[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Actor Ji Soo, who halted his activities in South Korea following a school-violence controversy, is continuing his acting career in the Philippines by taking on a key villain role in a local drama.
On the 14th, Ji Soo posted several photos on social media along with the caption, "On set as Dong Hyun, Off set with family. Lovely September days."
The photos showed Ji Soo’s recent appearance while filming in the Philippines. With makeup depicting a long scar running across one side of his face and a beard, Ji Soo stared into the camera and projected an intense atmosphere markedly different from his past work in South Korea.
The photos were taken on the set of *Taskforce Firewall*, an action drama currently being filmed by the Philippines’ GMA Network. Ji Soo plays Dong Hyun, a cold and calculating villain. The local broadcaster GMA has introduced Dong Hyun as the figure behind a sexual-exploitation blackmail organization, and he has recently appeared prominently as a key figure in the case.
The project has also drawn attention because Ji Soo is taking on a full-fledged villain role for the first time. In an interview with local media, Ji Soo explained that although he had performed action scenes in a previous GMA production, this character is his first major villain. He also said he prepared by studying villains in various films to portray the character’s cold nature and restrained emotions.
The social media posts also showed Ji Soo with his Filipino co-stars. He shared updates on his active schedule, taking selfies alongside the actors on set and appearing on a local entertainment program, where he posed with the cast. *Taskforce Firewall* currently airs on GMA Prime at 8:50 p.m. on weekdays in the Philippines.
This is not Ji Soo’s first project in the Philippines. After resuming his acting career with a special appearance in the 2024 local action drama *Black Rider*, he signed with Sparkle, the management agency of Philippine broadcaster GMA. He subsequently expanded his activities in the Philippines through local productions including *Never Say Die* and *Love, Siargao*. *Love, Siargao* is also set to air on GMA following its local streaming release, allowing him to continue working steadily.
Earlier, in 2021, Ji Soo was embroiled in controversy after allegations of school violence surfaced while he was playing the male lead, Ondal, in the KBS2 drama *River Where the Moon Rises*. At the time, Ji Soo acknowledged past misconduct in a handwritten apology, withdrew from the drama midway through production, later ended his exclusive contract with KeyEast, and halted his activities in South Korea.
The production company of *River Where the Moon Rises*, which replaced its lead actor and reshot the drama following Ji Soo’s departure, filed a damages lawsuit against KeyEast. The second-trial ruling ordering KeyEast to pay the production company approximately 880 million won became final recently after KeyEast withdrew its appeal to the Supreme Court of Korea.
While Ji Soo has effectively stopped working in South Korea, he is building a new base for his career in the Philippines by taking on a key villain role in a local production and appearing on television programs and at events.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
