Rape-Accused Actor Cast In K-Drama About Sexual Awareness, Internet Up In Flames

Netizens are upset about the whole situation. 
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Serah S. Cherrie
Serah S. Cherrie

An upcoming tvN K-Drama has stirred up major controversy over the casting of actor Lee Jin Wook.

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Lee Jin Wook

Recently, it was reported that Lee and Girls’ Generation member YoonA were gearing up to begin filming the upcoming K-Drama, titled Unnatural. The series is based on the popular Japanese drama by the same name.

Netizens were immediately disgruntled by the news, given Lee Jin Wook’s past controversy. In 2016, the actor was accused of rape by a woman identified as Oh. The actor vehemently denied the allegations and sued her, but in 2017, a court found Oh’s accusations plausible, finding her not guilty of false allegations. After Lee appealed, in 2018, the Seoul Central District Court overturned the first trial’s ruling and indicted Oh on false sexual assault claims charged, sentencing her to eight months in prison with two years of probation.

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Despite the legal verdict, this controversy continues to haunt Lee’s career to date. After the announcement of Unnatural casting, netizens have been raising issues with him being a part of a story that involves sensitive themes of sexual consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault awareness.

Some netizens also criticized YoonA for accepting a project with him, though fans defended her, arguing that she had no control over the casting decision and was probably signed before Lee was brought on board.

 

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