Scandals related to banned substances/drugs are ranked among the most serious scandals for Korean stars.
In a leading entertainment industry in Asia, artists have a good environment to develop, but at the same time are under pressure to maintain their image.
Once entangled in controversy, especially scandals related to ethics and law, they will face a strong wave of boycotts and the speed of career collapse may be unimaginably fast.
Image collapse, career loss due to drugs
Male singer and actor Park Yoo Chun is the most typical case of career ruin due to a series of scandals, including banned substances.
He is a member of the second-generation Kpop group, the most famous in Korea, TVXQ - once known as "the Eastern gods".
Later, despite being involved in a contract lawsuit with SM Entertainment, Yoo Chun made a spectacular career change as an actor. The movies "Love Story in Sungkyunkwan", "Rooftop Prince", "Sea fog" put him on the list of the most sought-after stars.
But starting in 2016, when the sex scandal broke out, Park Yoo Chun's career began to decline. 4 girls accused this star of sexual assault, although in the end Park Yoo Chun was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, his image was seriously damaged.
By 2019, Park Yoo Chun's career completely collapsed after receiving a 2-year suspended prison sentence for buying and using illegal drugs with his ex-fiancée.
At that time, MBC television station also announced the ban on Park Yoo Chun's broadcast. The male artist was almost "banned" from operating in Korea, and had to look for opportunities to reappear abroad.
Actor Joo Ji Hoon is also a case of a famous star becoming a "culprit" overnight. He once caused a fever throughout Asia with the role of Crown Prince Lee Shin in the hit movie "Royal Palace" (2006).
But in 2009, Joo Ji Hoon was sentenced to 6 months in prison, suspended from execution for 1 year (suspended sentence) for drug use.
Because of this scandal, Joo Ji Hoon lost his role in the Japanese drama "Tokyo tower". One of Korea's largest television stations - KBS - also banned the actor from appearing on air.
Many years later, thanks to the help of the management company headed by actor Bae Young Joon; as well as his progressive and hardworking spirit, Joo Ji Hoon gradually returned to acting and restored his reputation.
Other artists such as T.O. P (Big Bang), B.I (iKON) also struggled to return to artistic activities after controversy about banned substances.
Risks from artist scandals
In most cases, Korean stars are involved in scandals. The first consequence that the public easily notices is that brands and labels cooperating with that artist quickly remove advertisements and cancel contracts.
This move is considered a necessary "risk prevention" step, even implemented right when the scandal just broke out and there was no final conclusion.
Especially for A-list stars, when the number of advertising contracts can be up to several dozen, the speed of "turning their backs" when representative artists are involved in scandals is even more noteworthy.
Yoo Ah In's sentence of 2 years suspended imprisonment for banned substances in 2025 was described by Korean media as a "classic drug case of the entertainment industry". Because the actor is accused of using banned substances (such as Propofol, Midazolam, Ketamine and Remimazolam) 181 times in just half a year.
Many major brands such as Musinsa, NEPA, I'm Vita removed Yoo Ah In's advertisements as soon as there was news that he was being investigated. A lawyer once predicted that Yoo Ah In could face compensation for advertising contract violations of up to more than 10 billion won.
The film industry is also struggling because of the actor's scandal. At the time of investigation, Yoo Ah In participated in many film projects.
Two movies "The Match", "Hi-Five" and the TV series "Goodbye Earth" had to postpone release for a long time due to the male lead's scandal. Yoo Ah In also lost his role in the movie "Hellbound 2", although part 1 starring him was very successful.
When "The Match" was released, to avoid negative impacts, the producer did not allow Yoo Ah In to participate in any promotional schedules. The official trailer also cut off his scenes.
