Musical actor under fire after nightclub party

A musical actor currently starring in musical “Ludwig” has become embroiled in controversy after photos of the actor at a club emerged.

Kim Jun-young came under fire for partying at a Seoul club from Thursday night to Friday after photos of Kim at the club went viral on social media. Kim is a lead actor in musical “Ludwig: Beethoven the Piano.”

As his clubbing photos triggered hailstorm online, Kim stepped down from the show beginning with Saturday’s performance. Meanwhile, the production company of “Ludwig” said Kim did not have any contact with other members of the production team after visiting the club.

“I forgot my role as a stage actor who meets with the audience directly, making a wrong decision which troubles others,” Kim said on his social media account on Saturday, expressing regret for his action.

According to his agency HJ Culture, Kim voluntarily tested for COVID-19 which came out negative. He went into a two-week self-quarantine and will be tested again at the end of the quarantine period.

Meanwhile, his online fan club All Live Young has halted all activities, saying, “We do not want to defend Kim‘s careless behavior.” The fan club added the actor has agreed to its shutdown.

Kim made his stage debut in 2018. “Ludwig” was the first lead role for Kim. Kim’s co-stars Jo Hwan-ji and Park Jun-hee will take up his part in the show. The show runs until September.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)