The new TV drama 'Lovely Runner' has found itself in the midst of a controversy, with some fans suggesting it brings to mind a specific idol. The broadcasting company, however, has dismissed these claims as "realistically impossible".

'Lovely Runner' a fresh Monday-Tuesday drama from tvN, made its debut on April 8th. The show, based on the web novel 'Tomorrow's Top', tells the story of a die-hard fan, Im Sol (played by Kim Hye Yoon), who travels back to 2008 to save her beloved artist Ryu Seon Jae (played by Byeon Woo Seok), whose death had left her in despair.

But even before the first episode aired, online communities were buzzing with speculation that 'Lovely Runner' seemed to reference a particular idol. One netizen pointed out that the premiere date coincided with the birthday of the late SHINee member Jonghyun, and that the year the protagonist travels back to is the same year SHINee debuted. This netizen argued that using such a painful event as a plot device and ignoring fans' feelings was disrespectful.

In response to these concerns, the team behind 'Lovely Runner' stated that any intentional references were "realistically impossible". They also revealed that fans had been sending requests to halt the broadcast and protest emails a month before the show aired.

CJ ENM, in response to the fans' protests, clarified, "The character Seon Jae's debut year in the drama is 2009, and the drama, based on the web novel 'Tomorrow's Top', was not created with specific individuals or situations in mind."

They further explained, "During the planning process, we decided that setting the drama six years in the past, as in the original work, wouldn't effectively depict the youthful days of the two main characters or show a clear contrast with 2023. So, we chose 2008 as the backdrop."

Yoon Jong Ho, the director of 'Lovely Runner', also shared his thoughts on why 2008 was chosen as the setting, saying, "Remember the Beijing Olympics in 2008? It was a time when the whole nation was excited and there were many famous sports players. It seemed like a past worth reminiscing about."

Regarding the scheduling of the first broadcast, the team stated, "The schedule was decided sequentially according to the existing tvN Monday-Tuesday drama block. Any intentional setting is realistically impossible."

Despite these explanations, some fans continue to express their dissatisfaction, arguing that the addition of elements not present in the original work makes real people reminiscent. They point out that even if it wasn't intentional, not considering the possibility of reminding fans of a specific person shows a lack of consideration.

However, some netizens argue that these claims are far-fetched. They point out that during the adaptation process, elements that could remind people of a specific person were actually removed. For instance, in the original work, Ryu Seon Jae was part of a 5-member idol group, but in the drama, this was changed to a 4-member band. Also, while Ryu Seon Jae was a trainee in the original work, in the drama, he became a swimmer.

'Lovely Runner' airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 pm.

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Former Girl’s Day member Jang Hye Ri (real name Lee Ji In) is making headlines after exposing the dark side of the entertainment industry—revealing that she once received a shocking sponsorship offer from a well-known entertainment company CEO.

On March 3, Jang Hye Ri appeared in a video titled "[NonNonNon] I Heard You Got Wasted and Ruined Yourself?" on the YouTube channel ‘Channel Fixed’ (채널고정해).

During the discussion, broadcaster Kang Byung Kyu opened up about the hidden dangers in the industry, saying, “Even today, there are idols who get invited to drinking gatherings by acquaintances of acquaintances. Some people keep luring them into these situations. We call them ‘devils.’”

Jang Hye Ri then shocked viewers by admitting, “I’ve been to those places before. I even sang there.” She continued, “Even now, I still get offers like, ‘Let’s talk business over drinks’ or ‘You need to build connections this way.’ It happens all the time.”

She also shared how these gatherings have evolved, saying, “Nowadays, it’s not just about drinking. There’s also golf. People keep asking, ‘Do you play golf?’ I don’t drink well, and I don’t enjoy these meetings. But sometimes, I wondered, ‘Do I have to do this to succeed?’”

Then, Jang Hye Ri dropped a bombshell—recalling a shocking moment from her rookie days:

“When I was a rookie, I attended a drinking gathering where a very famous CEO was present. He had even invited male rookies to sing. Then he suddenly told me, ‘If I help you grow, you have to be my girlfriend.’”

She continued, “I was caught off guard and immediately refused. But then he started listing celebrities he had ‘helped’ through these relationships. I was young, and it really hurt my pride. It made me determined to succeed without going down that path. But he told me, ‘You’ll never make it if you don’t do this. This is how the industry works.’”

Even after rejecting him, Jang Hye Ri revealed that she kept running into the CEO over the years. “Since he’s still active in the industry, I would occasionally see him. Every time, he would say, ‘You rejected my offer, and that’s why you’re struggling now.’ But honestly, I have no regrets. I wouldn’t change my decision.”

Meanwhile, Jang Hye Ri, one of the original members of Girl’s Day, has since transitioned into a trot singer. In 2020, she released her single "Seobangnim" and gained attention after finishing fourth place on KBS 2TV’s Trot National Contest.

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