Uhm Tae Woong is making his acting comeback after being banned for soliciting prostitution.
The actor was blacklisted from all activities in 2017 following his conviction for paying for prostitution. Now, he’s set to return at the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN).
Uhm Tae Woong stars in the K-Drama I Kill U, alongside KARA‘s Kang Jiyoung and HIGHLIGHT‘s Lee Kikwang. The drama finished filming in August 2023 and is directed by film director Yoo Ha. It will premiere first as a film version at BIFAN on July 9, 2025 (KST), before its summer 2025 release. Uhm takes a supporting role as a chaebol CEO’s right-hand man.
His wife, ballerina Yoon Hye Jin, expressed gratitude and hope on social media, thanking her late mother for “watching over” them during this difficult time.
I quietly watched him endure and gather himself during all this time. There were moments during the wait when I had hopes and imagined this day, but sometimes, I also thought maybe it would never come…
…Coincidentally, the premiere day is my mother’s birthday. It might just be a coincidence, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s watching over us.
— Yoon Hye Jin
This marks Uhm Tae Woong’s first K-Drama since 2016, when his scandal stopped his career dead.
Back in August 2016, Uhm was accused of sexual assault at a massage parlor. The accusation was proven false and dropped, but police ruled the parlor was a front for prostitution.
On November 2, 2016, he was fined ₩1 million KRW (~$728 USD) for soliciting prostitution.
By November 1, 2017, he was permanently banned from appearing on KBS, EBS, and MBC national TV channels.
The woman who falsely accused him of sexual assault was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
Uhm Tae Woong’s return is being closely watched as he steps back into acting after nearly a decade off-screen.
