Actor Lee Byung Hun became the victim of a blackmail attempt in September. But the latest victim in the scandal may be Jeon Do Yeon, his co-star in the Korean film, "Memories of the Sword."
Although Lee Byung Hun was a victim in the attempt, his association with the blackmailers led to a scandal that damaged his career. GLAM's Kim Dahee and model Lee Ji Yeon have already admitted to blackmailing the actor, but they say that he had an affair with Lee Ji Yeon. It's a claim the actor denies.
As a result of the negative publicity generated by the scandal, the actor has already lost some advertising work and has been replaced in some commercials.
The actor apologized earlier this week for any harm his actions in the incident may have caused friends and family.
But Jeon Do Yeon's career may also be affected by the scandal.
The release of their film, "Memories of the Sword," was set for December but now it has been delayed until at least January. The film's producers hope that the blackmail scandal will no longer be making headlines by then and will not hurt the film's box office profits. The historical film "Memories of the Sword" cost $10 million to produce, so picking the right release date is a major financial decision.
As a result, Jeon Do Yeon's other recent film, "Rouge," which was due to be released in January, may now be postponed until the spring. She co-stars in "Rouge" with Kim Nam Gil. Producers do not want the two films to compete at the box office.
"Memories of the Sword" tells the story of swordsman Deok Gi, played by Lee Byung Hun. Jeon Do Yeon plays Seol Rang, the woman he once loved. Seol Rang was the award-winning actress' first role in a historical film. She has not appeared on the small screen since the 2008 drama "on Air."
Lee Byung Hun acted in "Memories of the Sword" after appearing in two Hollywood productions, "Red 2" and "G.I. Joe: Reconciliation." He has also been cast in another Hollywood film, "Terminator: Genisys" and another Korean film, "The Insiders."
The actor left for Los Angeles this week to take part in California Tourism promotional events and to talk to Hollywood producers about future film projects. He is due to appear in court on Nov. 11 to testify in the ongoing blackmail case.
