The fact that actor Song Young-kyu was driving under the influence has come to light late, causing an emergency for the projects he is involved in. The production of the play "Shakespeare in Love" has urgently decided to have Song Young-kyu exit, and the dramas he is currently appearing in have announced that they will minimize his screen time as much as possible.
According to News1 on the 25th, the Dongbu Police Station in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, reported that they did not forward the case against Song Young-kyu to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office for violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving) at the end of last month.
Song Young-kyu is suspected of driving under the influence on the night of the 19th of last month, traveling about 5 km from Giheung-gu to Cheoin-gu in Yongin. It is reported that he was driving home after having drinks with acquaintances.
The police received a report stating, "It seems that a person who has been drinking is driving a vehicle," and dispatched to the scene, where they apprehended Song Young-kyu. His blood alcohol concentration was found to be at a level that would result in license cancellation (0.08% or higher).
As the allegations of Song Young-kyu's drunk driving became known late, the projects he is involved in faced a sudden crisis. He is currently appearing in the play "Shakespeare in Love" and the ENA Monday-Tuesday drama "I Shopping." He is also set to appear in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Try: We Become Miracles," which is premiering today.
The production of "Shakespeare in Love" has decided to have Song Young-kyu exit. The production company Show Note announced on their official SNS, "Due to personal reasons of the actor playing the role of Penny Man, starting from the performance on the 27th, the role of Penny Man will be performed by actor Lim Cheol-hyung as a one-cast." However, the performance scheduled for today will proceed as planned for unavoidable reasons.
The situations for "I Shopping" and "Try" are even more complicated. Both dramas were pre-produced. Song Young-kyu is currently playing the role of Pastor Yoon Se-hoon in "I Shopping," and in "Try: We Become Miracles," he plays the role of Kim Min-joong, the coach of the rugby team at Daesang High School.
The production team of "I Shopping" stated regarding Song Young-kyu's appearance, "As it is a pre-produced drama and all filming has been completed, it is difficult to completely edit him out," adding, "We will edit as much as possible to avoid any discomfort within the range that does not affect the flow of the drama and viewer understanding."
The production team of "Try" also stated, "The episode airing this week has already been prepared for broadcast, including on global OTT platforms, so we ask for your understanding that immediate editing is difficult. However, we are discussing ways to edit future scenes to ensure they do not affect the main storyline as much as possible."
Meanwhile, Song Young-kyu is an actor who has played a scene-stealer in numerous dramas and films. He has appeared in movies such as "Extreme Job," "Suriname," and "Casino."
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
