Park Bo-gum's New Show Faces Tough Choices After Co-Star's DUI

Actor Go Kyung-pyo caused a car accident while drunk, and the fallout has landed on Park Bo-gum. The two were set to appear together on the new tvN variety show "The Village Barber 2" (Bogeom Maejikeol 2), which has not yet aired.

Go Kyung-pyo's agency, CLN Company, released an official statement on the 14th.

"Actor Go Kyung-pyo caused an accident early this morning when he crashed into a garbage truck while driving under the influence," the agency said. "A breathalyzer test confirmed that his blood alcohol level was high enough for his license to be revoked."

According to police, Go Kyung-pyo was driving his own car around 3:30 a.m. KST that day in the Donggyo-dong area of Seoul's Mapo district. He is suspected of hitting the garbage truck. He was questioned by police and then sent home.

The timing puts the show in a hard spot. "The Village Barber 2" is set to premiere on the 29th on the cable channel tvN. The show follows Park Bo-gum, Lee Sang-yi and Go Kyung-pyo as they run a hair salon in a small seaside village in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province.

The news stings more because of how much effort Park Bo-gum put into the project. He earned a barber's license while serving in the military. Last season, he failed the practical exam for a hairdresser's license. He kept going, practicing at least four hours a day, and finally earned the national hairdresser (general) technical certification. The exam has a pass rate in the 20% to 30% range. Lee Sang-yi also showed his commitment by earning a national nail technician certification.

Go Kyung-pyo joined as a new regular cast member. He was filling the spot left by Kwak Dong-yeon, the youngest member of the first season, who has enlisted in the military.

Go Kyung-pyo and Park Bo-gum have been close friends for 15 years, going back to their early days as rookie actors. Park Bo-gum is known to visit the makguksu (cold buckwheat noodle) restaurant run by Go Kyung-pyo's father even more often than Go Kyung-pyo does himself.

On the show, Go Kyung-pyo was cast as the "chef." His job was to cook meals for the two salon owners and make snacks for customers. He had sounded eager about the role. "There was no reason to say no," he said.

The production team had already started the countdown to the premiere. It released the first teaser, a main poster, individual posters, and a preview clip of the salon's opening ceremony.

The show is built around three people working side by side in one shop. Now, about two weeks before the first episode, one of those three is facing a drunk-driving case at a level that calls for license revocation. Producers are left weighing how to edit his scenes and which direction the show should take from here.