A representative for the upcoming MCB drama The Season of Kkok Du (aka Kkokdu’s Gye-jeol) has announced the role that was being played by late actor Lee Ji Han has been recast.
Lee Ji Han, of course, was one of the 156 people sadly killed during the Itaewon tragedy that occurred during Halloween festivities on 29 October, 2022 in Seoul.
The 25-year-old actor was in the area with friends, and was one of the victims caught in the crowd crush that caused such a catastrophic loss of life.
Since his death, filming for The Season of Kkok Du has been postponed, while cast and crew mourned Lee Ji Han’s death and continued during the time all of Korea was in national mourning.
Replacing Lee Ji Han in The Season of Kkok Du is 23-year-old Lee Jung Joon (name in Korean 이정준).
Lee Jung Joon is a relative newcomer, but still known for his roles in several dramas in the last few years, including roles in Queen for Seven Days, Class of Lies, Squid Game, and It’s Beautiful Now.
He is also currently playing Ki Woon Chan in the SBS comedy romance Cheer Up.
In The Season of Kkok Du, Lee Jung Joon will take over the role of Jung Yi Deun in the drama.
With several scenes already shot with Lee Ji Han in the role, it is likely every scene Jung Yi Deun appears in will need to be reshot, so that the same actor (Lee Jung Joon) plays the same role throughout the drama.
And, at times like this, the ones I feel the most sympathy for are Lee Ji Han’s parents, family and friends.
They must have been so proud of him to have been given a role in another high-level SBS drama, and to have everything taken away from him, including his life, at such a young age is immeasurably sad.
At the same time, however, with so many people’s jobs on the line during the filming of the as-yet uncompleted The Season of Kkok Du, it is only understandable that his role must now be filmed by another actor.
Once filming ends, The Season of Kkok Du is expected to premiere some time in the first half of 2023.
Until then, watch Lee Jung Joon in the current airing drama Cheer Up on Viki.