Musical actor Jung Min-chan has dropped out midway from the musical Sergei Diaghilev in the wake of a growing social media controversy.
On May 22, production company Showplay announced on its official social channels, "After thorough discussions with the production, actor Jung Min-chan, who was playing Nijinsky, will be exiting the show." The company added, "We sincerely apologize to our audience for the concern caused by matters related to Jung Min-chan and for the inconvenience and confusion from this sudden decision," expressing regret over the unexpected situation.
Jung Min-chan’s departure came just two days after his Instagram post landed at the center of a public firestorm. On May 20, he uploaded a photo taken at a Starbucks along with a caption saying he drank a beverage provided by a staff member via Instagram Stories. However, the post was slammed online for coinciding with a heated "Tank Day" marketing boycott and for allegedly evoking memories of the military’s bloody suppression during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. Critics argued that, as a public figure under intense scrutiny, he showed a reckless disregard for the broader social context; the post was deleted as the backlash escalated.
On May 22, Jung attempted to clarify via his Instagram Stories. He wrote, "I’ve been swamped with my main job, so I don’t really keep up with the news or social issues," adding, "I don’t know why I’m getting this much attention." He continued, "Not knowing and being ignorant are my fault, and I offer my sincere apology. I’ll make sure to follow the news more closely going forward." Yet parts of his apology were criticized as tone-deaf and overly casual given the gravity of the situation, fueling even stronger backlash.
After his exit became official, netizens reacted with mixed responses: "One slip of the tongue and he lost his job in an instant," "Now the remaining cast and staff will bear the brunt,” "It’s disappointing the official notice didn’t clearly explain the exact reason behind the departure," and "Pushing him to leave might be overkill."
Meanwhile, the musical Sergei Diaghilev is scheduled to run through June 14.