Lee Jung-jae's appearance on JTBC's 'Newsroom' canceled

Actor and director Lee Jung-jae [MEGABOX PLUS M]

Actor and director Lee Jung-jae's appearance on tonight's JTBC's live evening newscast "Newsroom" has been canceled due to the heavy rain in the greater Seoul area.

"Director Lee Jung-jae's appearance as a special guest on JTBC's "Newsroom" has been canceled and will be replaced with reports about the heavy rain," said Megabox Plus M on Tuesday.

"Newsroom" airs every night from 7:30 pm. to 8:30 p.m. The program is known for conducting in-depth interviews with prominent figures such as Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, and celebrities such as Song Joong-ki, Lee Hyo-ri, Gong Yoo and IU.

Lee was scheduled to appear as a guest on "Newsroom" to discuss his upcoming film "Hunt" which he directed and acted in alongside his longtime friend and colleague actor Jung Woo-sung. It was teased that he would share the casting process of the film and the hardships he faced as a first-time director.

"Hunt" is set to be released in local theaters on Aug. 10.

Heavy precipitation, which started Monday night, was concentrated in the southern areas of Seoul, leading to large amounts of flooding. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the accumulated precipitation was 417 millimeters (16.4 inches) in Dongjack District, 387 millimeters in Seocho District, and 367 millimeters in Gangnam District.

The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that it would rain 100 to 300 millimeters (4 to 12 inches) in the metropolitan area and Gangwon by Wednesday, 30 to 150 millimeters in Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang, and 30 to 50 millimeters in North Jeolla.

Lee shot to global stardom thanks to his role as Gi-hun in Netflix Korea’s “Squid Game” (2021). He was recently nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of the best lead actor in a drama for his role in the series. Including Lee's nomination, the series picked up 14 Emmy nominations across 13 categories. Lee, along with other cast and crew, is scheduled to attend the award ceremony on Sept. 12 in Los Angeles.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]