Casting Updates for 'The Tyrant's Chef' Amid Controversy Surrounding Park Sung-hoon

As the production of 'The Tyrant's Chef' faces turmoil due to the controversy surrounding male lead Park Sung-hoon, additional casting efforts are underway, including actress Kang Han-na. On January 2, a representative from Kang Han-na's agency, KeyEast, confirmed to OSEN that discussions are ongoing for her role as Kang Mok-joo in the drama.

'The Tyrant's Chef' tells the story of a French chef who time-travels from the modern era to meet a tyrannical yet gourmet-loving king, developing a love that transcends 500 years. Directed by Jang Tae-yoo, known for acclaimed works like SBS's 'Deep Rooted Tree' and 'My Love from the Star', the drama has garnered significant attention from fans. The script is penned by writer HapJak.

The lead role has been confirmed for Girls' Generation member and actress YoonA, marking her return to the small screen after two years since 'King the Land'. Fans are eagerly anticipating the collaboration between YoonA and director Jang Tae-yoo, hoping for another hit drama.

However, the focus has shifted to Park Sung-hoon, who recently faced backlash after mistakenly posting an adult video cover photo inspired by Netflix's 'Squid Game' on his personal social media. This incident occurred while he was receiving praise for his role as a transgender character in 'Squid Game Season 2'. Although he deleted the post within a minute, the mistake was quickly shared among fans both domestically and internationally.

In response, BH Entertainment, Park Sung-hoon's agency, stated that he accidentally shared the image while receiving numerous direct messages and intended to report the issue to his agency. Despite this explanation, public sentiment has turned critical, leading to widespread condemnation.

The controversy has also affected 'The Tyrant's Chef', as a script reading scheduled for today (January 2) was canceled, with some speculating it was a reaction to Park's incident. However, the production team clarified that the cancellation was due to a national mourning period following the Jeju Air tragedy, and not related to Park's personal issues.

The production team of 'The Tyrant's Chef' is moving forward with casting key roles, including Kang Han-na, and aims to begin filming with a target broadcast date set for later this year on tvN.