Spy Myung Wol to Replace Han Ye Seul Who Has Left Korea for Los Angeles
Things on the set of Spy Myung Wol have just gone from horrific to never-before-seen-nuclear-bomb level bad. As of midnight August 15th, lead actress Han Ye Seul has left South Korea and gone back to LA. Really, Leslie? That bad? Lee-Kim Productions (the company producing SMW, whereas KBS is the station that bought this drama and is airing it) has announced that it will be replacing her and finishing the rest of the drama.
Unknown are the details: which actress will be stepping into this mess (and what character she will play – literally replace Myung Wol or another new character), and will the drama resume airing next week, or the week thereafter with the revamped storyline and new lead actress. Lee-Kim Productions also announced it will be suing Han Ye Seul a cool 10 billion won for interference of business, which is a criminal charge, and that additional breach of contract charges are forthcoming, which the production has stated that Han Ye Seul’s agency Sidus HQ will participate in as well.
A representative for Lee-Kim Productions spoke with the media and gave their side of the story:
During the meeting on the 15th, Han Ye Seul apparently agreed to come back to filming on August 16th, so her suddenly leaving South Korea for LA is as much as shock to the production as it is to everyone else. They think Han Ye Seul is trying to end her career in Korea, otherwise her actions are so extreme there is no going back for her.
Lee-Kim Productions actually takes the side of Han Ye Seul in her fight with the PD, explaining she got as much time off as everyone and she didn’t miss a lot of filming to do CFs contrary to reports. As for the discord between PD Hwang and Han Ye Seul, the production said the fault lies 80% with the PD and 20% with Han Ye Seul.
While it’s true the relationship went South between the PD and lead actress, but the production emphasized that this is not the way Han Ye Seul should have dealt with it, negatively impacting the rest of the cast and crew. The PD runs the entire show, and when even if there is a dispute, Han Ye Seul is in the wrong for allowing her frustration to be resolved in this manner.
The only known statement from Han Ye Seul is what she tweeted right before she left for LA: “It’s all my fault, be happy.” Eric gave an interview where he emphasized how hard everyone has been working on set, and that he hopes Han Ye Seul comes back so they can finish the drama. He revealed that he told her it would be bad for the drama to change PDs at this point, so clearly he knew about her discord with PD Hwang and tried to defuse the situation.
I’m still in shock over how this entire fiasco unfurled in the last 2 days. Eric might be one of the most cursed leading men in Korea – first Wolf, then his leading lady in Que Sera Sera getting switched at the last minute, having to drop out of Poseidon due to its repeated delay, and now SMW. Does on-set drama and/or calamity following this poor boy? I feel so bad for everyone involved. Yes, even Han Ye Seul, because she clearly is willing to ruin her career over this. I’ll keep bringing more SMW news because I’m really concerned for everyone involved.
HOLY. FREAKIN’. COW. O.O
I mean…wow. I’m speechless. I wonder if HYS will ever be able to get work again after this. Not to mention poor Eric and all the rest of the staff and cast. I can only imagine that HYS has a darn good reason for doing this.
all i can say: she damn well better!
Maybe she is pregnant?!
Hmm…there must be a deeper reason(s) why she left. I hope she’s ok. I’m not a fan of HYS. I feel bad for everyone affected by this whole fiasco.
omg this is totally drama in a drama. but this bad. way, way bad. Thanks so much Koala for keeping us in the loop. i feel really, really bad for Eric too 🙁
First off, WOW. And, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! And now onto fantasizing: Hey if this really was a “drama within a drama” as you say jandoe, perhaps the underlying factor no one knows about will involve Eric in some way and will result in a flight to Los Angeles to resolve their lovers’ quarrel or whatever it is… heh heh *goes off on an illogical tangent in her mind* Sorry, I just always ship OTPs in dramas and how cool would it be to get some awesomeness out of this fiasco?
ok, well my dreams are maliciously dashed. Has anyone read this article? http://www.allkpop.com/2011/08/han-ye-seul-dating-an-older-businessman-and-plans-of-marriage
Then again, a secret marriage to another man would be just as juicy…
I just don ‘t understand why she is not saying anything. This is just worsening her situation. I’m not too familiar with Korean show business, but according to what I’ve heard, it’s known for not giving too many second chances and being tough on its talent. It’s likely she had good reasons for doing what she did, but she needs to speak out, and blaming everything on herself, even if it’s in sarcastic, is not making things better.
I agree… her silence will only make everyone misunderstood her. :/ What if she faced something really terrible for her to leave like this? That’s going to be really unfair for her if everyone will cast the blame on the real victim (that is, if she’s really the victim in this controversy).
wow.. this might be even bigger than the whole lee da hae fiasco.. coz HYS is the lead here… i do wonder how they’re gonna resolve this..
I’ll ask here. Was LDH also sued for breach of contact? If not, how come?
I’m not much aware of the LDH story (and I feel lazy to Google it either) but seeing on forums and other blogs how much they hate LDH now, I’m afraid HYS will face the same consequence… that is if she will ever return to being an actress. Right now, I highly doubt she will.
But LDH did end up coming back with some dramas. Though this seems much worse, considering it’s a lead role.
Yea true… but I’ve read comments from threads and other blogs about LDH and some people clearly doesn’t like her because of her past issues with EoE. *Some fans are just unforgiving. :/
*I said some, not all, I hope I won’t offend anyone.
Let’s leave Da Hae out of this. EoE had so much behind-the-scenes infighting that it needs to be its own novel. Very little involved LDH, who in the end found her character (the leading actress role) cut down to 5 minutes a freaking episode where all she did was walk the dog and say one line of dialogue. So she asked to be written out of the drama. The production agreed and let her out of the contract, and she stayed to film all the scenes necessary to transition her character out of the show. End of story. The netizens hate for Da Hae is misplaced. She had every right to complain when she was cast as the leading lady and ended up having less screen time than the extras. How it was handled was perfectly fine to me. Both sides agreed and she was written out.
Oh I see… thanks for that Koala. In that case, poor LDH for being judged wrongly. :/ If in that situation, she is being hated by everyone where she doesn’t even have to be blamed, what more HYS? Gaaah. This is really a huge mess.
Thank you for the explanation. I appreciate it.
That sounds very reasonable (LDH’s actions, I mean). In that case, though, and I ask this very sincerely as someone who is completely ignorant of all that transpired, why is there so much hate surrounding LDH even to this day, when the issue was apparently resolved quite amicably? I never followed the blow-up, but even Dramabeans has commented on it from time to time, which I admit has colored my perception that LDH behaved poorly. If I have wrongfully judged LDH – and I say this as someone who 1) didn’t care the least whit what happened with EoE, and 2) had quite a lot of goodwill towards LDH as a result of My Girl – I would certainly like to know.
In the end, all of this – HYS, LDH, and I’m sure others – just reminds me very poignantly of a talk given by a celebrity which I once attended; at the talk, said actress commented that entertainment is an industry which eats its young. Apparently, this behavior isn’t limited to just Hollywood but rather applies to entertainment industries the world over. Sad.
@ V
The hate towards LDH stems from her even asking to be let out of the drama. People called her “whiny, entitled, arrogant, etc.” Those folks think she should have sucked it up and just finished the drama for the sake of professionalism. Plus, Da Hae is a very polarizing actress. Those who love her LOVE her, and those who hate her HATE her. In that respect, she’s like Yoon Eun Hye. Crazy amounts of love, equal amounts of haterade.
Thank you koala! I could never understand the hate or the love for LDH. I liked her in My Girl, and then in Miss Ripley but that was it.
thks so much for the updates for this show. I was hoping that the show will go as normal. So sad for Eric now that the actress have to be replaced.
To think that this happened right after THE biggest cliffhanger of the entire drama, with the huge reveal of feelings! I’m really upset about this and wish there were some sort of explanation. It doesn’t make sense that HYS would drop everything and just leave purely out of diva behavior with a horrible reputation in her wake; there is undoubtedly more to it, and I wish we could know.
I REALLY REALLY hope that they won’t just use In-ah for the rest of the drama. That would be horrible!
Her tweet left me in awe! It’s all my fault, be happy? Maybe all this mess it’s no entirely her fault, but she is acting weird and ver unprofesional. I think her career in Korea is down in a very very deep hole. Her statement is a tweet? really? And she left for L.A.? Her actions made her look like the only responsible for this mess. And left your fellows partners in this drama hanging? I dont think anyone will cast her for another drama in Korea ever again 🙁 bad bad bad.
Hey! don’t be judgmental….no one knows what’s the truth behind this! so sushhhhhhh!
I’m not currently watching this drama because the story and the actors didn’t really appeal to me, but have been reading up on all the news surrounding it and all the drama sounds really messy. I feel bad for Han Ye Seul because she seems to be ruining her own reputation and for what? It looks like the drama would be ending soon anyways and if it’s the scheduling that she is complaining about she should understand that live shoots for dramas have crazy filming schedules in order to put out the episode for that week. And as for PD changes she should be more professional and just try and find some common ground with the production crew–there will always be some creative differences. I feel bad for the other actors and crew that have to wait around for one lead actor since everyone has to waste time waiting around. Hopefully this drama can finish it’s run and salvage what ever is left of its production.
BTW I hate the whole live shoot system they have for Asian dramas. Nobody should have to work 20+ hours a day, it isn’t good for health or for producing great quality acting. I understand that dramas have schedules to fit (i.e. filling a two month schedule) and that the drama line-up might be packed, but there seems to be little concern for the well-being of the actors and crew. We all remember the crazy car accidents that inflicted the Boys Over Flowers set and so many actors feel tired, stressed, and strained due to the intense work.
AMEN TO THAT!
I think things just go really serious. This might affect Eric’s future chances in obtaining lead roles in dramas.
Why Eric? He has proved his professionalism and commitment to the drama.
I don’t think so… I even think that this is a good publicity for Eric. HYS will be the one who will suffer greatly. 🙁
This is so weird. People who are willing to go through the whole Korean filming process clearly aren’t bad people or spoilt brats or celebrity divas. I’m sure there must be a really very good reason she has been forced to do this. Wow, to leave a drama lurching in the middle :O?!?! I hope they (Han Ye Seul or the SMW people) do tell us the truth about exactly how bad things were – hmm I sort of imagine it would come out when they go to court regarding the suing?
P.S This is my first comment on your site ^^. Your ARE currently my favourite site. Haha I check this like it’s the news (and you update like it’s a news site too –> yay!).
<3
lol! i just want to reply to this since this will also be my first post despite actively following ms. koala since discovering the playground through lie to me recaps after dramabeans dropped it. i also follow it like the news and update several times a day!
anyways i think its sad she’s left for whatever reason. i’ve been watching and although its not my fav at the moment i’ve enjoyed it. i don’t think i’ll want to watch with the new actress, just seems odd. are they gonna kill off myung wol and suddenly kang woo will be in love with whatever new actress that comes on board? such a clusterf*ck.
i hope they bring some new actress who has mind blowing chemistry with eric that everyone forgets that Han Ye Seul ever existed in the Drama. I hope they bring someone so good and so strong that she sets the screen on fire with eric and the world can forget about Han Ye Seul.
I am willing to give this drama a chance considering the mess this has been in so far and i hope someone can really save it and careers of the rest of the folks
Han Ye Seul, if you have a problem with the PD , its one thing not attending a shoot, but its a totally different spectrum if you are running away to US, considering on contract you are still required to shoot for the remaining portion of the drama.
“i hope they bring some new actress who has mind blowing chemistry with eric” so people can forget all this nonsense ever happened.
THIS thank you.
OMG…No matter how hard I try to be reasonable…not dealing with situation and running away is not professional and aldult.Other celebreties are doing it too..not just you…HYS. I remebered somebody even have harder time like Lee Ji Ah, the one who just blown out by being in love, and in scandal cause of her real ages, her previous marriage and being broken off by b/f..but still holding it up and answering and dealing with it.I can not imagine anyone could have gone through anything sworst than that LJA lady. The dispute with just a PD have to put everything on hold and not thinking abt consequences to others and yourself is such a ridiculous childish act. Thumb down for HYS who barely can act too, voting for changing actress.
I have no idea what happened on set but if Han Ye Seul felt her working conditions were dangerous she had to right to leave to protect herself.
I love K-dramas but have always been horrified by the actors working condition. SAG or AFTRA would never allow those kind of condition.
Spy Myung Wol is an action drama and you will note that the Myung Wol does most of the action. To guarantee safety the stunt doubles and actors have to be well rested to guarantee that their reflexes are sharp and they have to rehearse repeatedly to minimize the danger. It is hard to have a safe set when people are working 20 hours day and everyone is sleep deprived.
I love Secret Garden but was appalled to hear that the actors are surviving on IV drips. IV drips!?! and it is not a national emergency. That means either poor planning or a system that is unconcern at best, or hostile at worst to the health of actors
suddenly SMW became all too exciting for the wrong reasons. 🙁
i do hope HYS gets to deal with whatever reason it was for her to risk her own career. i hope the production gets to carry out the remaining episodes without additional troubles. and i hope Eric doesn’t get traumatized by this and get a real break for his next project. *hugehug to the cast and crew*
thanks, koala, for the updates. T_T
Who would’ve thunk a month ago that what started out as a cute and funny drama would have this kind of catastrophe. I hope HYS has a gig waiting for her here in the US cause I believe this might kill her Korean career. I mean Korea doesn’t seem to be a very forgiving country. IMO.
Korea isn’t a forgiving country at all, there is a korean singer Yoo Seung-jun who is still exiled from korea because even though he had said in interviews that he would take keep his korean citizenship and serve (he was raised in america) the military, he ended up naturalizing his american citizenship instead of being drafted resulting in the korean government banning him from entering korea.
Also when Park Shin-Yang (I think that was his name) sued the painter of the wind production company for not paying him what was agreed on the contract, he was blacklisted from korean entertainment for a couple years because people felt that he was being greedy and not considering the economical hardships of the production company since other actors had agreed to pay cuts.
Park Shin Yang’s lawsuit was for unpaid wages from the production company for War of Money, not for Painter of the Wind. But the lawsuit did get his ass banned right after he finished filming PotW that’s for sure.
It was a hilarious lawsuit IMO, because it was for unpaid wages for the 4 extension episodes of WoM (he was paid for all 16 original eps). But his salary for the 4 extension eps were 4 times what he got paid for all 16 eps. o___O
But the production company agreed to it, and then tried to back out because it was so ridicioulsy excessive. The court rightfully ruled that Park Shin Yang needed to get paid, and then called Park Shin Yang greedy for insisting on such a high salary for 4 eps to begin with. But since the production company agreed and signed the contract, it had to fork over the money now.
But it’s like winning a battle and losing the war for PSY. Would have been much better had PSY agreed to a reasonable salary for the 4 ex eps as opposed to playing hardball because WoM was such a ratings success and he had the production company by the balls to get the extension in place.
Getting his ass banned for 2 years clearly meant no income from acting, so I’m not sure it was worth it for him in the long run.
Am i the only one thinking, was she harassed in any way????
And it takes time to speak up in such cases. She has been in the industry for almost a decade or more, so to take such an extreme step, the reason got to be something big.
nope, i totally was wondering if something inappropriate happened behind closed doors! b/c to be honest, that would be the only reason i could see anyone just shutting down like that and not making a statement about it.
I’m thinking like that too. Some form of harrassment.
I was thinking that as well because even if an actress is a diva she isn’t stupid enough to ruin her career just because she doesn’t get her way. I have a feeling either she had a nervous breakdown or there was harassment involved between the PD and her. I think harassment because considering the culture in korea, its something that a female, especially one that hasn’t married yet, would be too embarrassed to talk about in the public and definitely too embarrassed to mention it to the other actors as well which may explain HYS’s silence in all of this.
YES. my thoughts exactly
My thoughts as well. If the situation turned abusive — emotionally, maybe even physically or sexually — then I wouldn’t blame someone for just leaving. If word got out that she had been assaulted, I can totally see the Korean public blaming her. They seem to revel in victim-blaming, twenty times over if it’s a woman. Far better to just walk away from the entire thing, even if that means your career is over. Because from what I’ve seen, it appears your career would be over, anyway, if you ever leaked word about being sexually assaulted — you’d be blamed as causing it, anyway.
Far better to up and move to LA than commit suicide, certainly. At least she still has a way out, and a woman of her age, with her professional experience, can’t have made that choice lightly. There must have been higher stakes involved, somewhere.
Well damn….
Myung Wol numver one just went AWAL!! hehehe she really did go awal. Wow. But hey, I dont know what to say. Just that I hope she has fun in LA. She should come my way, I feel as if I need to meet her.
I am speechless. I like SMW so this is really bad news to me. I don’t even know what to say anymore. And yes, like you, I feel bad for everyone. :((
this is all so bizarre – after marathoning ‘Scent of a Woman’ all weekend, it makes me wonder if there is some tragic secret she is hiding, like a serious illness, or some sort of abuse, that would cause her to take such extreme actions. as for eric’s bad luck, you should add Poseidon to the list, poor guy.
I marathoned Scent of a Woman 5x and the ending to Ep 8 is on a loop for me.
Oh my God
:O
This is indeed very bad and to think that I was really anticipating ep 11. I think there’s more to this that what the statements from various camps came out with. I don’t know but for somebody like Han Ye Seul to do something which can virtually ruin her career, there must have been some pressing reasons. It is not easy to bring upon one’s self the ire of the public as well as the end of a career which one has worked for so hard. Yes, the tweet might seem a bit flippant but then again it can also be a cover-up for something more serious. Furthermore, to come out and say that “It’s all my fault” can also be a way to protect others. I don’t know that much about Han Ye Seul but I thinks she was in a quandary and that she had to make a very difficult decision.
I just wish that the truth will ultimately be revealed…the truth unvarnished by any maneuverings which smacks of PR.
It’s a jungle out there 🙂
True… I agree with everything you said. It’s kinda scary… weird but I’m feeling scared for what really happened to HYS.
I’ve read about the switch for the main actress few minutes ago. Wow. I can’t believe this is happening. >.<
I think we will never see Han Ye Seul ever again. I still wonder what happened though. Will she really leave this way without explaining what really went wrong? I'm sure there are lots of people out there are hating her now because of this. Of course she went without airing her side of the story and I can't blame those who condemns her. And since she's not talking about it at all, I'm sure everyone will perceive that she got a major attitude problem.
I'm not a fan but I hope she'll get by just fine. I'm just worried about her. This is something very huge… what triggered this to happen? This is the first time I've encountered such huge issue.
I wanted to know why her agency is not saying anything right now…may be they decided to put all the blame on her?
If what Lee-Kim Productions said is true, her agency Sidus HQ will be joining the lawsuit against Han Ye Seul, meaning her agency is planning to ditch her and sue her as well. That explains why her agency has issued no press releases since the first one explaining her side of the story. If her agency isn’t backing her anymore, it does explain why she left for LA.
if she was not restrained by her agency to skip shooting, then it means that she did it all by herself – the skipping part, and the AWOL thing.
I think her contract is almost up with Sidus HQ which explains why they aren’t helping her in this.
@princessfiana I think what Koala just said is right. Wow. I’m speechless. How can something like this happen? :/
I really hope she has people around her, family and friends to support her during this time so she doesn’t try to harm herself.
woah…I didn’t plan to watch this drama but the news certainly is freaking me out….never heard an actor could just abandon the set (esp. live filming) just like that with no explanations, this is truely drama in a drama. Thanks for keeping this posted Mrs K really want to know what actually happened
I caution everyone not to speculate here. Han Ye Seul could have chosen to take this hard line for any variety of reasons. To bring forth even the suggestion of potentially criminal elements (such as harassment and even more dire occurrences) when there has been ZERO such possibility even broached is fomenting gossip and creating innuendo.
I don’t think anything bad like that happening was the only possible explanation for HYS to quit the drama. It could be, but until there is any such implication, I caution voicing baseless speculation against any of the cast and crew involved.
I totally agree with you. If anything, I’d like to think that HYS is taking the hard and desperate line against the live-shoot method of filming. She was obviously aware of what filming under these conditions was like – she apparently set up her signing contract with SMW specifically to avoid having to perform under those onerous conditions. She must have felt the PD to be totally dismissive of her contract stipulations and the continual violation of said contract just pushed her into a corner and forced her hand. Could she have handled it better? Maybe. She most likely attempted to in the beginning when she saw the PD ignoring her rights (filming times, etc,) – it was probably like talking to a brick wall for her. The Korean society as a whole isn’t exactly pro-women – especially in the entertainment industry.
So, she picked up her ball and went home. If she’s got the backbone to stand up for what’s right, regardless of the personal cost to her, then I say more power to her.
Maybe this situation will prove to be the catalyst for change – because change is certainly needed here.
Or, an actor’s right to unionize. That would be novel, right?
Agree, I am not totally against Live Shoot as there is a potential for writer to incorp the comments by viewers in the drama, esp endings….
But I’d prefer the film to shoot at least like half before its aired, so that the actors can have sufficient time to rest and film the rest instead of going through hell shooting for 8 weeks.
Seeing Yoon Eun Hye got bloated in Lie to Me becos of crazy shooting is horrible…
Noted.
I AGREE!
WHAT THE FRUCK??? This is mind-blowing.
I’m so curious as to what is going on through their heads and the talks they had. Gosh, I wish I could be that fly on the wall.
muaahaha, love your comment. really let me burst out in laughter right now! XD
LOL Why is Miley Cyrus’ song suddenly playing in the background? XD
whoa!something really bad must have happened if she’s left korea and totally being replaced now. but even so,i wonder why she has not spoken up and left just like that because she’s putting her career on the line.
i guess since the last scene was myung wol shooting herself,maybe they are just going to change the plot to a real gun(accident) and kill her off?
They will use that, I am sure, but I don’t know how thematically it’ll work. It makes sense with what we saw on screen, but as far as the feel of the drama, it wouldn’t make any sense.
We are supposed to be in the middle of an angsty love story with spying. Not a real suicide story. Do they have a quick funeral that ends up comedic?
I don’t want to be in those writers’ shoes!
I forgot about that gun to the head.
Plastic surgery.
That’s a time honored/dishonored of doing a recast.
They use that excuse to recast Steven Carrington on Dynasty.
They recast Darren on Bewitched and never mentioned that he was in a new body.
I’m bummed. I was enjoying this drama. Hoping everyone well it was seems like an losing situation for all parties.
Well i understand the prob betn HYS and the PD…its common, anywhere u go, in dis industry they make u work like hell…but i still think it is a bit selfish on her part to leave like this coz the other actors are involved in this too, i find it a bit unprofessional. By acting like this, whatever trouble she’s been through is completely neglected and the PD tho being person at fault will be getting all the sympathy. This is too harsh. Just my POV…nthg serious! 😛
This is my first time posting. I am a very big fan of this website.
It’s a shame she left just like that because to me the last episode was one of the best. I don’t feel sorry for her because as an adult and a professional she should have handled things better than walking away (if she did). There are many people counting on her and to do that is just not right. Really who will want to work or hire her again.
I really am here thinking that maybe she got a better job opportunity in LA?
My god!I can’t believe this! When it started I thought it was going to be one of those dramas that we could remininsce about for a long time ,let’s hope and pray for some good luck to be casted upon this drama.
Thanx Miss Koala for the news.(I’m in shock,i hope she comes back.)
Well, this drama will surely be a memorable one because of what happened. I’m sure in the future, I will reminisce about what happened. Too bad though, its being memorable isn’t a positive memory at all.
They think Han Ye Seul is trying to end her career in Korea
That just doesn’t make any sense! If she wanted to end her career in Korea, there are far better ways to do that without ruining her reputation in the process. No?
If Sidus HQ ditched her…whoa, that puts a whole new spin on the whole situation. I guess this is one such occasion when it’s better to wait and see. Still, I don’t remember anything like this ever happening. This year has been crazy for the K-ent, don’t you think?
I really hope HYS went to family or friends and doesn’t hurt herself, her tweet sounded so dramatic. And maybe when everything has settled down a bit we will hear what really went down there behind the scenes.
As for the remainder of the drama, as long as ryu is still on it I will watch/ skip through it.
Reading about the 10 billion won, I thought; OMG, HYS don’t harm yourself!
The tweet sounds like someone desperate 🙁
OMG I am so annoyed! I should have never started watching this drama. HYS is being so dramatic! I get shes mad but to leave the country? She should have handled the situation like an adult
She was born and raised in Los Angeles….
Regardless of her career there are moments in life where you need to turn around or just need to change your path. Looks like she’s determined to do that NOW and exactly like this, burning down every bridge behind her to get on a new path. I totally understand her. There are times like this where you just can focus on yourself because only SURVIVE like this regardless of all the people who get hurt. You will regret it later, but in the end you know you have to do it or else you’ll die. Jugding of her lack of sleep and the hard schedule she’s force to do I emphazise with her coz I’ve already been there (though it’s about another work).
As a fan we can complain about her rude and reckless behaviour and that we don’t get a good drama, but as human we can’t jugde her.
What I don’t get, why does the post say “going back to L.A.” ? Did she work and live there before filming SWM?
Also need to say that her acting in SWM didn’t impress me that muc that I would miss her in K-Dramaland. She’s not even SO pretty that there won’t be anybody to fill her spot in korean entertainment.
She grew up in the US actually… and her parents are still there.
She was born and raised in Los Angeles and then moved to korea to become an actress/model when she was an adult.
If she is use to working condition in the US entertainment system, that might explain why she finds the Korean entertainment working process particularly brutal.
The conditions that Korean actors work under wouldn’t be allowed by the acting unions in the US.
I can imagine she felt the conditions were unreasonable and she shouldn’t have to take it.
I doubt HYS is doing all this for a greater cause. If she wanted to protest against the shooting conditions, she could have found a better way to do so. It is extremely inappropriate to abandon the drama and leave without warning. I feel so bad for the cast and crew, who have to think of a solution and work overtime to film the remaining episodes. It will be exhausting for them.
“It’s all my fault, be happy” sounds like such an excuse when you see how much effort the production team and cast has to put in to save the show 🙁
or equally, “it’s all my fault, be happy.” could be someone at the end of their rope. I don’t think anyone knows if this is a contract dispute gone nuclear, a personality clash, or something else except the parties involved. And since basically every spin is coming from one side, it is doubtful we’ll know any time soon.
Now there is a rumor she went to marry her rich boyfriend on usa, and that she said many times on the set how seh would retire after this drama and marry him… what the……
Wow! What’s unfolding seems more exciting than the actual drama itself. I’ve been reading Capt K’s recaps and baby recaps, plus faithfully downloading all the episodes hoping to watch this series upon its completion.
Now, with this explosion – how will it impact the plot? Is it worthwhile to continue downloading future episodes? I’ll just have to keep tabs on the situation before deciding.
I am just curious who will actually step in for the project since it’s such a mess right now… and how the script is going to change.. i guess will wait and see…
gosh what an ugly mess. I can’t believe it went as far as Han Ye Seul leaving the country. we don’t know her side of the story, but the rest of the cast and crew of SMW are dragged into the mess. we’re all familiar with terrible work conditions and clashes with the boss. regardless of which side is right or wrong, its no way to handle the situation. I hope she goes back to korea soon to clean everything up
I think this show is getting more attention now than when it was first announced or started airing.
Lol, and the case only gets curious-er with reports of Han Ye-seul eloping with a rich entrepreneur in LA. Anyone else smell a stink bomb? I think the production company is handling this extremely poorly if they’re merely going to spread malicious gossip in order to strengthen their case.
C’mon HYS, stand up for yourself, and make your case!
My thoughts exactly after reading an article from allkpop (linkie: http://www.allkpop.com/2011/08/han-ye-seul-dating-an-older-businessman-and-plans-of-marriage). And they really emphasized the word “old” and “businessman” and that this person is extremely rich… as if they’re saying that HYS is a gold-digger.
I think as long as HYS stays silent, these people against her will continuously throw petty rumors about her.
Hmm… I realized I’ve commented a lot on this topic eh? lol XD
Ditto. I doubt HYS would kill her career just coz she wanted to get married. Sigh.
Thanks so much for your updates on SPW!
It’s really kind of you to provide timely information on the unfolding drama in Seoul…
Hope all these issues can be resolved soon and that all parties involved will be fine eventually!
this is seriously more entertaining than the drama itself…and i hope the Hong sisters make a drama out of this. HYS being one the Hong sisters’ past leading ladies would make it even more interesting. =)
eric does seem “cursed” but i LOVED que sera sera. jung yumi was awesome as the lead. i wanna see eric and yoon eun hye in a drama together but i’m glad it wasn’t que sera sera.
Is fn news the only source you wrote this whole article from? Because I have a hard time understanding where a lot of parts from this article came from the Korean article you linked to. Nowhere on the source do I see them talk about her twitter, who had the most fault, etc.
Can you explain?
Is it mean of me to say that i’m not so upset about this on HYS’s part? lolz. I do like her and i’m shock at her actions. But it makes Lee Da Hae looks better to people. Back then, people gave DH such crap when she just voice her judgement.
Anyway, I think it’s something really serious for her to leave like that.She did many dramas before, she know how the system is. She would not putting all that hard work into that many episodes then would have pay damages to the production. I don’t think HYS is stupid. She must weight out the after effect that would happen if she chose to leave. She must have been fed up with acting and the system over all. So it is her decision.
I feel bad for Eric. Poor guy. Poseidon now this. Gosh, drama gods, give him a good series. OMG the guy works so hard. Why must you do this to him. What is even more crushing is, HYS and him became good friends during this drama.
I think it would be difficult for them to cast an a-lister actress because of all the controversy, and the poor ratings run. IMO, they should cast Lee HyoRi. Eric and her are known to be good friends so the chemistry will hit on really well. Plus they did that drama-commercial thing for that phone company. ;). Plot wise I think they could make Hyori another star involved in Kangwoo’s life. If they decide to keep it going by just replacing Myungwol’s face, Hyori has got that spark to play a north Korean spy as well ^^.
My feelings are the same as yours. I feel so sympathetic towards everyone. Right now Han Ye Sul is appearing as the bad one. True she shouldn’t have been so irresponsible, but the PD does appear to take some fault in this for pushing her to the edge. So I can’t place myself on any side. All I want is for the cast and crew to start filming again because they’ve worked so hard to just give everything up. Even if the drama doesn’t reach me, I’ll take it all in regardless. ^____^.
I haven’t had time to read everything (thanks for reporting on it Okoala), but could this be a problem with sexual harrasment? With the poor girl from BOF killing herself because of her management doing ‘horrific things’ to her, it is still fresh on my mind how females are treated in Korea. So I was wondering could this be a problem with the PD because he wasn’t someone that she wanted to work with for those reasons? IDK…really IDK my ass from a whole in the ground about this, but that was the only thing I could think of. *shrugs* this is as good or better than the show though 😉
I don’t know how old she is, but her behaviour is very childish. I feel so sorry for her co-workers, it’s so easy and weak to leave anything behind, only thinking of herself.
Good luck to the actress who will replace HYS. I hope she can reverse this unfortunate situation that has befallen the cast and crew of SMW. Will they have Myung Wol undergo surgery? I wonder how they’ll explain the switch of actresses in the story? Can they cast Park Shi Yeon instead? Hehe! (Okay, okay… I’m pushing my luck) 🙂
I feel bad for Eric. Wow, I don’t know he has lots of bad luck for dramas. A question, who is the first choice for Que Sera Sera’s heroin?
Yoon Eun Hye was already cast but had to drop out at the last minute because of her agency.
can someone predit the list of actresses who may be picked to replace? considering the shooting should have started few hours ago, to show the episode on tuesday i am assuming a choice has been made already. wonder who it is .
But for Yoon Eun Hye, it’s a good thing she was pulled out though, maybe not at the time but for her career yes. If she did Que Sera Sera, she couldn’t have done Coffee Prince…
Wow, hai Madam K,
thanks God, YEH did not do it. If she take it and become a mess (dont get me wrong, YEH is good actrees, but replacing HSY? after what she done…), it will be ruin her career.
This is bad…emm..just want to ask, does this mean that there will be no SmW recap or even baby recap in the future…mmm ?
wow! this is just sooooooooooooo bad! i just woke up and first thing i do is open your blog sis (well after saying my prayers, that is). you always got the most updated showbiz news in blogland ever! i was so shocked with this news coz i was expecting the issue would have been resolved and if not was addressed to by both parties. more like it had gone to a point of no return.
for one, i feel for eric with what’s happening on SMW. ah the poor boy!
on han ye seul, well, like what you said sis, we cannot speculate. giving us no reason and keeping mum about this will only worsen her situation. one comment from db said that it is like the case of gu ae jung on TGL. but han ye seul’s case is very different that she ran away from the issues and caused the production to hang in the air. whatever her reason, it must be big enough for her to allow this situation to blow on such big proportion and ruining her career. i just hope that whatever it is, will be worth this lawsuit and damage claims of the production.
i am speechless. i really hoped they could iron it out, if only for the good of the majority. i’m so sad for HYS… she must have had a valid reason why she had to react this extremely.
Feel bad for Eric and the whole production. This is totally unprofessional.
Just remembered, what gonna happen to HYS’s upcoming new movie, Penny-Pinching Romance with Song Joong-Ki? Now, I’m more afraid it will affect the movie as well. Better not
Koala have any hint or idea who is going to be the actress to replace her?
No clue. My gut says it’ll be an actress who is nearing first lead status. Or an A-list actress doing this purely as a personal favor to the production (Eric, PD, who knows). This is like stepping into a maelstrom of epic proportions.
A few possibilities without any basis:
Kim Sarang
Chae Jung Ahn
Park Ye Jin
Cha Ye Ryun
Yoo In Ah
Han Go Eun
Yoo In Young
Kim Min Jung
Seo Ji Hyo
I’m kind of happy that Yoon Eun Hye’s name isn’t on your list. Although I have been looking forward to seeing YEH and Eric together, this isnt the right one for them especially with what’s been going on, and it seems like she’s going to be on a movie soon anyways…
no way would YEH jump straight into another badly written live-shoot. this story just isn’t her cup of tea.
Kim Sarang
Chae Jung Ahn – Coffee prince – yoon joo.
Park Ye Jin – BOF – Jun Pyos sister?
Cha Ye Ryun -Dr. Champ – Swimming coach?
Yoo In Ah –
Han Go Eun –
Yoo In Young – she already did a show famous spy
Kim Min Jung
Seo Ji Hyo
Had to google some, do not see others before.
What do you think they will do with the new replacement?
The actress will act as MG as if nothing changed.
MG’s character will be killed off?
MG’s had a serious accident and had a plastic on her face LOL
(with the drama being this crazy why not? XD)
I vote for the plastic surgery! Like a Face/Off kind of thing! Sweet!! LOL
I think that’s a very plausible plot development if they ever find an actress to replace HYS. I wouldn’t mind, as long as they carefully tie-up the loose ends to the story. 😀
Anyone have any idea why L.A.? Does she have family there, or was she scheduled to shoot CF’s in LA?
I wish this was all just a big publicity stunt to really get attention, and consequently super high ratings for Spy Myung Wol, but I know that isn’t the case.
I’m so sorry for them all. It makes me feel so badly for all the actors and actresses that work under such duress and insane hours work conditions, sleep deprived and the like. I know they signed up for it, but still. It has to be terrible on their health-physically and mentally. And after I read that they hardly get paid for the dramas…
Yikes.
Well, along with the rest of you, I wonder who will get cast as the last ditch effort leading lady…
Leslie’s family is in LA. She grew up here. I feel much better knowing she’s back with her family. Fault or no fault on her part, she’s human and this must be a lot to deal with. I’m glad she’s with her loved ones.
Aha! Well, I agree- after all that, I would want to be with my family, and am glad she went to get some respite from this media storm. (Though I’m sure there will be a plethora of folks out there who will disagree …)
It seems her family live there.^^
My thoughts on this issue:
I’ve been reading about this circus here and Allkpop and this is my first time commenting since we really do not know everything about the matter. A lot of people are beginning to sympathize with HYS now after finding out she had disputes with the PD, and without proof, they are saying that the PD must have harrassed (verbally/mentally/sexually) HYS. This is a very big accusation and it is baseless… Just because HYS is female and the PD is male, there is no need to cry out foul play on the PD’s part. Also, saying that the PD should be fired, is it really easy to have someone lose their job? You are not taking candy away from the PD by saying that he should lose his job, you are taking away his whole job.
HYS seems to be the one at fault here, at least more that the PD because she left. It is her job to show up on set no matter who she works with. And if she was harrassed, she should have cried out foul play, and not let people speculate with no real proof. From Eric’s post though, it seemed like he knows what HYS and the PD were disputing about, and I think that if HYS was really harrassed, Eric and all the other staff and cast who knows, would have already come out with the truth a long time ago when they found out.
I agree with people who are saying that HYS is being irresponsible right now, no matter the situation as long as it does not affect her health and well-being. It is her job to show up and she should have some respect towards the cast and crew who are waiting for her to show up.
Some people are saying that HYS will not just go up and leave so her career can be over, but from what she was saying with the cast of how she is “thinking of retiring after SMW and getting married” I think she is very much capable of doing just that.
Right now I find HYS responsible for this issue because she isn’t doing a very good job defending herself. I do find faults in the PD for staying quiet for now and letting people attack him, whether or not there is a right to attack him. If there is a real reason to attack him, someone who has real details would have said so a long time ago…
Hope that everything gets settled soon, even though I have not watched a single episode, because it is unfair to those involved…
o.O What?
Han Ye Seul = AWOL
Eric Moon = PTSD = one bad thing after another
The rest of the cast and crew = just get drunk today and tomorrow! The day after… just keep drinking! Damn it!!
This is Defcon 1 with the consequences of Biblical proportions!! Nah, it is not so bad! IT IS WORST!!
I just hope she is fine, and have a good reason to leave. I don’t want to speculate, but she HAVE her reasons to leave. Maybe she is ill, or preg, or something really bad happened to her. To someone so suddenly kill a career like that, not only in SK but in LA too. Coz, A thing like that, will hunt her forever, she will known as the “girl who leaves production, without warning” … That is super bad.
I don’t know the details, I’m not sure if I want to know, but I hope for the sake of the drama and all the cast and crew, everything and everyone just cool off and think of the next step. Coz, what happened, it can’t be undone, so the only thing they can do, is learn from it, and move forward…
Eric, I so hoping you can read this, “in this time of crisis, I just want you to know that you are not alone, there are a lot of fans of you out there, that love you, and would follow you no matter what, till the pits of hell if necessary” So get your head high, and move on baby, coz you are one hell of an actor, and you kick a@@ any day of the week!!! Seriously, I LOVE YOU MAN!!
…
hei…u like Eric too?? poor Eric…this news really shocking me..cause I follow this drama at KBS world…hope they can find new actress immediately!! SMW Fighting!!!!
angelito,
now u talk…pheww….
tho am not a huge fan of Eric…again..I do feel sorry for him 🙁
Not fan, but it is sad, it is bad that every work that he is, have like a gazillion problems!
wow this girl is crazy
i can’t believe she’s willing to ruin her career just because she hates the PD. just finish the drama and be over with it!
does anyone know her twitter account? .__.
WOW, this is crazy. I am not even watching this drama but the news is a shocker. i hope she breaks the silence and tells her side of the story. BTW, I think this tops the “Lee Ji Ah is married” scandal.
I m trying to take into consideration any different side of the story I have heard.
Even if I try to put all the ”rights” on HYS, still, she is unproffesional, or she is no better than the production company.
– They do violate the time/days you agreed upon the contract?
Film those damn hours and days girl, and DON’T film in the rest.Plus, sue them for violating the contract.
– Someone harassed you? Sue him.
Leaving a drama in the middle of it, its simply unproffesional. She is not working on her own, there are many people in there, cast and crew. Crew is probably working more than anyone there, more even than the actors.
I do NOT justify the live-shot system in Korea, and I DO side with her on that matter. But at least she should film the hours she agreed, and finish this godamn show. She can ”fight” the system when this drama ends, with lawsuits, interviews,etc, and not by ruining her career and the job of so many people left behind.
I didn’t know about LDH, but she might be considered as ”Diva” but at least she was proffesional, she TALKED about it, she filmed what she had to do, to transist the story, and got out.
HYS, just… dissapear.
Her, making no statement, only make things worst.
I feel sorry for Eric, as well as the rest of the crew. This guy has so bad luck, and yet he is trying his best.
wow this really sucks for poor Eric…this was suppose to be his comeback drama :((
Woah. Haven’t been really caught up with K-ent news for a while and I come back to *this….
I really like Han Ye Seul. Her portrayal of Jo Anna has been my favorite Hong Sister heroine and I’ve been a fan since. Having said that, I still think it’s very unprofessional to just walk off set AND head to a different continent in the middle of production. I really really hope she has a good reason because it’s just rude towards the other people who are and are going to be caught up in this warfare between actress and PD.
I hope she clarifies why she did this because the public is just going to eat her up. And I wouldn’t worry about Eric. Sure he’s unlucky but all this bad publicity is still publicity and it’s not even directed towards him. If anything, the public is going to sympathize with him.
I’m worried about her i want to really hear her side of the story. They should of dealt with this situation since the beggining. I hope that they don’t change her or put any other character. It just woudn’t work :/
I honestly just want her to coe back finish this and then resolve all of this
i mean it’s not the way to leave the entertainent industry.
Personally think that both sides should take the blame. The PD for ignoring her contract term and for HYS for letting her emotions governed her action. Still, HYS is a Korean raised up in western country, same as Lee Dae Hae. So, I bet their mind set is rather different from those actress born and breed in South Korea. Their upbringing is different so their endurance on the ridiculous live-shoot system is of course different as well. But then, it would be best for HYS to not just leave like that, it’s really damaging especially on her part. Thinking it over, maybe this whole fiasco may eventually boost the ratings of SMW and in the end, the production team also gain something from here. All the best to everyone at SMW including HYS.
im not fan of HSY..but i felt there is a BIG BIG BIG and reasonable reason for her why she left her drama was still on air…i hope everything will be settle soon..good luck to all the people that involved on the terrible issues..
Trying to wade through all the conjecture and ridiculous rumors (esp. the one regarding some impending marriage to some rich Korean American) got me actually reading a Korean newspaper. Just got through translating/reading several articles. I wish I could find the article in which the production company identifies the PD as 80% and HYS as 20% culpable. If anyone has a link to that, I’d much appreciate it.
Who would have thought that such things mostly seen on dramas will also happen in real life? hehe
Aissshh….tssskk…tskkk…
OMG, this is really a mess……..with her not around, I guess the storyline would become kind of weird. Thanks for the update Koala….
In reading the latest news via Joong Ang Ilbo, the following are what I can gather:
1. While it’s entirely possible that HYS got on an LA-bound plane, there is no confirmation of it. Only that a Leslie Kim was booked for such a flight.
2. Her mother rushed from LA to Seoul on the 16th (by Korean date) to join effort with her 소속사 to negotiate for resumption of shooting on the 17th. (What the heck is 소속사? I thought it was her management but all the rumors have said Sidus has all but abandoned her, so I’m totally confused.) Anyway, people within the 소속사 do not know her whereabouts and have a hard time reconciling that she’d have left the country when her mother was en route, about which some speculate HYS may not have been aware.
Totally crazy. Something is seriously wrong here.
“Yes, even Han Ye Seul, because she clearly is willing to ruin her career over this. ”
Exactly. Whatever happened must have been horrible enough to warrant her behavior. I’m not a fan of hers, nor have I even watched the drama, but I will always take the side of the woman in these situations; especially when PDs – who are known for taking advantage of actresses in numerous ways – are involved. I feel for the other cast and crew who had no part in this mess, but I’m not going to blame HYS for her actions either.
woaaahhh! this sure did spiral out of control!!! O.O;
i hope we find out why this happened. poor eric!!! i feel so bad for him…
by the way, does anyone know han ye seul’s twitter account! cant find it. D;
Koala, I’m curious. Has anything like this happened before? I mean a lead actress being replaced mid-stream of the show? And how did that drama fare?
I hope they get a good actress and a plausible drama-excuse for the sudden change of Myung Wol’s physical appearance, I mean the drama had wacky plot in the beginning anyway.
Thanks for the update, Koala.
Is there a chance for Yoon Eun Hye (YEH) to be on it??? wishful thinking..
If HSY is making a statement then more power to her. For one, I hope this brings something positive to the industry, though it is sad it had to be at her expense.
1. NO more to live shoots.
2. Full script before starting a project so they can
A. Schedule actors with humane working hours
B. Edit scenes properly and minimize ridiculous choppy editing
C. Think through complex plots – instead of recycling plots (hire/fire/hire)
D. Minimize flashbacks (especially back to back flashbacks)
E. Plot/storyline that goes nowhere (ah, NSA agents?)
I’m sure there are a lot more. At some point, HSY must have gotten fed up considering they were making her do ridiculous stunts (a real spy probably does those…maybe not; for example hide suspended in the ceiling or falling to the ground many times though you are supposed to be a tough NK agents). I would not be surprised that she felt like her intelligence is challenged…there were so many flaws to the production of this drama that it is not a surprising action – extreme, but understandable.
I think the older K-drama has more quality. Lately, it looks like there is such a rush to produce that the industry is forgetting the true essence of a good drama. It is in the story, the editing, the score, etc…and not just some pretty faces moving on the screen.
Good luck to HSY. If she is indeed making a stand then I like her the more!!
Thanks Koala!
very well said…
:)))
I feel the same @Chamonix. It is unfortunate that Han Ye Seul had to leave for LA abrubtly, the consequence would be a disaster. lawsuits is inevitable because of production costs, etc. hoping for peaceful settlements. She is going to be missed, she’s one good k-actress but wish her the best in her future.
I sincerely hope she bounces back from all of these. It’s a big risk she took considering the industry and culture she is up against.
Wow doesn’t quite cut this…so she just left??…i knew things were terrible but never expected this turn of events…i’m not on anyone’s side here since I think both are at fault but this could very well ruin HYS’s career..i mean who on earth might want to work with her again after this fiasco
I’m wishing for Ms. Yoon Eun HYe as well, but I know how busy she is that probably she already has a lot of appointments and engagements 🙂
I don’t wanna put the blame on anyone but I feel bad for all that hard work that was put to produce this drama would go to waste 🙁
At the same time, I think they should start thinking of a way to avoid these problems in the future (complete scripts, finish most (if not all) the drama b4 airing it….) but i think the problem with Korean dramas is that they care for ratings too much, and that is what is pushing them to to work under pressure this way, bcuz they wanna give themselves the chance to be able to change the script/story anytime during airing to please the viewers. But that is resulting in crazy schedules, choppy acting/editing, and cases like this one or accidents causing dramas totally messing up
Still they resolve this problem since I was enjoying this drama 😉
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