[HanCinema's News] Ji Chang-wook Under Fire for Vaping Indoors

By William Schwartz on 2024/02/12 at 21:57 PST

Ji Chang-wook has found himself embroiled in controversy as a behind-the-scenes video of his shooting "Welcome to Samdal-ri" has apparently shown that the actor was smoking e-cigarettes during rehearsel. No smoke can be seen in the images in question, as vaping does not generally produce smoke. However, Ji Chang-wook can be seen holding some sort of object in his mouth and taking it away.

Ji Chang-wook has been criticized heavily by netizens for his general lack of consideration. In the video, he is seen seated next to Shin Hye-sun as well as Lee Jae-won-I. Other unidentified staff members are also nearby. While Ji Chang-wook's character is also seen vaping in the drama itself, he does not do so in scenes adjacent to the location featured in the video. This has led many to conclude that Ji Chang-wook is vaping himself for real, and not just as acting practice.

The criticism does not come from a vacuum. Other South Korean influencers have also been criticized for making money off of their smoking habits, and have even apologized for inadvertently leaving the aftereffects of such habits visible during live broadcasts. No statement has yet been released by any involved party confirming or denying that Ji Chang-wook was vaping indoors.

Ji Chang-wook currently has a busy work schedule. After finishing "Welcome to Samdal-ri" last year, Ji Chang-wook filmed "Revolver" and "Queen Woo" which are currently awaiting official release. Ji Chang-wook is at this time purportedly filming "Gangnam B-Side" although no formal announcement had confirmed his joining of the project, and the details of the character he plays are still not publicly available. "Welcome to Samdal-ri" ended with ratings of 12.399% on January 21st.

Written by William Schwartz