[TV Report = Kim Narae] The film “The King and the Clown” (hereafter “The King”) has surpassed 6 million viewers, continuing its impressive success, while actor Oh Dal-su, who appears in the movie, has become a topic of heated debate online.
“The King,” which opened on the 4th, tells the story of a village chief who voluntarily exiles himself for the revival of Cheongnyongpo village in 1457 and the young exiled king who was chased from the throne. As of 9 a.m. on the 27th, the film has accumulated a total of 6,733,443 viewers, achieving box office success. Distributor Showbox expressed their expectations of reaching 10 million viewers, stating that the film is progressing at the same rate as the 2012 movie “Masquerade.”
“The King” has been praised for its solid narrative and the passionate performances of the actors. However, some audience members expressed disappointment over the inclusion of Oh Dal-su, whose past personal controversies had caused public uproar. Although he played a heartfelt role as Yoon, an elderly character, online criticisms pointed out, “Did they really have to cast this actor despite it not being an irreplaceable role?” and “His past controversies resurfaced, disrupting immersion.” Additionally, there were remarks about the clash between his past controversies and his character’s virtuous image. Some even pointed out feeling discomfort during scenes intended to evoke laughter.
Furthermore, the fact that Oh Dal-su’s involvement wasn’t prominently highlighted during promotions led to reactions like “I didn’t know he would appear and was taken aback while watching.” In contrast, there were voices of support stating, “He’s already resumed his acting career, so it’s not particularly problematic,” and “The artist’s personal controversies should be viewed separately from their work.”
In February 2018, during the #MeToo movement, Oh Dal-su was accused of sexually harassing a fellow actor, after which he stepped down from projects and took a break. In 2019, the police closed the investigation due to the expiration of the statute of limitations and lack of a formal complaint. Since then, he has appeared in films such as “The Neighbor,” “I Want to See Your Parents’ Faces,” as well as Disney Plus’ “Casino” and Netflix’s “Squid Game 2.” He signed an exclusive contract with HB Entertainment last November.