In a matter of days, three big names in South Korea's entertainment industry have made headlines in separate scandals that could derail their careers.
The allegations that have embroiled comedians Park Na-rae and Cho Sae-ho, as well as veteran actor Cho Jin-woong, are all different - ranging from workplace abuse to previous teenage detention to associations with a gang member.
But the results have been the same: departures from the television screens where they had worked their way up to become household names.
The scandals have also raised questions about the standards to which South Korea's public figures are held - especially in the entertainment industry.
What are the scandals about?
Park Na-rae, one of the country's most successful female comedians, made headlines last week when two of her former managers lodged criminal complaints claiming she had verbally abused and physically assaulted them.
The 40-year-old had also made them do her personal chores, they alleged. Park has denied these allegations and sued the former managers for blackmail, her agency said over the weekend.
She is separately being accused of receiving IV drips illegally at home, which violates the local medical law, prompting a police investigation.
On Monday, Park Na-rae announced on social media that she had talked things through with her accusers, but would halt all broadcasting activities until things were clearly resolved. As a comedian whose job is to bring laughter and joy, I cannot continue to be a burden to my programmes and colleagues, she wrote.
Another comedian who has come under scrutiny is Cho Sae-ho. Rumours started swirling last week that the 43-year-old was friends with a prominent local gang member and had received money to promote the latter's business.
Public backlash led to Cho's agency announcing that he would leave the shows he hosted. In a social media statement, Cho said he should have been more careful with the people he met.
Meanwhile, veteran actor Cho Jin-woong announced over the weekend that he would quit acting after reports revealed he had a troubled past involving allegations of robbery and sexual assault during his teenage years.
A debate over cancel culture
The allegations against Cho Jin-woong have stirred heated debate about how much public figures should be forgiven for past mistakes. While some argue that he should not have to retire based on his past, others contend that seeing him on screen could retraumatize past victims.
Culture critic Kim Sung-soo highlighted that public scrutiny holds celebrities to a stringent standard, often resulting in their forced disappearance from the public eye following controversy. The ongoing cycle of 'cancel culture' has prompted many to call for reflection on how celebrities are treated, with a growing sentiment to rethink the morality behind such targeting.
