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A bombshell two weeks before the launch of « The Village Barber 2 ". Ko Kyung-pyo, one of the show’s three main stars alongside Park Bo-gum and Lee Sang-yi, crashed into a street-cleaning truck while driving under the influence on the night of November 13–14 in Seoul. His agency has issued an apology, and several shows have already announced that they will cut his appearances. One question remains: what will become of the tvN program?
An accident in the middle of the night
According to the police, the accident occurred this Saturday, November 14, around 3:30 a.m. Korean time, in the Mapo district of Seoul. While driving his personal car, Ko Kyung-pyo collided with a street-cleaning vehicle.
The breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol level of at least 0.08 %, the threshold at which a driver’s license is revoked in Korea. The actor, who first came to the public’s attention through « Reply 1988 », was questioned by the police before returning home. The investigation is ongoing.
The apology from his agency
A few hours later, his agency, CL&COMPANY, issued a press release, the full text of which is translated below:
Hello, this is CL&COMPANY.
First and foremost, we offer our sincerest apologies to everyone who was harmed as a result of the accident caused by actor Ko Kyung-pyo while he was driving under the influence. We also sincerely apologize to everyone who trusted and supported actor Ko Kyung-pyo for having disappointed and caused them concern.
Early this morning, actor Ko Kyung-pyo collided with a street-cleaning vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol, and a breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol level high enough to result in the revocation of his driver’s license. Actor Ko Kyung-pyo has since returned home after being questioned by the police. He acknowledges his mistake and is deeply reflecting on his actions.
He fully understands the seriousness of driving while intoxicated. He will humbly accept the penalty imposed on him and take full responsibility for his actions, including paying compensation for the damages.
Our agency also takes this matter very seriously, and we will redouble our vigilance in supporting our actors to ensure that such an incident never happens again.
Once again, we bow our heads to offer our apologies to all those who have suffered harm as a result of this accident.
TV shows cut his footage
An incident like this is not tolerated in South Korea. The TV networks reacted immediately. Three variety shows in which the actor had appeared announced that they would minimize his screen time as much as possible so as not to make viewers uncomfortable.
This is the case for «How Do You Play?» on MBC, «Sixth Sense: B-Side» on tvN—for this weekend’s and next week’s episodes—and «Amazing Saturday,» also on tvN, for which the episode filmed with him does not yet have an air date.
«The Village Barber 2» Remains Uncertain
The case of «The Village Barber 2» is much more complicated. Ko Kyung-pyo isn’t just making a cameo appearance: he’s part of the show’s core trio alongside Park Bo-gum and Lee Sang-yi, and filming in the village of Tongyeong has already wrapped up. He played the role of the salon’s cook.
For now, tvN has not made any announcement regarding the show’s status, and it is still scheduled to premiere on Sunday, November 29. One detail, however, raises questions: on Friday, the show was still listed in the “Upcoming Programs” section on Viki. As of Saturday, it no longer appears there.
Postponement, rescheduled airing, or no change to the broadcast schedule: We will update this article as soon as the network makes an announcement.