SBS finalizes T-ara Eunjung quitting "Five Fingers"

Actor Ju Ji-hoon and T-ara's Eunjung pose next to each other at a press conference for SBS' new weekend TV series "Five Fingers" held at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, on August 16, 2012. [SBS]

In less than a week after kicking off the show last Saturday, "Five Fingers" producers have finalized their decision to let go of T-ara's Hahm Eunjung from its cast.

While Hahm and other T-ara members are faced with mounting criticism over allegedly bullying member Hwa-young, SBS officials released a firm statement this afternoon that they will soon find a replacement for Eunjung's character in the new weekend TV series.

"We, the production crew of 'Five Fingers,' are cutting Hahm off the role of Hong Da-mi after a long discussion and thinking it over thoroughly," PR official Lee Won-gu said in the press release.

"We'll find the replacement of Hahm as soon as possible and do our best to meet the expectations of our viewers," Lee said, without providing a specific reason why the firm suddenly made the choice.

Now that SBS officials made a clear stance about making Hahm drop out from the drama, the spotlight is shifting toward Soyeon and Hyomin, who are starring in KBS' "Lovers of Haeundae" and MBC's "1,000th Man" [translated title] that began airing on August 6 and 17, respectively.

"The staffs should do something [about Soyeon's appearance] in the show...I want to watch 'Haeundae Lovers' without feeling uncomfortable over her scenes," read a post on the official website of the Cho Yeo-jung and Kim Kang-woo's starrer.

"What have Kim and Cho done wrong? Soyeon is putting other cast members in an awkward situation and making its viewers anxious."

The same is happening on the website of "1,000 Man," MBC's new Friday TV series that aired just the first episode last week.

"It is pretty apparent that the ratings will drop if Hyomin keeps starring in the drama," wrote a viewer.

In the meantime, some are voicing out concerns over the girls, claiming that this could be another infamous witch hunting of celebrities as it is unclear for anyone to judge the 'T-ara incident' that broke out during the last week of July.

T-ara has been on the receiving end of an angry backlash from the public and fellow Korean celebrities after their agency, Core Contents Media, forced Hwa-young out of the group on July 30.

Not to mention getting cut by advertisers from extending their modeling contracts, the "Lovey-Dovey" singers have been confronted by unexpected and difficult events that are far from being lovely.

So far, one of the possible replacement candidates of 'Five Fingers' is actress Jin Sae-yeon of "Gaksital," KBS' current Wednesday and Thursday hit TV series.


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