Premiere of NCT Jaehyun and Park Hye Soo-starrer Dear. M has been delayed indefinitely 

Dear. M is slice of life drama about a group of college students (image via KBS)

Fans of Park Hye Soo and NCT’s Jaehyun will have to wait a little longer as the KBS drama Dear. M has been put on hold for 2022 as well.

Directed by Park Jin Woo, Dear. M follows four college students, whose lives are turned upside down when an anonymous confessor who goes by the title ‘M’ enters the scene.

The show, which stars Park Hye Soo and Jaehyun as the lead, was meant to premiere in February 2021. School bullying accusations against Park Hye Soo however put a hold on the plans, and the drama was indefinitely postponed.

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Park Hye Soo and NCT Jaehyun-starrer Dear. M stalled due to school bullying accusations

On January 11, a media outlet reported that the premiere for KBS's Dear. M will be delayed further since the Park Hye Soo school bullying case has not been resolved yet.

An official from KBS said,

"For now, it seems like it will be difficult for it to premiere in the first half of this year. We will only be able to discuss this issue after the police investigation results are out."

In February 2021, multiple people anonymously accused Park Hye Soo of having bullied them back in school. The netizens accused the actor of both emotional and physical abuse, and claimed that despite years of violence, the actor never apologized.

The actress and her agency Studio Santa Claus Entertainment vehemently denied the accusations, stating,

Recently, there have been posts and comments involving malicious slander, groundless speculation, and criticism of our actress Park Hye Soo circulating through various online communities, portal sites, and social media accounts.

Labeling the claims as malicious, the agency further stated,

We deeply understand the seriousness of school violence in the entertainment industry and have conducted a detailed investigation into the authenticity of the content of the alleged victim’s post. As a result, we have confirmed that the posts are false information aimed to maliciously slander Park Hye Soo by exploiting the social atmosphere of school violence.

The agency also filed a lawsuit against the accusers in March, and the case is currently under investigation.

Despite the denial, the makers of Dear. M put a stop to all broadcast plans for the show. With the recent announcement, 2022 also appears to be highly unlikely.

Incidentally, this is the second drama starring Jaehyun whose premiere has been halted. The NCT member was confirmed as the lead role opposite Lee Hyun Wook for the remake of Bungee Jumping Of Their Own.

The K-pop idol was hailed for taking his acting skills to the next level by starring in a BL drama. However, the show was canceled after the writer expressed concerns. The show, too, was criticized for normalizing p**ophilia.