Ock Joo Hyun and Lee Ji Hye speak out on ‘Elisabeth’ casting controversy
Ock Joo Hyun (45), former Fin.K.L member and acclaimed musical actress, has broken her silence on the casting controversy that came to be known as the “Ockjangpan incident.”
On the September 8th broadcast of the Channel A variety show ‘Table for 4’, Ock Joo Hyun, Lee Ji Hye, Tei, and host Park Kyung Lim candidly discussed the controversy that unfolded three years ago.
The incident arose during the 10th-anniversary production of the musical ‘Elisabeth’, when veteran actress Kim So Hyun, who had played the titular role twice, was unexpectedly left out of the cast. In her place, Ock Joo Hyun and Lee Ji Hye were cast. This led to speculation among some fans that Lee Ji Hye had landed the role due to her close friendship with Ock Joo Hyun and their shared agency ties.
At the time, musical actor Kim Ho Young indirectly criticized the situation by posting on social media, “Gone are the days of a chaotic casting board—it’s all ‘Ockjangpan’ now,” a play on words implying favoritism. Ock Joo Hyun filed a defamation lawsuit against him, though the two later reconciled and the issue settled quietly.
Reflecting on the situation, Ock Joo Hyun shared, “After the controversy, Ji Hye and I didn’t contact each other. We both knew we weren’t okay.” She continued, “All I did was guide her as a senior so she could do well. It wasn’t about pushing for her in any specific production. We studied more than just ‘Elisabeth’ together. In fact, I learned a lot from her, too.”
She added, “We believed we had nothing to hide and thought things would blow over. But the backlash was far greater than we imagined.”
Lee Ji Hye also opened up, saying, “Unnie was the undisputed top performer in that role. It was unfair to be criticized just because of our personal friendship and the fact that I had taken lessons from her.”
She continued, “That role was a defining chapter in my life. But instead of congratulations, I only received messages asking if I was okay. Even people I hadn’t heard from in ages reached out. Whenever someone called, I would say, ‘I’m fine. Please call Joo Hyun unnie instead.’ We didn’t talk about it for a long time, but after the show ended, we hugged and cried our eyes out.”
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