Every year has its share of scandals but Korean drama was dominated by two major scandals in 2015 and both were carried over by events that happened in 2014.
Those scandals involved singer-actor Kim Hyun Joong and actor Lee Byung Hun.
Kim Hyun Joong's scandal involved an ex-girlfriend who accused him of several charges of abuse in 2014. All but one of the charges were eventually dropped. That 2014 case ended with a financial settlement and a court fine for the one remaining charge. The couple reunited, only to break up at the beginning of 2015. Then on January 2015 she announced that she was expecting his child. Not only did she allege that she was expecting his child but she said she had suffered a miscarriage during the previously settled abuse case. Things got really messy when the ex released text messages allegedly exchanged between them. It did not portray Kim, the star of "Inspiring Generation," in the best possible light.
Kim Hyun Joong enlisted for his two-year mandatory military duty in May. The ex, known only as Choi, had her child in September. The court case continues with the latest contention concerning a DNA test.
Lee Byung Hun's scandal began in 2014 when he was blackmailed by GLAM's Kim Dahee and Model Lee Ji Yeon with a recording of a sexually explicit conversation he had with them. He reported the attempt to the police and both women were arrested. The prosecution delivered prison sentences to both women. In February 2015, Lee and his actress wife Lee Min Jung returned from Los Angeles, where they had been living for a few months. She delivered their first child on March 31.
The blackmailers appealed their sentences but the prosecution asked for even stiffer prison terms, saying they were not repentant. Lee Byung Hun asked for leniency, so the blackmailers ultimately received suspended sentences in March 2015.
The case did not seem to affect Lee Byung Hun's career as he starred in both American and Korean films during that time.
The only other scandal of note in 2015 involved actress Yoon Eun Hye but her plagiarism accusation pales in comparison to the scandals involving Kim Hyun Joong and Lee Byung Hun. The actress was accused of plagiarizing a design when she appeared on a Chinese program titled "Fashion Goddess." She denied the charges and would not comment to the press, but the surrounding negative publicity prompted the actress to change her schedule. She decided not to attend the Busan Film Festival or appear in a subsequent season of the fashion program. She can be seen this year in the film "After Love."
