Park Jun-hwi and WOOJIN 'affair allegations → withdrawal from performance'... Why did the fiancée suddenly clarify?
As the wedding approaches, musical actors Park Jun-hwi and WOOJIN, embroiled in affair allegations, have ultimately withdrawn from the performing arts. With some performances canceled entirely, audience inconvenience arose, along with impacts on fellow actors and the production team. Meanwhile, the fiancée at the center of the controversy has appeared with a handwritten clarification, leading to mixed public opinion.
Earlier on the 5th, the production company Showplay for the musical 'Nijinsky' announced, "Actor Park Jun-hwi has withdrawn from the performance due to personal circumstances." As a result, performances on the 8th and 10th have been canceled, with actor Shin Joo-hyup taking the stage for the matinee on the 8th and actor Jung Hwi stepping in on the 15th.
On the same day, the production team for 'Bear the Musical' also stated, "Park Jun-hwi, playing Peter, and WOOJIN, playing Tanya, are withdrawing from the performance due to personal circumstances," and expressed, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the sudden casting changes." Accordingly, the role of Peter, originally played by Park Jun-hwi, will be taken over by Kang Byeong-hoon, and the role of Tasha, originally played by WOOJIN, will be taken over by Park Do-yeon. The performance on the 7th has been canceled entirely.
The spark of this controversy began early that morning with a single photo posted on Park Jun-hwi's Instagram account. The photo captured Park Jun-hwi and WOOJIN in their underwear, standing side by side with their heads bowed. The photo was deleted within about 10 minutes, but it quickly spread across various online communities and social media, with messages presumed to be exchanged between Park Jun-hwi and WOOJIN also being revealed, igniting suspicions that they may have been in an affair leading up to the wedding.
Subsequently, Park Jun-hwi's Instagram account was deactivated, and WOOJIN's account was also switched to private, further amplifying the suspicions. Consequently, the performing arts community was thrown into chaos, and voices of dissatisfaction arose among audiences who had already purchased tickets due to the cancellations of some performances.
As the controversy escalated, an unexpected figure emerged. Park Jun-hwi's fiancée took it upon herself to clarify through a handwritten letter. She stated, "The controversial photo was posted out of my personal feelings and emotions," adding, "I am taking seriously the fact that it has been blown out of proportion into sensational misunderstandings." She also stated that terms like "underwear-clad," "on the bed," and "affair confirmed" are not true and that only parts of the photo have been distorted. She hoped both actors would quickly restore their honor, saying, "As a civilian, I also wish to return quietly to my daily life."
However, the sudden appearance of the fiancée has instead divided public opinion. Some netizens expressed, "I find it hard to accept that she is trying to mitigate the situation with a late clarification after harming the performance," while others criticized, "It's irresponsible to post the photo and suddenly clarify when the repercussions grew larger." Conversely, others supported her, stating, "It's dangerous to conclude about the two actors based on an unverified single photo," adding, "Now that they have directly addressed the matter, I hope the truth is corrected and not distorted."
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