Son Ye-jin and Lee Byung-hun Depart for Venice Amidst Child Actor Controversy

Actress Son Ye-jin has departed for Venice alongside actor Lee Byung-hun, who recently sparked controversy over his comments about a child actor.

On the 27th, Son Ye-jin shared on her Instagram, "Finally departing!🥴 It’s my first time to visit Venice International Film Festival🥹 I’m soooo excited🥴" along with the message, "See you in Venice with a great look!🩷" She posted two photos and a video.

The posts show Son Ye-jin preparing to leave for Venice, Italy, as her film 'Hopeless' has been officially invited to compete at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Notably, she is seen with Lee Byung-hun, who was involved in the controversy.

Previously, at the 'Hopeless' production briefing on the 19th, Son Ye-jin mentioned, "This is my first project after having a child, and it helped me. I felt natural being with my child." In response, Lee Byung-hun commented, "That's different from what I saw on set."

He added, "The child actor playing the daughter asked many questions, and I kept answering them, but Son Ye-jin never did. So I told her, 'Please answer some,' and she replied, 'Please take care of it, senior,'" he said with a laugh.

Lee Byung-hun's remarks led to a controversy about Son Ye-jin allegedly neglecting the child actor, prompting the child actor's mother to clarify, "Son Ye-jin was kind."

Additionally, Son Ye-jin addressed another issue, saying, "You were surprised that my secondary account was suddenly deleted, right? I don't know why either~😭 I'll try to restore it soon!!🙂‍↕️"

Meanwhile, 'Hopeless,' directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Son Ye-jin, Lee Byung-hun, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, and Yum Hye-ran, is set to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on the 29th and will be released in South Korea on September 24th.

Reporter: Da-yeon Jeong, Ten Asia, light@tenasia.co.kr