Park Shi Hoo earned attention in 2013, both for his acting and the long-lasting scandal that may have permanently tarnished his name.
At the beginning of the year, the actor was enjoying the success of his comedy "Cheomdamdung Alice." His film "I Am A Murderer" was due to be released in Japan.
Then in February, an aspiring actress known only as "A" dined with Park Shi Hoo and mutual friends. She then returned to his home, spent the night, and a shortly thereafter accused him of rape. Park Shi Hoo claimed the sex was consensual. The police filed charges against the actor, who in turn countersued the woman and his former manager. He believed that his former manager and the woman conspired to extort money from him and ruin his reputation. The agent countersued Park Shi Hoo for damaging his reputation.
Although the case had not yet been tried, in April, the controversy resulted in his name being taken off the list of contenders for the annual Baeksang Awards. Before his name was removed, he led the popularity poll for male film actors with 47 percent of the votes for his role in the movie "Confession of Murder." The television networks decided not to ban him and await the outcome of the trial.
Although parties in the case deny that a settlement was reached, "A" suddenly dropped her suit against the actor in May. As a result the police had to dismiss their charges against him. A did not explain why she dropped the charges. Besides rumors of a settlement, there was some evidence that she discussed asking Park Shi Hoo for money.
That same month "Confession of a Murder" was released in Japan.
Although Park Shi Hoo dropped his lawsuit against A and his former agent, the agent was not so quick to settle. He requested an apology. That case was finally resolved by mediation. Park Shi Hoo thanked his fans for their support and spent a few months in California, considering foreign film and drama offers. In September he returned to Korea. In October he was nominated for a rookie award at the 50th Grand Bell Awards for his role in "I Am A Murderer." The rookie award was seen as a small step toward reviving his career.
Only those who were present can know whether or not it was rape. And they had reasons to disagree about what happened. Whether the incident was rape or an extortion attempt it does show how easily an actor's reputation can be harmed.
