Despite his princely image on screen, it now seems that actor and JYJ member Park Yoochun may have a darker side. Park’s reputation as an actor has been permanently damaged by the recent accusations of four women who said that he sexually assaulted them. All four women work in adult entertainment bars and claim he […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11270316_787693821325984_6004988486833220979_o.jpg9601440Joan Vos MacDonaldhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoan Vos MacDonald2016-06-22 19:49:122016-07-01 08:33:40Let’s Discuss: Park Yoochun & The Changing Perception Of Leading Men in K-Dramas
Two years after his last Night of Soul in New York City, Kim Tae Woo returns to the Big Apple and Washington D.C this July. The K-pop star plans an intimate event filled with jazz and musical collaborations that show another side to his musicality. As a member of the legendary K-pop group g.o.d, Kim’s […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/KTW_rockwood1.jpg33195239Tamar Hermanhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2016-06-21 18:24:442016-06-21 18:49:38Kim Tae Woo Talks His Upcoming NYC Show, Career, and More [Interview]
Despite his princely image on screen, it now seems that actor and JYJ member Park Yoochun may have a darker side. Park’s reputation as an actor has been permanently damaged by the recent accusations of four women who said that he sexually assaulted them. All four women work in adult entertainment bars and claim he […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11270316_787693821325984_6004988486833220979_o.jpg9601440Joan Vos MacDonaldhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoan Vos MacDonald2016-06-22 19:49:122016-07-01 08:33:40Let’s Discuss: Park Yoochun & The Changing Perception Of Leading Men in K-Dramas
Two years after his last Night of Soul in New York City, Kim Tae Woo returns to the Big Apple and Washington D.C this July. The K-pop star plans an intimate event filled with jazz and musical collaborations that show another side to his musicality. As a member of the legendary K-pop group g.o.d, Kim’s […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/KTW_rockwood1.jpg33195239Tamar Hermanhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2016-06-21 18:24:442016-06-21 18:49:38Kim Tae Woo Talks His Upcoming NYC Show, Career, and More [Interview]
Despite his princely image on screen, it now seems that actor and JYJ member Park Yoochun may have a darker side. Park’s reputation as an actor has been permanently damaged by the recent accusations of four women who said that he sexually assaulted them. All four women work in adult entertainment bars and claim he forced them to have sex, shocking fans of K-dramas from around the world. Whether or not the charges are proven to be true, the suggestion of violence and the recurring visits to adult entertainment bars has damaged Park’s image so much that he will likely never land a K-drama role again.
Park’s scandal may do more than damage his own career. The latest in a series of scandals involving popular K-drama actors, the assault case may also dishearten K-drama lovers, who watch dramas at least partly out of the romantic notion of the idealized male lead. The idealized male lead is a big part of the charm of K-dramas, but it’s harder to succumb to that charm knowing that in real life some K-drama actors don’t treat women the way they should.
The Ideal Man
In viki.com’s “Drama World,” Justin Chon describes all K-drama male leads as “confident, handsome, slightly arrogant but always with the leading lady’s best interests at heart.”
A hyper-idealized version of a man, that a woman must win over, K-drama male leads are multi-talented, smart, and ultimately protective of the women they love. Even if they are initially mean to their leading ladies, as So Ji Sub comically was in “The Master’s Sun,” or as Ji Sung cruelly was in “Secrets,” ultimately K-drama male leads will sacrifice everything for the woman they love; they would die to protect her.
It’s easy to fall in hypothetical love with such idealized men, especially when the actors who play them don’t seem to have a personal life to contradict their perfection. That lack of a personal life makes it easier for viewers to imagine the actor in fact is the living embodiment of the fictional character he’s portrayed. Korean entertainment agencies take great pains to control the private lives of their entertainers and prevent negative publicity from tarnishing an actor’s image for this very reason.
But even the most vigilant agencies may find it impossible to monitor all of an actor’s less responsible behavior. Three recent scandals have shown that K-drama actors are not only human, but have a darker side than their “sweet ideal boyfriend” persona would suggest.
First it was Park Shi Hoo, star of “Neighborhood Hero.” In 2013, a woman accused him of sexual assault but he claimed their sex was consensual. Although the charges were eventually withdrawn, he could not work for years. This was a case of he said-she said with no definitive proof offered by either side, but the mere accusation of assault temporarily derailed his acting career. His character in his drama comeback role — after three years absence — was much more jaded than his pre-scandal role. He won’t likely be offered naive chaebol roles again like the one he played in “Cheongdamdong Alice”, since drama viewers can no longer relate Park to that sort of figure.
Next there was actor and SS501 member Kim Hyun Joong’s drawn-out and messy scandal. As an actor Kim Hyun Joong epitomized the “ideal boyfriend.” But his own romantic relationship resulted in his ex-girlfriend filing multiple charges of physical assault against him and then some time later announcing that she was carrying his child. Although Kim previously made an effort to move away from the “ideal boyfriend” persona and toward an edgier rougher image, fans were so disappointed in the scandal that his career has been derailed. No one can prove exactly what happened to cause what his agency claimed was accidental bruising, but the pregnancy and past relationship were very real and DNA tests proved that the baby is Kim’s. The fight over the pregnancy proved the couple’s relationship was at best tumultuous and that Kim was definitely not the ideal violin-playing boyfriend that he acted in ‘Boys Over Flowers.”
The last K-celeb in this scandal trilogy is the JYJ singer and actor Park Yoochun. Four women stepped forward within the past few days in South Korea, asserting that they were assualted by the K-pop star. The first has since withdrawn her claim but the Seoul Metropolitan Police assigned a special task force to investigate the charges of all of the women to see whether they were merely false accusations aimed at getting monetary settlements from the star. Park’s agency, C-JeS, said that they would pursue legal retaliation for false charges, calling it malicious blackmail. Regardless, the damage was done and Park’s image has been irrevocably tarnished. (The scandal also imperils the popularity of “Lucid Dream,” the film he recently worked on before entering mandatory military service. )
C-JeS statement on Park Yoochun (Screenshot)
Whether or not the alleged charges are proven to be true, the fact that Park may have repeatedly visited an illegal adult entertainment bar, of the kind known for providing various degrees of female companionship, does not fit favorably with his squeaky clean image or the characters he played in dramas such as “Rooftop Prince,” “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” or “Girl Who Sees Smells.” Nor does the idea that this supposedly serious but sweet actor had one night stands. Real men may have one-night stands but it’s rare for a male lead in a K-drama to engage in casual sex and if they do, it’s rarely seen on screen. But humans aren’t characters and no matter how diligently the agencies police actors’ personal lives, bad behavior can become public information.
K-drama viewers, who in the U.S. are predominantly female, probably won’t like a K-drama lead who treats women roughly or at best indifferently. The perfect although quirky and not easily winnable male lead is a K-drama fixture and it’s hard to imagine an actor with assault charges as the leading man in a romantic drama.
For Park Yoochun’s sake, let’s hope the accusations of assault are not true. If they are, he will have to face the consequences and not-so-gracefully retire from show business (as he’s said he will do if any of the charages are proven true), which would be unfortunate for the other two members of JYJ. Even if those charges are dropped, Park’s reputation has taken a veritable hit and longtime fans, who stayed with Park and the other JYJ members even when they split from TVXQ in 2009, are already jumping ship.
For K-drama viewers, let’s hope these scandals don’t permanently tarnish the seductive fairy tale of the ideal K-drama lead but instead help us focus on the difference between stars and the roles they portray.
What do you think about K-drama actors who have been accused of physically or sexually assaulting women? What ruins the image of an actor? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11270316_787693821325984_6004988486833220979_o.jpg9601440Joan Vos MacDonaldhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoan Vos MacDonald2016-06-22 19:49:122016-07-01 08:33:40Let’s Discuss: Park Yoochun & The Changing Perception Of Leading Men in K-Dramas
Two years after his last Night of Soul in New York City, Kim Tae Woo returns to the Big Apple and Washington D.C this July. The K-pop star plans an intimate event filled with jazz and musical collaborations that show another side to his musicality. As a member of the legendary K-pop group g.o.d, Kim’s stirring voice has gathered fans from around the world.
Ahead of his upcoming trip, KultScene spoke to the g.o.d singer about his solo career, his desire to perform in more personal settings, and what fans can expect from him in the year to come. (Hint: there’s an album in the works.)
KultScene: You’ve held several performances over here in the past few years, both on your own and with g.o.d. How does it feel to be returning to NYC?
I always have this excitement when it comes to a show in the U.S. NYC shows especially make me want to take on new challenges and stretch myself out. I would love to reach out to wider audience with my music.
You’re collaborating with Super Session on the Night of Soul. What can we expect from the performance?
I am planning to deliver a more mature style of performance. I want to see my fans become really immersed in the show and sing, dance, and have fun throughout the show.
Both this performance and your past show at Rockwood Music Hall [in NYC] have been with other musicians and are more avant-garde than what some may expect from you as a K-pop singer. What motivates you when putting together this sort of show?
My plan is to perform a show focused more on the listening aspects rather than the visual aspects. Eventually, I would like to make K-pop music of the highest quality appeal to the U.S. audience.
You’ve held arena shows and played the Prudential Center in 2014 to celebrate g.o.d’s 15th anniversary. Do you prefer those sort of venues or these smaller, more intimate ones?
The success of arena shows are driven by the audience’s reaction and the overall mood of the night. As soon as we hit the stage we can tell how the night will turn out by the response of the crowd. Comparatively, intimate shows are very detail oriented and we are able to see everyone’s faces and can have direct communication with the audience. This real-time feedback and reaction is what makes the smaller stages special.
Do you put together these sort of jazz improv performances when you’re in Korea? (If not, why do them in NYC?)
I have been adding improvisation elements to all of my shows. Each show is different and I am really enjoying it.
What sort of audience do you hope to get at the show in New York?
I expect to meet music lovers and listeners so that both the audience and the performers can enjoy the show together.
You set up Soulshop Entertainment several years ago. What is it like managing yourself versus being managed?
I am very satisfied with my current path. It enables me to keep challenging myself and try out different projects.
October is the 10th anniversary of your first solo album, “Words I’d Want To Say.” Are you planning to celebrate that with any new music before the year’s end?
At the end of 2016, I will be releasing a single album with 5 songs. This project is named “t-with” and will be a collaborative work featuring outstanding artists.
With your solo career, g.o.d, and numerous OST songs under your belt, what do you do to relax? Any drama or music recommendations for KultScene’s readers?
Nowadays, I find watching basketball to be very fun. I would like to recommend [Yoon] Kye Sang-Hyung’s drama, “Last.” I recently watched it and it was really awesome.
Any final words for our readers?
Thank you very much to all my fans and music lovers. Please stay healthy. As I keep pursuing my career as a vocalist and a producer please support my music and the adventures ahead of me. I look forward to meet everyone soon!
Translation via June Rhee. Text has been edited for clarity.
Kim Tae Woo will be performing in Washington DC at the Howard Theater on July 1 and in New York City at Le Poisson Rouge on July 3. Tickets are on sale now and if you use the code “justforu” there’ll be a nice discount!
What’s your favorite song by Kim Tae Woo? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/KTW_rockwood1.jpg33195239Tamar Hermanhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngTamar Herman2016-06-21 18:24:442016-06-21 18:49:38Kim Tae Woo Talks His Upcoming NYC Show, Career, and More [Interview]
