'Ok-jang-pan Incident': Ok Ju-hyun Revives the Issue, Backfires with Plea.. Resurfaced Controversy Over 'Being Given All the Slots' [★NEWSing]

*This content was translated by AI.

Singer and musical actress Ok Ju-hyun voiced her sense of injustice by bringing up the so-called 'Ok-jang-pan incident' from four years ago. However, her plea served not to garner sympathy but to resurface the long-standing controversy over whether she was being given all the performance slots.

On the 8th, Ok Ju-hyun addressed the so-called 'Ok-jang-pan incident,' which first erupted in 2022, through a lengthy post.

Previously, Kim Ho-young made remarks in 2022 stating, "The Asari-pan is ancient history. Now it's Ok-jang-pan." This led to speculation that Kim was implying allegations regarding nepotism-based casting for the musical 'Elisabeth' by comparing Ok Ju-hyun to 'Ok-jang-pan.' In response, Ok Ju-hyun's side denied the nepotism claims and filed a defamation lawsuit against Kim Ho-young before later withdrawing it.

Reviving the incident, Ok Ju-hyun claimed she has never received a proper apology from Kim Ho-young and stated, "What I regret most is withdrawing the lawsuit." She also expressed that the nickname 'Ok-jang-pan' had negatively impacted her advertising deals and artistic activities.

Ok Ju-hyun said, "That remark did not end as a simple joke or an isolated incident. It genuinely affected my image, advertisements, and work choices. Even when deciding whether to accept or drop a project, I worried that this frame might become a burden for others." She added, "Ultimately, I made the decision to withdraw from certain projects to protect everyone else, as I did not want to cause further harm to those productions. During this process, I felt ashamed of being part of the musical community, which is why I opened up to my fans about my feelings."

She continued, "What I seek is not merely an emotional dispute. If that remark was truly not directed at me personally, why did so many people associate it with me? And why has there never been a single explanation from the public regarding the damage and hurt caused by it?" She concluded, "I hope my name will no longer be consumed as a mockery under the label 'Ok-jang-pan.'"

However, after Ok Ju-hyun's post went public, some netizens argued that the background behind the nickname 'Ok-jang-pan' needed to be examined first, bringing up again the long-standing controversy over whether she was being given all the performance slots.

During the 10th-anniversary performances of the musical 'Elisabeth' in 2022, Ok Ju-hyun appeared in 73 shows, while another lead actress cast alongside her performed only 33 times. At the time, some fans pointed out that such a significant disparity in performance slots among officially cast leads was unprecedented.

This controversy is not new. In the 2016 production of 'Mata Hari,' Ok Ju-hyun performed approximately 80% of all shows. More recently, in 'Anna Karenina,' she took on 23 performances while two other actresses each handled only 7 and 8 shows respectively, reigniting concerns over slot concentration. In response to these allegations at the time, the 'Anna Karenina' production team stated, "Casting and performance scheduling fall under the exclusive authority of the production company and original creators, so we have no comment." They further explained, "The schedule was finalized with great difficulty due to numerous variables, including negotiations with licensors, overall reduction in total performances, and actors' availability."

Ultimately, although Ok Ju-hyun claimed she suffered long-term damage under the 'Ok-jang-pan' frame, her post ended up resurfacing the very controversy over slot concentration that originally gave rise to that frame.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.