(Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)

Actor Yoo Ah-in on Wednesday said he too was caught off guard when he heard the characters from TV drama “Secret Love Affair,” in which he played the male lead in 2014, had the same names as some of the key figures of the Choi Soon-sil scandal that has enveloped the nation.

Yoo played the role of a pianist prodigy in “Secret Love Affair,” who then slips into an illicit romantic affair with his piano instructor high up in the classical music industry.

(Jtbc)

In the TV drama, a character named Chung Yoo-ra appears as a first-year university student who entered the prestigious music school thanks to her mother’s peddling of influence.

The character’s name matches that of the controversial Ewha Womans University student who apparently entered the prestigious university on special favors.

The real-life Chung Yoo-ra is the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the “mystery woman” and “shaman” who has allegedly been controlling Park Geun-hye, the president of Korea, behind the scenes.

Also in the drama, during a roll call in a class, the name Choi Tae-min is called out just after Chung’s.

Choi Tae-min is the father of Choi Soon-sil, who founded a cult and offered advice to Park in her formative years following the death of her mother.

Actor Yoo Ah-in, asked how he felt when he heard the news of the coincidence, replied that he “had been surprised, as was everyone.”

(Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)

Yoo refrained from commenting further, returning to the subject of the event at hand.

Yoo participated in a hand-printing event for the winners of the 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards, held Wednesday at CGV movie theater in Yeouido, Seoul.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)

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