The K-pop industry is once again witnessing the recurring 'curse' of November, marked by major incidents and accidents.
Starting in October, leading up to November, the entertainment industry was shocked by the drug use allegations involving actor Lee Sun-kyun. This was followed by G-Dragon, the leader of the boy group Big Bang, voluntarily appearing at the police station on November 6th to undergo investigation for suspected drug use.
The news of Lee Sun-kyun's drug use allegations came as a shock to the public. Known as a global star for his role in the movie 'Parasite' (directed by Bong Joon-ho) alongside Song Kang-ho and invited to several international film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival, Lee Sun-kyun, who is married to actress Jeon Hye-jin, had a reputation as a family man and father. However, all this came crashing down when he was recently investigated by the police under suspicion of using marijuana and methamphetamine.
Following a tip-off in September, the police arrested and subsequently detained a female manager (29 years old) of an entertainment establishment and later booked Lee Sun-kyun. The first interrogation of Lee Sun-kyun on October 28 saw him refuse to give a statement, but the preliminary test on his urine and the detailed examination received from the National Forensic Service a day before the second summoning on November 3rd came back negative. In the second interrogation, Lee Sun-kyun admitted to the drug use allegations but denied any intention, claiming he was deceived by the female manager and didn't know the substances were drugs.
The investigation into Lee Sun-kyun's drug use allegations has put his upcoming works in jeopardy. His next films 'Escape: Project Silence' and 'A Happy Country' face uncertain futures. Moreover, Apple TV's 'Dr. Brain' Season 2 is effectively impossible to produce before it even started. Additionally, STUDIO X+U's new series 'No Way Out', in which Lee Sun-kyun was confirmed to appear and was about to start shooting, suddenly found itself searching for a new lead actor. Cho Jin-woong is currently reviewing the script for 'No Way Out' as a replacement for Lee Sun-kyun.
G-Dragon, also involved in the drug use allegations with the female manager, attended the police station voluntarily for the first round of interrogation on November 6th. He currently denies the allegations, and his preliminary drug test came back negative.
On October 31, just before November, news broke that KBS announcer-turned-broadcaster Park Ji-yoon and Choi Dong-seok were preparing for divorce after 14 years of marriage. Having met as KBS announcer 30th class recruits, the couple married in November 2009 and have a daughter and a son. Through JDB Entertainment, Park Ji-yoon stated, "After long deliberation, I decided to proceed with divorce proceedings with Mr. Choi Dong-seok," expressing regret that the news broke before the divorce was finalized.
Following their divorce news, past posts by Choi Dong-seok on social media were brought to light, leading to rumors that the divorce was due to Park Ji-yoon's fault. In response, Choi Dong-seok emphasized on social media, "The expressions in the photo are being manipulated and distorted as if my wife is at fault. I will take strong action if such speculation continues."
Before the news of Park Ji-yoon and Choi Dong-seok's divorce could fade, another famous couple announced their separation. Rhymer, the head of Brand New Music, and broadcaster Ahn Hyun-mo have divorced after six years of marriage. Brand New Music confirmed that the divorce proceedings between the two had recently concluded, stating, "They decided to remain friends and support each other's future."
In addition to drug cases and divorces, November also brought news of the passing of famous stars' parents. Lee Sang-min of the group Roo'ra's mother, Im Ye-soon, passed away on November 4th, and Charlie Park (real name Park Young-chul), the father of Jun Jin from the boy group Shinhwa, also passed away on November 6th. Both Im Ye-soon and Charlie Park were known for appearing on television with their children, adding to the sorrow.
On November 8, singer-songwriter Na Hee (real name Kim Na-hee) passed away at the young age of 24, leaving fans in mourning.
