‘Goodbye Earth’ director never doubted revealing the series despite Yoo’s drug scandal

The director of the Netflix series “Goodbye Earth,” which was put in the middle of controversy ahead of its release after actor Yoo Ah-in was indicted on drug charges in October, said he never doubted the series would make it to screens.

“Although there was a significant amount of time for waiting, I never doubted that this series would not be revealed. It was fate to come out to the world and meet the audience,” director Kim Jin-min told reporters during a press conference in Seoul on Friday.

Initially scheduled for release at the end of last year, the series is now slated to begin on April 26.

“When the issue broke out, I was actually in the middle of editing the third episode. Coincidentally, it was a time when I thought that I wanted to edit the story all over again, after understanding new, important parts in the later episodes. So I edited as a whole,” Kim said, adding that but completely omitting Yoo’s part was difficult because he belongs to the major plot in the series.

Yoo, 37, had already completed shooting for his main role in “Goodbye Earth” in 2022. His trial on drug use charges is still underway.

After significantly omitting Yoo’s part, “Goodbye Earth” now focuses on Se-kyung (Ahn Eun-jin). She is a middle school teacher who goes out to save people stranded on the Korean Peninsula with only 200 days left before an asteroid is expected to hit. She is also the lover of lab researcher Yoon-sang (Yoo).

The story is based on the Japanese fantasy novel “Shumatsu no Furu” by Kotaro Isaka.

“This is a very unique dystopian genre series, which sets characters heading toward dystopia. It’s not about their struggles for survival, but something that throws a question, ‘what would you do (when you have 200 days to live)?’ … The main idea is that for all people, from 4-year-olds to 80-year-olds, life is equally blessed and precious,” director Kim said.

“This is the most philosophical work that I’ve ever produced,” he added, who also helmed hit Netflix series “Extracurricular” (2020) and “My Name” (2021).

Ahn Eun-jin, who won global popularity from the Korean period drama “My Dearest” (2023) and “Hospital Playlist” (2020), said she felt a sense of duty while shooting.

“Playing a teacher, I spent a lot of time with young actors who played students. I held their hands tightly while shooting, and although it was just for acting, I felt a great sense of duty that I should protect them,” Ahn told reporters.

Kim Yoon-hye appears as battalion commander In-a who devotes herself to safeguarding people. Actor Jeon Sung-woo plays Sung-jae, a priest who offers comfort to his shaken community.

“Goodbye Earth” runs over 12 episodes, all of which will be available on Netflix from April 26.