Actor Kwak Do-won, who had been observing a long period of deep self-reflection over a drunk driving controversy, made a surprise appearance at the VIP screening of the film "Hope."
On the afternoon of the 13th, the VIP screening for the film 'Hope' (director Na Hong-jin) was held lavishly at Megabox COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and many of the entertainment industry's top stars gathered in force.
On the day of the event, a glamorous lineup including Blackpink's Rosé and Jeesoo, Lee Ji-ah, Cha Taehyun, Ong Seongwu, Hyeri, Yum Jung-ah, Shim Eunkyung, Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-jae and Yoo Tae-oh attended and brightened the occasion. Kwak Do-won also made an appearance at this splendid festival.
A person at the scene told OSEN, "Kwak Do-won greeted with bright faces, warmly exchanging greetings not only with fellow actors he met after a long time but also with film personnel," directly conveying the brighter atmosphere he seemed to have that day.
He had left a strong impression with a powerful performance as the lead in director Na Hong-jin's previous film "The Wailing," and because he had worked with Hwang Jung-min, the lead of this film "Hope," in "The Wailing," it appears he attended to show support.
Kwak Do-won had last December broken his long silence to directly apologize for the drunk driving scandal, marking the first time in about three years he spoke publicly since the incident. Because his heartfelt confession after a long silence was widely interpreted as possibly laying groundwork for a return to the entertainment industry, this public appearance has further fueled speculation about a comeback.
In his statement at the time, Kwak Do-won bowed his head and said, "It took a long time to write this. I was afraid and deeply ashamed," and "I once again offer my deepest apologies to everyone who was hurt and disappointed by my wrongdoing."
He acknowledged his mistake, saying, "In 2022 I committed the serious wrongdoing of drunk driving," and confessed a painful period of reflection: "Since then I have repeatedly questioned myself whether I deserve to stand in front of people. Only now have I realized that all the things I took for granted were not to be taken for granted." He also cautiously expressed his intention to return, saying, "Before future activities, I will steadily prove through responsible actions. I will prove it with my life, not words."
Previously, in September 2022 Kwak Do-won was caught by police driving in Jeju with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.158%, far above the license revocation threshold, and the following year he was summarily prosecuted and fined 10 million won. After the drunk driving controversy, the film "Firefighter," in which he starred in 2024 and which succeeded at the box office, was released, and later the TVing series "Villains," in which he also played the lead, was made public.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]