Shim Eun Kyung has turned down a role in a film centered on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
A representative for Shim told JTBC Entertainment News on September 28th, “We received an offer for the project, but ultimately decided not to participate.”
The film, reportedly titled Tamako, recently came under scrutiny after a media report highlighted it as part of a growing trend of South Korea-Japan content collaborations. The project is said to use the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima as its historical backdrop.
According to the report, Tamako follows a boy who loses his parents in the bombing before traveling to Korea with Korean residents of Japan. The story then spans the Korean War and subsequent generations.
The report also named Shim Eun Kyung and singer WOODZ, who has been expanding into acting, as potential cast members.
The casting news sparked criticism online, with some questioning the appropriateness of the film’s subject matter for a South Korea-Japan collaboration. WOODZ addressed the reports during a live broadcast on September 27, saying, “It’s a project I have already declined.”
Shim’s agency issued a similar statement following the holiday, confirming that she had also decided not to participate.
Shim has previously appeared in major Japanese productions, including The Journalist and Two Seasons, Two Strangers, after establishing Japan as one of her main bases for acting. Her past work in Japan had added to speculation surrounding her reported involvement in Tamako. She has now confirmed that she will not be joining the film.
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