Actor Lee Soo-hyuk's mid-production departure from drama leaves many puzzled

In an unexpected and puzzling move, actor Lee Soo-hyuk withdrew from the Netflix drama “Men of the Harem” while production was underway.

His agency, Saram Entertainment, confirmed Wednesday that the actor was dropping out of the project, citing scheduling conflicts.

Based on a web novel of the same name, “Men of the Harem” is a palace romance-fantasy drama set in a fictional world. The story follows Latil, an empress of the Tarium Empire, and the political intrigue among her five royal consorts as they compete to win her affection.

Lee Eung-bok, who previously directed “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” “Descendants of the Sun,” “Mr. Sunshine” and “Sweet Home,” is helming the project.

The drama was set for release next year, with a cast that includes Suzy, Shin Seung-ho, Dex, Kim Dan and Yoo Jung-hoo. But Lee Soo-hyuk’s sudden departure is expected to cause complications for the production.

His agency declined to provide further details.

Actor Lee Jong-won is known to be considering a role in the drama.

An official from his agency, The Black Label, told the Hankook Ilbo on Wednesday, "Lee Jong-won has received an offer to appear in 'Men of the Harem' and is currently in discussions."

Lee has reportedly been offered the role of one of the royal consorts of Latil, played by Suzy.

Lee debuted in the 2018 web drama "Go, Back Diary" and has since appeared in a range of genres, including the dramas "How to Hate You," "Hospital Playlist 2," "The Golden Spoon" and "Knight Flower," as well as the film "Salmokji: Whispering Water."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.