Actor Jung Hae In will not attend the upcoming press screening of the animated film ‘Gills’, with his agency and the film’s distributor confirming that his absence is due to a pre-scheduled filming commitment, not the recent controversy involving actress Ha Young.
The ‘Gills’ press screening and press conference are scheduled for August 26 at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul.
Jung Hae In, who voices the main character Gon, will not be present at the event because his previously arranged drama filming schedule overlaps with the screening.
FNC Entertainment clarified the matter after speculation grew online about the actor’s absence. The agency said Jung Hae In had already been expected to miss the event because of his filming schedule.
A representative of At Nine Film, the distributor of ‘Gills,’ also explained that the scheduling issue was discussed with Jung Hae In’s side two to three weeks ago, AllKPop reported.
The representative stressed that it had no connection to the controversy that surfaced more recently. The clarification comes after Jung Hae In’s promotional schedule for another project was affected by the controversy surrounding Ha Young. The two actors appear together in the Netflix series ‘Our Sticky Love.’
Jung Hae In had been scheduled to take part in an interview for the series on August 14. However, the interview was canceled after controversy emerged over Ha Young’s great-grandfather and allegations about his past activities.
FNC Explains Jung Hae In’s ‘Gills’ Screening Absence
Ha Young recently faced criticism after discussing her family history on KBS2’s ‘Problem Child in House.’ She spoke about her great-grandfather, Ahn Sang Ho, who was described as a doctor who studied Western medicine in Japan and later opened a Western-style hospital in Korea.
Online claims later connected Ahn Sang Ho to the Daehwa Friendship Association, an organization described as pro-Japanese.
Ha Young’s side initially denied the allegations but later said records had been checked and confirmed her great-grandfather’s activities. The actress then issued a handwritten apology.
According to TheChosun, because Jung Hae In’s ‘Our Sticky Love’ interview had already been canceled and his ‘Gills’ screening absence was announced soon after, some people linked the two events. However, the distributor and FNC Entertainment both made clear that the ‘Gills’ schedule was separate from the controversy.
‘Gills’ is an animated film based on the novel by Koo Byung Mo. It follows Gon, the only child in a world where he develops gills after being thrown into deep water. The story focuses on Gon and the people who become important to him.
Director Ahn Jae Hoon leads the project, with Kang Ha Neul, Lee Chung Ah, Yoo Jae Myung, and Kim Sun Young also lending their voices to the film.
‘Gills’ is scheduled to open in theaters on September 9.