The production team of MBC's 'Good Day' has announced plans to edit out as much of actor Kim Soo-hyun's appearances as possible, following allegations that he dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
On March 17, the 'Good Day' production team released an official statement, saying, "We are aware of the seriousness of the controversy surrounding our cast member and are prioritizing viewer reactions as we continue production. We have decided to edit out as much of Kim Soo-hyun's appearances as possible."
They further explained, "With the controversies surrounding the cast continuing, we believed that the purpose of Good Day, which began with good intentions, along with the sincerity of the cast who participated wholeheartedly and the love and support of the viewers, could also continue to be undermined."
On March 10, the family of the late Kim Sae-ron claimed through the YouTube channel Hover Lab that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron from 2015, when she was a minor, for six years. In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, stated on March 14 that while it is true they dated in the past, it was only after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.
Despite Kim Soo-hyun's explanation, the controversy persisted, and the website for 'Good Day' was flooded with demands for his removal. The situation escalated when it was revealed that Kim Soo-hyun participated in the recording of 'Good Day' on March 13, leading to increased criticism.
In the 5th episode of 'Good Day,' which aired on March 16, Kim Soo-hyun did not appear in any solo shots, but he was seen in group shots, and other cast members mentioned his name. Some viewers reacted by asking, "Why wasn't Kim Soo-hyun edited out?"
In response, the 'Good Day' production team explained, "'Good Day' is a pre-produced program due to translation procedures for overseas broadcasting/streaming, requiring production at least 1 to 2 weeks before the broadcast date. The 5th episode, which aired on March 16, was already in the process of being translated for MBC and global OTT platforms when the controversy arose. We urgently edited out Kim Soo-hyun's parts from the 'Good Day Assembly' segment and re-uploaded the version. As a result, the 5th episode was about 10 minutes shorter than usual, and the details were lacking."
They added, "The 'Good Day Assembly' content, revealed from the latter part of the 5th episode, was filmed on February 18th and will unfold over the next 6 to 7 episodes. We have decided to edit out as much of Kim Soo-hyun's appearances as possible."
Regarding Kim Soo-hyun's participation in the recording on March 13, they explained, "The recording of the 'Good Day' soundtrack was delayed beyond the planned schedule, and we were waiting for an official statement from Kim Soo-hyun's agency regarding the controversy. However, since the agency planned to make a statement the following week (as of the 13th), and securing the cast's schedule after that day would be difficult, we had no choice but to proceed with the recording after much deliberation." They added, "The individual recording process of the cast member in question will not be aired."
Reporter Kang Sun-ae sakang@sbs.co.kr
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)