Seohyun and Taecyeon are under fire as they promote their new drama, The First Night With the Duke. The show premieres tonight at 9:50 PM KST on KBS2, but controversy broke out over allegations of cultural heritage damage during production.
During the press conference on June 11, director Lee Woong-hee addressed the issue, stating, “All related footage has been discarded, and we’ve created new guidelines. I sincerely apologize for the concern this has caused.” Taecyeon reinforced the sentiment: “As actors, this incident heightened our sense of responsibility. We’ll make sure something like this never happens again.”
The drama follows an ordinary college student who wakes up inside a webtoon and rewrites the story after a one-night mishap with the obsessive male lead. Seohyun expressed her excitement for the project, saying, “When the offer came, it felt like destiny.” Taecyeon added, “I decided to take on this project because Seohyun was doing it.”
Both stars aim to match the on-screen chemistry seen in other successful K-dramas. As cast members discussed their roles, Ji Hye-won called her character “intense” while Kwon Han-sol shared her character’s many “emotional layers.”
As the drama approaches its premiere, all eyes will be on its reception amid the ongoing controversy.
