Park Yoo-chun wants to come back after drug conviction
K-pop star Park Yoo-chun appears to be preparing to resume his show business career, in defiance of a retirement pledge he made last year amid a drug scandal.
In a message on his Instagram account Thursday, the former JYJ member announced a plan to officially open a website for fans called Blue Cielo next week, apparently taking one step toward resuming his entertainment career.
“Park Yoo-chun’s official fan site, Blue Cielo, is scheduled to open at 6 p.m. on Monday. We ask for your high expectations and love,” the Instagram post said.
The singer and actor has been largely out of the public eye since he was sentenced last July to a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years, on drug charges.
The drug scandal, also involving his former fiancee, a scion of a large dairy company, rocked the entertainment industry.
Initially, Park vehemently denied the drug allegation in a press conference in April 2019, saying, “[The allegation] is something that contradicts my whole life, even going beyond the matter of quitting my career and retiring.”
Despite his contention of innocence, C-JeS Entertainment expelled him the same month after police filed a warrant for his arrest, and Park announced his official retirement from show business.
Despite the pledge, Park hosted a fan meeting in Bangkok in January, raising the ire of fans at home and abroad.
Last month, he began to accelerate efforts to return to the entertainment industry, launching a new Instagram account.
He has since announced the publication of a photo book, “Someday,” and an autograph signing event with fans, both set for June.
The potential resumption of his career, however, is likely to stir controversy among K-pop fans and the broader public in a country where tight work ethics and codes of conduct are required for TV stars and celebrities.
Yonhap
