New K-Drama Reported To Star Actor Ahn Hyo Seop Hit With Major Criticism—Director Responds

According to exclusive coverage by Star News on October 31, 2024 (KST), actor Ahn Hyo Seop has been confirmed to star in the new K-Drama, Le Paradis Noir, based on the 2022 mystery novel of the same name.

Le Paradis Noir—to be directed by Yoon Jong Ho, who also directed tvN‘s massive hit K-Drama Lovely Runner—is said to follow the plot of the novel, revolving around a chaebol heiress born out of wedlock and an “ace” male escort working at a secret club in Cheongdam-dong.

Star News reported that Ahn Hyo Seop is to take on the lead role of Cheon Guk, a former taekwondo athlete whose stepmother runs off with his father’s life insurance payout. Cheon Guk turns to work at a male escort club called “Si Bel Homme,” where he meets Ji On, a woman 12 years older than him.

Cheon Guk, who used to be a bereavement organizer, unexpectedly meets Yoo Ji On, the deceased’s family member, while handling a case of solitary death and falls for her at first sight. A year later, Cheon Guk becomes a male escort at a bar, and their paths cross again when she comes in as a customer. Their connection begins to deepen.

Cheon Guk decides to return the items belonging to Ji On’s late mother that he has kept all this time. However, that same night, a murder occurs, and Cheon Guk finds himself accused of being the murderer. Ji On, not wanting to become the center of gossip, starts looking for ways to prove Cheon Guk’s innocence instead of confirming his alibi. In the process, the two become entangled in a larger incident.

— Publisher newave.co

As intriguing as that may sound, the news of Le Paradis Noir becoming a K-Drama did not sit well with K-Drama fans across the web. Most expressed concerns regarding the premise of the character Cheon Guk being a male escort, or a “host bar worker” in Korean.

• “The premise is so outdated, for real…”
• “Calling it a male escort makes it sound nicer than what it is. It’s prostitution. There’s no need to K-Drama-fy this, ugh.”
• “Huh…?”
• “This is going to be so harmful.”
• “Are we living in 2004 right now?”
• “Birds of a feather flock together, though. True love between prostitutes would be OK.”
• “I’d watch it if he was like a good-looking, stay-at-home douchebag. But a male prostitute…? What’s with the character setting?”
• “Please stop bringing prostitution into K-Drama. It’s disgusting.”
• “I’m just cracking up at ‘Si Bel Homme.’ Haha.”
• “The whole premise is f*cking disgusting. It’s disappointing to know that people are still trying to make K-Dramas about stuff like this. And that actors are willing to be cast in them.”

Amid the negative first impression, director Yoon Jong Ho clarified via the production team, Simstory, that “Nothing has been set in stone as of yet,” denying the exclusive report about Ahn Hyo Seop being cast.