Ok Joo-hyun 'Ok-jangpan' controversy resurfaces... Kim Ho-young: "Severe burnout in the past" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Musical actress Ok Joo-hyun is making headlines again by bringing up the 'Ok-jangpan' controversy. Meanwhile, Kim Ho-young expressed his affection for Choi Jung-won.

On the 7th, a video featuring musical actress Choi Jung-won as a guest was posted on Kim Ho-young's YouTube channel.

That day, Kim Ho-young began by saying, "When I joined the musical 'Rempica,' I experienced burnout unlike anything I had ever encountered in my life."

He recalled, "I called senior (Choi) Jung-won and started talking, and tears suddenly came out. Some lines in 'Rempica' were words I never used in daily life, so they didn't come naturally to me."

He continued, "At that time, senior said, 'That's what makes you even more stylish.' Those words completely changed me. She was the one who helped me quickly shift my perspective," expressing his gratitude toward Choi Jung-won.

Choi Jung-won also recalled that time, saying, "(Kim Ho-young) could have read it like a book, but from the moment he actually started reading, he had already become someone else."

He added, "I felt that (Kim) Ho-young's true character would come out. Although Ho-young sometimes grumbles, I believe that process itself is growth."

He further praised, "Ho-young's 'too much' energy is incredibly positive. He works harder than others. The reason we could raise the quality of the performance was thanks to Ho-young."

Meanwhile, Kim Ho-young has been repeatedly brought back into the spotlight for mentioning the so-called 'Ok-jangpan' controversy involving musical actress Ok Joo-hyun, formerly a member of the group Finkle.

Recently, Ok Joo-hyun sparked discussion by referencing the 'Ok-jangpan' controversy that erupted in 2022 through her SNS and fan communication platform Bubble. The controversy originated from suspicions that the casting for the 10th-anniversary performance of the musical 'Elisabeth' was based on personal connections rather than merit. Musical actress Kim Ho-young posted on her SNS, "The 'Asari-jangpan' is old news. Now it's 'Ok-jangpan'," and some speculated that this post was aimed at Ok Joo-hyun.

In response, Ok Joo-hyun filed a defamation lawsuit against Kim Ho-young, stating, "I am preparing to sue those who fueled reckless speculation and the subsequent articles." Meanwhile, Kim Ho-young's side expressed regret, saying, "It is regrettable that (Ok Joo-hyun) did not verify the facts with the parties involved or with Kim Ho-young, thereby damaging the actor's reputation." Additionally, Kim Ho-young clarified that the post was not intended to target Ok Joo-hyun but was meant to promote carpets sold by a friend's father.

As the situation escalated, prominent actors in the musical industry released an appeal statement. Ok Joo-hyun then withdrew her lawsuit, stating, "I realized I was not careful enough during the process of addressing the suspicions surrounding me and explaining them."

Recently, more than four years after the controversy began, Ok Joo-hyun revealed again that the 'Ok-jangpan' frame, which started from one person's words, became a nickname attached to her name. She said, "Since then, I have had to endure suspicions, mockery, and criticism created by that word for a long time," bringing the 'Ok-jangpan' controversy back into public view once more.

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*This content was translated by AI.