"Why Bother?" Jihoon Lee Explains Controversy Over Power Abuse on 'Sponsor' Set

Lee Ji-hoon. Photo by TH Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Lee Ji-hoon clarified the allegations that he was 'power abusing' staff members on the drama set by stating, "It is true that a dispute occurred," and explained it was a "misunderstanding."

A representative from his agency, Some Entertainment, told Asia Economy on the afternoon of the 3rd, "It is true that a friend of Lee Ji-hoon came to the set and got into a dispute with the staff," adding, "We sincerely apologize for that incident and are trying to apologize to the staff member through the production team, but have been unable to make contact."

The representative said, "After the dispute, Lee Ji-hoon tried to apologize, but the staff member was upset and did not accept the apology. He apologized again on the next filming day," and added, "The friend who came to the set that day also expressed a desire to apologize."

Lee Ji-hoon celebrated his 34th birthday on the set of the IHQ drama 'Sponsor' on the 29th of last month, and a friend accompanied him to the filming location. On that day, a staff member mentioned the call time to Lee Ji-hoon, asking him to "come quickly," and during the explanation that it was his birthday, an argument broke out.

Subsequently, the staff member posted in the 'Sponsor' group chat that Lee Ji-hoon's friend had verbally abused them. The staff member claimed, "The actor said he stopped his friend on set, but I felt like, 'Why did you touch me?' I was not the only one who felt this way."

In response to the controversy, the production team of the drama 'Sponsor' stated, "This was a matter caused by mutual misunderstanding," and added, "Lee Ji-hoon expressed regret for not handling the situation more wisely and maturely, which led to friction between his friend and the staff."

They continued, "We will pay closer attention to management to prevent any future conflicts in the production environment. We sincerely apologize for causing concern to many people."

Lee Ji-hoon is currently filming as Lee Sun-woo, a talented photojournalist at a famous magazine, in the IHQ inaugural drama 'Sponsor,' which depicts the romantic entanglements of four men and women who stop at nothing to find sponsors to fulfill their desires.

Meanwhile, Lee Ji-hoon debuted in 2012 with the KBS drama 'School 2013' and has appeared in dramas such as 'Woman of 9.9 Billion,' 'Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung,' 'Dinner Mate,' and 'River Where the Moon Rises.' In June, he established his one-man agency, Some Entertainment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.