Following singer and actor WOODZ (real name Cho Seung-youn), actor Shim Eun-kyung has also ultimately declined an offer to star in the South Korea-Japan joint production film 'Tamako'.
On September 28, a representative for Shim Eun-kyung released an official statement regarding the project, which is known to be in preparation with the Japanese atomic bombing as its subject, stating, "We received an offer for the project, but have decided not to appear in it."
Earlier on September 26, a media outlet reported that Shim Eun-kyung and WOODZ would star in 'Tamako' alongside actors such as Sakura Ando. The South Korea-Japan co-production 'Tamako' is reportedly a story about a boy who loses his parents to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945, follows a Zainichi Korean to South Korea, and later experiences the Korean War.
In the film, the boy lives as a person on the margins, belonging to neither Japan nor Korea, and as an elderly man, he wishes to see his first love from Korea once again. The story continues as his daughter visits South Korea to fulfill her father's wish. Directed by Junji Sakamoto, the project is being pursued as a joint South Korea-Japan production that combines fiction with a true story.
Following the reports, online criticisms emerged regarding dealing with such a subject matter in a South Korea-Japan collaborative project, and backlash was directed at the actors mentioned for potential casting. This is because the Hiroshima atomic bombing is both a tragedy involving Japanese civilian casualties and a subject discussed alongside Japan's history of aggressive war and colonial rule. However, as the project has not yet entered the filming stage, the actual contents have not been confirmed.
Subsequently, WOODZ stated during a live broadcast on September 27, "We turned it down, and an article came out in the meantime," clarifying that the reports were groundless. Shim Eun-kyung's side also released the same stance right after the holidays. WOODZ showed a cautious attitude, saying, "I will carefully review, ponder, and think about everything before making a decision." The specific reason why Shim Eun-kyung declined the project has not been disclosed.
(Photo: Yonhap News) (Reported by Kang Kyung-yoon, SBS Entertainment News)
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