WOODZ addresses 'atomic-bomb film' casting controversy: "I had already turned down project after reviewing script"

Singer WOODZ, whose real name is Cho Seung-youn, said he had "received the script and turned down" the role amid recent reports that he would appear in a Japanese film about the atomic bomb.

During a livestream on the afternoon of the 27th, WOODZ said, "I don't think I can avoid talking about this. I felt I should address what you've all been wondering about." He added, "The reason I didn't issue an official statement is that I thought MOODZ, my fans, must have been upset that day."

"The article was incorrect. We received the script, I reviewed its content and told the company, and while we were carefully considering it, we turned down the project. The report came out during that process," he explained. He added, "I feel sorry that this caused such an uproar, but neither the company nor I had taken any action, so there was nothing we could say right away. That's why I'm speaking now, albeit late. I also felt bad when I saw the posts on social media. I wanted to tell the fans as soon as possible, but I had a performance yesterday, so that's why it was delayed."

Earlier, media reports said WOODZ had been cast in the South Korea-Japan co-production 〈Tamako〉. The film reportedly follows a boy who loses his parents in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945, follows a Korean resident of Japan to Korea and experiences the Korean War.