Scandal-Plagued South Korean Stars Step Back into Spotlight

A wave of once-disgraced South Korean celebrities are returning to the spotlight following high-profile blow-ups.

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SEOUL -

Actress Seo Yea-ji recently appeared on TV for the first time since stepping away from the public eye following a series of media firestorms. The allegations against the 35-year-old included mistreating staff, falsifying her academic credentials and pressuring her then-boyfriend, actor Kim Jung-hyun, to cut romantic scenes and physical contact with a female co-star.

She was also entangled in rumors of alleged romantic ties to actor Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Ro-be, the co-founder and co-executive producer of Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Goldmedalist.

Seo, who rose to stardom with hit dramas such as Save Me (2017) and It's Okay To Not Be Okay (2020), faced fierce backlash, prompting an extended hiatus.

On March 30, she made her small-screen comeback for the first time since the controversies emerged in 2021, appearing as a guest on the long-running culinary travel show Huh Young Man's Food Travel.

In it, she visited Wonju, a city in Gangwon province, alongside host Huh Young-man.