6 Korean Celebrities Forced Into Lengthy Hiatuses Due To Scandals

Some Korean celebrities have run into major scandals, where their careers took a massive hit due to the backlash they received. Here are a few who were practically forced to go into hiatus due to getting involved in a big scandal.

1. Oh Hyun Kyung

Oh Hyun Kyung’s career came to a shocking halt in 1998 when a video of her having sexual intercourse with her boyfriend was leaked online. While there was proof that the video was filmed without her consent, and was used by her boyfriend with malicious intent, the general public still harshly criticized Oh Hyun Kyung for the video. Oh Hyun Kyung was forced to quit acting and even moved out of South Korea for a couple of years. She made her acting comeback in 2007, which was nearly 10 years after the scandal broke out. Her return was a success, and she was able to regain her fame as an actress.

2. Han Ye Seul

Han Ye Seul was a cast member on the K-Drama Spy Myung-Wol. Han Ye Seul then made headlines when she didn’t show up for filming and left to the United States. It was revealed that Han Ye Seul did this because of the harsh working conditions that the producers made her work in. She eventually returned to South Korea to conclude filming but was harshly criticized for her actions. After Spy Myung-Wol concluded, Han Ye Seul took a three-year hiatus from acting due to all the public backlash.

3. Kim Hyun Joong

In 2014, Kim Hyun Joong was charged for hitting and injuring his ex-girlfriend. Although most of the issues with his ex-girlfriend were settled, his image was still tarnished greatly. He made his acting return in 2018 in the K-Drama When Time Stops. However, many netizens were not happy about him making his return. While this scandal didn’t necessarily force Kim Hyun Joong to go into a hiatus, it changed his image among the general public and affected his acting career quite a bit.

4. Han Ji Sun

In 2019, it was revealed that Han Ji Sun had physically assaulted a taxi driver back in September 2018. While she tried to apologize to the taxi driver, her image was tarnished greatly due to this scandal. She eventually had to step down from her role in The Secret Life of My Secretary. It’s been over five years since this incident occurred, and Han Ji Sun still hasn’t had any television appearances.

5. Lee Kyung Young

Lee Kyung Young was found guilty of underage prostitution in 2002. He manipulated and exploited underage aspiring actresses into having sex in exchange for roles in acting projects. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his actions. He was also banned from all Korean broadcast channels until MBC dropped its ban in 2014.

6. Kim Sae Ron

In May 2022, Kim Sae Ron drove while under the influence of alcohol and crashed into the guard rails and power transformer on a street in the Gangnam district of Seoul. While no one was physically injured, her driving and subsequent crashes caused many local businesses to lose power for up to three hours. Due to this, she was removed from her K-Drama role in Trolley, but retained in Bloodhounds. She took a nearly 2 year hiatus before appearing in a short theater play in April 2024, but has still not returned to the K-Drama scene.