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Musical actor Kim Jun-young to withdraw from shows over alleged adult entertainment venue visit

Published: 04 Nov. 2025, 17:26

Musical actor Kim Jun-young [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Musical actor Kim Jun-young will withdraw from all current and upcoming productions following backlash over a social media post that sparked allegations he had visited an adult entertainment establishment, his agency and production company HJ Culture announced on Monday.

"We sincerely apologize for causing concern to audiences and industry colleagues due to the situation involving our artist Kim Jun-young," the agency said in a statement posted on its official Instagram account on Monday. "As the actor was involved in multiple productions, we needed careful coordination with each production company and related staff. We apologize once again for the delay in sharing a final decision.

"We were in the process of taking appropriate steps to show accountability to those who trusted and supported us, but we failed to provide timely updates and clear communication. We deeply apologize for the disappointment this has caused."

The controversy erupted when Kim uploaded, then deleted, a receipt from a restaurant on his social media account. The receipt included a woman’s name and payment details, prompting speculation that he had visited an adult entertainment venue.

HJ Culture initially denied any wrongdoing.

"We want to make it clear that the actor was not involved in any illegal activity," the agency said. "The allegations circulating online are false. We ask the public to refrain from spreading baseless speculation, unverified information or excessive interpretations. We will consider legal action against the spread of malicious falsehoods or defamation."

But just 10 hours after that statement, the company reversed its stance and announced Kim's departure from all projects, prompting backlash online.

Comments included, "Nice U-turn," "Weren’t you the ones who said he did nothing wrong?" and "You should reimburse the production for cancellation penalties."

Kim debuted in the 2018 musical "Singin' in the Rain" and was appearing in the musical "Rachmaninoff" and the play "Amadeus." He had also been cast in upcoming musicals "Eternity" and "Meet John Doe."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]