Park Shi Hoo Confirmed as the Male Lead of PD Kwak Jung Hwan’s OCN Drama Neighborhood Hero

This is interesting news regardless of whether ones likes or dislikes Park Shi Hoo. It confirms that his comeback time has arrived, and checking the calendar indicates that three years seems to be the time a disgraced star gets a second chance in K-ent. Park Shi Hoo will be the male lead of upcoming cable network OCN‘s vigilante drama Neighborhood Hero. Downtrodden heroes is a familiar subject matter for PD Kwak Jung Hwan, who is helming this drama almost two years since his last drama Basketball for tvN. PD Kwak’s Basketball was an abysmal failure in terms of ratings and critical panning but he’s still in my good graces thanks to Chuno (The Slave Hunters) and underrated sageuk masterpiece Conspiracy in the Court. Neighborhood Hero will complete casting soon and start filming with an eye towards an October 2015 premiere.

In Neighborhood Hero, Park Shi Hoo plays the male lead who is a former highly trained secret agent. He’s since retired to run a little shop in a small neighborhood and hears about the crimes going on that isn’t being addressed by official law enforcement. He ends up crossing paths with a youngster who dreams of becoming a crime fighter so he trains the young man in his all agent skills and sends him out to fight crime in the neighborhood. Park Shi Hoo’s comeback will likely stick this time, last year he tried to star in Golden Cross but had to bow out because the public fervor was so strong against him still. This year the response seems more muted, and with the drama airing on cable it’s the audience choice whether to watch him or not. It’s a smart role choice for him, choosing a non-romance driven drama and role to further distance himself from the rape allegations scandal of three years ago which tarnished his image and left many seeing him as a sleazy smarmy actor.


Comments

Park Shi Hoo Confirmed as the Male Lead of PD Kwak Jung Hwan’s OCN Drama Neighborhood Hero — 73 Comments

  1. The only comment I will make is that I disagree VEHEMENTLY that “it’s a smart role choice for him”. I think it’s a spectacularly bone-headed casting decision, to cast someone with his particular cloud as a “crime fighter” or “fighter for justice”. A stupid call from the casting people and a middle finger from PSH to the justice system, I think.

    • Interesting you say that – I watched Prosecutor Princess as one of my first ever K Dramas and his sleazy oily ickiness was VERY offputting to me. It was AFTER that I learned about his scandal, to which my reaction was “yep, I can see that”

      • oh watch him in family honor. stick till the end and you would love him. i started loving him from then. it is sad he committed such a crime but, we can never be sure what really happened. they took the drunk girl home? what should they have done then, leave her in the club?That is only what people judge him for he took her home even when she was drunk. afterwords we don’t know what happened, its not on film. the girl could have sobered up or not. So though i am not quick to forgive his sins, i am open to the benefit of doubt

    • Prior to his allegations, I always found him a poor actor and cringe-worthy especially when it comes to sad/crying scenes. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I haven’t forgotten about his case.

  2. People can hate him however they want but I am super happy he is back and I can’t wait! Romantic comedy drama land absolutely sucked without him. Hopefully his next role after this is a romantic comedy.

    • Ew really, romcom sucked without him ? I have Joo Sang Wook, Jang Hyuk and more who are pretty good in romcom ? oh maybe because you only watch him.. I see I see

      • Moo Sang work hasn’t picked up a good project this year. The first 6 ep of birth of a beauty were good but the rest became a mess. He was adorable in single cunning lady but he doesn’t beat PSH in Alice in wonderland. Jung Hyuk’s acting was stagnant this year. Although I did adore him in drunken to love you Korean version

  3. Hurray park si hoo you are back! We’ve been waiting for so long to see you Korean dramaland. We as fans from overseas are looking forward to see you. Fighting!

  4. 3 years? And a character that fights justice!
    Come on I’m sure there are more than qualified other names that can take up this role.
    I’m sorry, the girl was so drunk she couldn’t walk, much less give consent. And the circus that played afterwards was screaming power play.
    I’ll pass. Thanks

  5. I’ve never been a fan of Kwak Jung Hwan’s dramas and now that it’s been announced that Park Shi Hoo is going to star this is an easy skip.

  6. I will watch this drama because the story seems interesting and I love action drama like Bad Guys and Heartless City . But if this drama didnt make my heart move like Hidden Identity or Last maybe I will drop it.
    About PSH, I like his acting but I dissapointed with his rape case.
    You know that Ryu Shi Won comeback too? He’s appears on variety show, I found it funny when two actors who commited crime come back at the same time after three years. Are they agencies made appoinment?:-D

  7. PASS
    There are 3 sleaze balls in K-ENT that I refuse to watch anymore and he is one of them. The other 2 are Lee Byung Hun and Kim Hyun Joong. Blech…

  8. Eh, gonna skip! Tbh I never liked this guy, even before his scandal. He sorta has that icky factor. I guess, he’s on cable now because the Big 3 are still a distant dream for him. If he’s back so easily, it won’t belong before we see Kim Hyung Joong too! x(

    Lol since when did romcom-land need help surviving from PSH? I think its the other way around. There’re way too many good actors who can pull off these sorta roles, and romcoms too. Leftover PSH fans going gaga need to chill and watch more dramas to know that.

    • That won’t happen though. They still lives in their deluded narrow little world and believes that he is actor the best actor in Korea. Lol

    • you are unaware of world? Went offer of KBS.. but Sihoo did not accept.. PSH great actor and person.. what a strange

      • PSH had to rejected KBS drama offer because SK public against it so bad. He’s already learn his mistake now, he’s choose to do a drama from cable TV !!!! Especially OCN whose the main target is foreign viewers like US, not Koreans.

  9. PSH nickname is BIG LIAR. No wonder he didn’t pass lie detector test ( twice ) in his rape case, back in 2013. For got this role, i think he didn’t care his Chinese fans efforts at all, not even appologize to them personally. Actually he is schedules to attends a charity event in Busan this Saturday to help poor children in Wuhei province, China. Before it, he’s asked his Chinese fans to supported him because the donations will be made under his name. Many of Chinese fans were ready to supported him there but suddenly last week the organizer said that the event was cancelled/postponed due to the changes from PSH schedule. But his Korean fans cafe said that it was because of the organizer reason. He’s the one who can’t keep his promise but blame it to others. The crazy things are most of his delusional fans bad mouthing the organizer for made their “ Saint Actor “ into bad light and defend him unconditionally.LOL.

    With this casting news break up, now everyone who are sober must know whose the liar and what kind of man PSH is. For PSH blinded fans, you’re better put your feet in your mouth.

    • cham cham .. again you? you’re spy? really spy.. anti ? no no bad person .. watch your language!if not the fans,What are you doing here?

      • Are you mad because i show to the world what kind of your favourite actor is, in real life ? Just tell him, don’t use gentleman mask to public when he’s actually not a good man.

        Just woow to me, when he didn’t do project he willing to do a charity but leave it immediately when he’s offered a drama casting.LOL. Now i know, its all about image and money for him. He’s not honest at all.

        I just hope that he won’t break his promises to Japanese fans by cancelling ” The Firework Event ” this September in order to shoot this drama !!!

      • @thomas&lisa bravo bravoo.. I applaud you !! to be spent in vain on this site, go and be police ok ah or journalist.. suits you
        ah last word where are you from?

  10. He’s a rapist. There is a CCTV recording where the girl is being dragged unconsciously by his assistant/henchmen/minion while he walking in front of them. Try to search a case where a high school girl raped by her senior in US. In the beginning, she tried to brush it off and even blame herself. Eventually she realized that raped is a crime and she is a victim. If only his fangirl use their brain and read some of these : http://gawker.com/tag/senior-salute

    The reasoning probably kinda similar, she should have been grateful that PSH dick consider her worthy to be drilled into like how these highschool girls should think they’re honored to be raped by her seniors. Maybe when the perpetrator is not the figure PSH fangirls wish to f*ck, they can understand more what a rape is.

    • He has that support how you’re crazy:D Yes, we like okay.
      Not:Sende sığ düşünceli bir pisliksin anladın mı.Sen oradamıydın hala mal mal konuşuyorsun:/

    • 1-Miss ‘ a ‘ I’m not going to show off the best acting, at the police station, he said.Messages found.
      2-Best friend confessed to throw libel.
      3-Mr. friends with ‘ k ‘.After the incident, they’re talking about.Why didn’t the first investigation.
      Why don’t you think that innocent of psh.CCTV video.I want the drag scene.LİNK

      • No matter what PSH, Ms.A, Ms.A girl friend and Mr.K said during the investigations, the result is the police claimed that PSH was indicted for rape and sent the case to the prosecutor !!!!

        Only statements from legal institution that i believe as fact not from PSH typical fans opinion

  11. bad review makers!! What you know about him? PSH innocent !! watch your language! only wait.. he will prove himself to acting.. Sihoo great acting and person .. Ms. A slander him

    • Your “innocent oppa” did get offer from KBS but the Big 3 depend on fan opinions too which was why he was kicked out.Again.

      Turkey girl is delusional beyond imagination. Someone send her help. Pfft.

  12. I am just curious why are they so much extreme opinions, I agree that I am not going to look at him in the same way again. There are many rape/affairs scandals among Hollywood well known personalities as well such as arnold schwarzenegger,Nicholas cage, woody Allen, Sean penn, bill Cosby but they continue to be popular and making a name for themselves and people continue to watch them. So why the big difference? And I am pretty sure all those Hollywood news/bad deeds all many times worse than any other Korean artistes Just because we are Asians and they are Eurasians?

    • Opinions are extreme, because people somehow or other identify themselves with characters of movies/dramas while watching them. So, it’s understandable that they don’t want to contribute their faith, emotions and time into anything below their expectations.

      It’s just a matter of preference, nothing about race here.

      As for me personally, if I watch anything hypocritical on screen, I feel I’m affected by it on a subtle level. So, I try to stay away from that. Actors are not just actors. They are public personas, capable of delivering ideas to the mass of people.

      • Your first paragraph is the definition of “Projection” in Psychology and I guess it may also apply here, no matter how bizarre it may seems. But the last sentences confused me terribly. Projection is not a good attitude towards entertainment biz. This particular industry usually embraces sexual disorders and paraphilias – and that happens everywhere on this planet.
        Therefore a large portion of its products are by definition hypocritical and far from actors’ and directors’ private lives. Should we stop watching “The Great Dictator” because Charlie Chaplin was a known pedophile? How about Roman Polanski or Woody Allen? Of course, PSH is none of them and aside from a couple of dramas I don’t know him and frankly, I couldn’t care less about his acting future. However, it’s common knowledge that stars/celebrities/entertainers are no angels and certainly not role models.

        I suggest Medecins du Monde as true role models who are really “capable of delivering ideas (and future) to ( underprivileged) people” instead!

  13. i will definitely watch him. i always give a second chance especially that he hasn’t even been convicted.
    PSH, fighting!

    • this dude rally have no shame. even after raping the woman he still have the ball to come out with movie/drama. hope his drama flop bad.

  14. It’s such a shame to witness these dirty tricks of entertainment industry play out right in front of eyes. I feel terrible for the girl and her family. And I am so sorry that PSH comes back with an OCN drama and with a story that sounds interesting enough. I say no to rapists and especially the ones that buy out their jail terms..

  15. In the culture where people get drunk and have sex, there will always be a blurred line especially if two drunkards wake up naked next to each other. But when your unconscious body is being dragged around and you wake up naked next to a person you don’t know or don’t like, it’s a clear rape. Maybe she tried to brush it off first but it haunted her in the end so she made her report. It’s disgusting seeing people tried to justify the rape because they think rape is when you walk down in the alley and some random dude pull you and rape you. heck, even there is a rape in marriage.

  16. And so is everyone else on this site.You’re white.The day of the event were you with him.No:/Everything in this world can be misleading.Miss ‘ A ‘ case closed.If honour so fond of then scratch off the case:/That Lady is a liar.Are you trying to quell fans here but it’s not going to happen.He now turns:D Fake netizens:D If so, you should hear. There’s a war in the world. Some work for him.Yes, that’s what I’m trying to.

  17. I do not understand.. why “only” Sihoo guilt? K-entertainment world all people pure innocent ? idols , actors and ahother? bullshit!!!

  18. I’m someone who doesn’t care about the personal lives of the actors. If a drama is good, then it’s good. If it’s bad, then it’s bad.
    I care more about the script and acting rather than their lives.

  19. Digging up the past scandal could probably be slander and abuse if it is found untrue. We also can’t ignore the incidents of manipulation and victimization in the entertainment industry. None of us truly know the truth. Even the main leads in the scene may not discover the truth until much later.
    So let’s not be the one who could hurt anyone and their career
    It’s already more than 2 years. Even if Park Si Hoo is guilty, he’s already been in limbo from the Korean drama. That’s punishment enough unto him. Please let’s leave him alone. What if, what if, he was innocent. Then all of us could have crucified him wrongly!!

  20. What if Ms.A is the real victim ? Then you who always defend PSH blindly will wrongly accused her.

    A rapist should be in the jail not appear on TV screen. Period.

  21. @kalel.
    It’s actually good to read your second paragraph, where I see some intelligent questions asked (albeit without conclusions).
    Yep, the truth is as simple as that. The rule applies everywhere. And if you are as smart as to be able to come to it, it’s only a question of time for making a step up onto the next level. Just forget about Medecins du Monde. 😉

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