Park Sung Hoon is continuing to face backlash after accidentally posting an explicit porn parody poster of 'Squid Game' on social media. As a result, some netizens, including fans of his co-star YoonA, are calling for his removal from the upcoming drama 'The Tyrant's Chef.'
According to a popular online community post, concerned fans of YoonA have taken action by sending emails, direct messages, and even making phone calls to the drama's production company, urging them to reconsider the actor's casting as the male lead.
These fans have created posts in various forums asking others to join their movement to remove Park Sung Hoon as the male lead in the drama.
Translation:
"Everyone, some fans are currently sending DMs, texts, and making calls to the production company’s Instagram, requesting his withdrawal.
It might be helpful to logically explain why he should step down or even send screenshots of online reactions from forums and social media. It’s not about being aggressive—it’s more like an earnest plea for his removal... haha.
I’m not sure what the outcome will be, but how about we rally together until a decision is made? Please help out.
Our YoonA spent six months practicing cooking for this role..."
Other fans commented on the post also expressing their concerns that Park Sung Hoon's latest mistake would negatively affect the success of the drama. These fans commented:
"How long will you keep delaying things, waiting for the male lead actor to voluntarily step down? Thanks to him sharing explicit adult content involving the sexual assault of a woman, the drama—and even the female lead—is being dragged into articles. More people are saying they won’t watch the drama, and some are even declaring that they will boycott it unless he is replaced. I hope there is an official article soon announcing that the male lead has been replaced."
"Dramas usually gain traction through word of mouth on female-dominated forums or Twitter, but the reactions there are already... bleak. The drama is a romantic comedy—do you really think promoting chemistry between the leads will work? I don’t even feel like writing chemistry-related promotional posts anymore. Whenever I see the male lead, I just think of that infamous Instagram post—it’s impossible to immerse myself in the story."
"Do the production team members really believe that time will heal this? No. The moment promotional posts for the drama go up, I’m sure posts about the Instagram controversy will surface again. Ugh... I was really looking forward to this drama. Please, I beg you—replace the male lead."
"On that day, Park Sung Hoon remained silent when asked whether he intended to apologize to YoonA and the 'The Tyrant's Chef' team."
"Did the male lead’s agency bring in some major investor? He doesn’t even have a strong fanbase, so why are you protecting him like this? He’s not at the level of a leading actor, nor is he suited for romantic comedies... I really don’t understand."
Other netizens agreed with these fans and commented:
"I wouldn't like it either."
"It doesn't seem like he did anything really wrong though."
"I'm not a fan but I support them. He should withdraw."
"I understand where the fans are coming from."
"Why? He didn't break any laws."
"Yeah, how can people accept a guy who posted a porn poster on Instagram as the male lead. You won't be able to concentrate on the drama."
"I hope he volunteers to withdraw instead of causing harm to others."
"Please remove him, it's not like there aren't other actors out there."
"I get that the fans don't like him but then it's going to be hard to remove him since the overseas reaction of 'Squid Game 2' was really good. Unless he withdraws himself."
"It's a rom-com... so.."
"Girls' Generation's fans already experienced a drama flopping because of the male lead... so I would be against him too."
"I understand these fans."
"He should just film another drama of a different genre, not a romantic comedy."
"I understand where YoonA's fans are coming from."
"I think it is better to change out the male lead if they haven't begun filming yet."
"He is taking the male lead character so I understand why fans are so angry."
"People might think these fans are going overboard, but I get them."
Meanwhile, 'The Tyrant's Chef' is a drama that tells the story of a French chef who time-slips from the modern era to the past, where he encounters a tyrannical yet refined king with a passion for gourmet food, and together, they cultivate a love that transcends 500 years.
The drama has garnered significant attention, especially as the latest work by director Jang Tae Yoo, known for his acclaimed projects such as SBS's 'Deep Rooted Tree,' 'My Love From the Star,' and 'Hyena,' as well as MBC's 'Knight Flower.' The script is penned by the writer HapJak.
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