immediate apology is his future attitude and conduct.
[Photo source] Work poster, OSEN DB