Kim Ji Soo ousted from River Where The Moon Rises show after sexual assault accusations

South Korean actor Kim Ji Soo who was accused of sexual assault and school violence by a former classmate has been removed from the show River Where The Moon Rises. Naver and News1 confirmed the news and reported that Ji Soo, the main lead who was playing the character of Ondal in the hit series River Where The Moon Rises is out from the show due to the school violence and sexual harassment charges against him. However, the production house is still in discussions about the replacement actor, the filming, and the past cuts that feature Ji Soo. A source from the Cube Entertainment agency told News1 that the lead actor of tvN’s highly popular show, Mr. Queen – Na In Woo- is getting proposals for the replacement role and the agency is still discussing the possibility of him playing the role of Ondal. Both KBS and the production house are facing issues after suffering huge losses as the show completed filming almost 90 per cent of the content, till episode 18 (in a total of 20 episodes). Both the companies are going to face a huge blow on their costs whether they choose to remove the cuts filmed by Ji Soo, edit it, or re-shoot it with a new actor.

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For the unversed, an anonymous social media user, who claimed to be Soo’s former schoolmate, put up a post accusing the massively popular actor of being a “sexual predator” during school days. The anonymous user further alleged that Soo, who had a bigger build compared to other children during schooldays, behaved like a “gangster”. He made others pay for his cigarettes and often insulted and blackmailed them. “I was bullied by Kim Ji Soo and the delinquents in 2008, my third year of middle school. The word ‘bullying’ is not enough to describe everything. I was a victim of all kinds of school violence like being made an outcast, violence, blackmailing, insults, and abusive language,” the online post read, according to Soompi.“If acting is what you (Soo) want to do, do it. But keep the title of ‘school violence perpetrator’ in front of your name forever in your heart. Like me, the countless number of people you bullied will never forget that memory,” the anonymous user wrote further. The criticism prompted the actor to share a handwritten apology on his official Instagram handle. The actor wrote: “I sincerely apologize to the people who suffered because of me. There is no excuse for my past misconduct. They were things that cannot be forgiven.”