Major film promos, pressers on hold
South Korea's film industry has begun scaling back promotional circuits following Sunday's devastating plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, which claimed 179 lives when a Jeju Air flight from Bangkok crashed into a wall after veering off the runway.
Hive Media Corp., the production company for "Secret: Untold Melody," called off Monday's press conference at Seoul's Megabox Coex in an announcement late Sunday. In a statement to reporters Monday, the studio apologized for the short notice and expressed condolences for the victims.
The romance, starring former K-pop idol Do Kyung-soo (also known as D.O. of EXO) and Won Jin-ah, follows the story of young musicians at a prestigious conservatory. A remake of Jay Chou's 2007 Taiwanese hit "Secret," the film is slated for release at the end of January ahead of the 2025 Lunar New Year holidays.
The cancellation comes as South Korea enters a weeklong national mourning period that runs through Saturday. While private enterprises face no legal obligation to observe this period, the entertainment industry typically refrains from hosting public events or festivities during such times.
The incident’s impact extended to promotional TV appearances as well. A scheduled appearance by "Bogota: City of the Lost" stars Song Joong-ki and Lee Hee-jun on JTBC’s cooking variety show "Chef & My Fridge" was shelved when Sunday's programming shifted to news coverage. "Harbin" star Hyun Bin's JTBC Newsroom interview faced a similar postponement.
Some events proceeded as planned, though with a more subdued tone. The "Harbin" cast went ahead with their postscreening meet-and-greet appearances at Seoul theaters on Sunday, where they extended their sympathies to crash victims in their remarks.
The press conference for romantic comedy "Forbidden Fairytale," set for Friday, remains on the calendar for now, according to officials. The film, starring Park Ji-hyun and Choi Si-won, hits theaters Jan. 8.
