Actor Choi Jae-rim is stepping in for Jung Jin-woon.
On the 27th, producers Sam Company and Studio N announced that Choi Jae-rim is abruptly joining the world-premiere musical Yumi's Cells and unveiled a poster featuring the lead cast. Drawn specially by Lee Dong-gun, the original Naver Webtoon creator, the poster highlights a brand-new character called the 109 Cell, which is already drawing massive attention.
Choi Jae-rim will share the role of the 109 Cell with Jung Taek-woon. The 109 Cell is a distinctive, original character created exclusively for the musical and does not appear in the webtoon, further stoking audience curiosity.
Previously, on the 16th, the production announced that singer-actor Jung Jin-woon of 2AM had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts. In this context, Choi Jae-rim's bold addition is emerging as a fresh twist and a new reason to watch.
The production said, "With his powerhouse vocals and outstanding character interpretation, watch how Choi Jae-rim brings this character to life with a multidimensional narrative on stage," urging audiences to look forward to it.
After the news broke, netizens reacted with heated comments such as "Never saw this coming," "This makes no sense," "I'm definitely going," and "I don't even know what this musical is anymore."
Meanwhile, Yumi's Cells is set to run from June 30 to August 23 at the CJ Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center.