The decision was announced right after his lawsuit came to light. A representative from Lotte Entertainment was quoted on Naver, stating, “O Yeong-su is stepping down from ‘Big Family,’ and Lee Soon-jae will take on the role in his place.”

Lee Soon-jae is known for his roles in a career spanning six decades, renowned for his works in ‘High Kick!,’ ‘Grandpas Over Flowers,’ ‘Coffee House,’ ‘Good Morning,’ to name a few.

Under the direction of Yang Woo-seok, renowned for his much-acclaimed works like ‘The Attorney’ and ‘Steel Rain,’ ‘Big Family’ revolves around the heart-warming narrative of cute grandchildren visiting Pyeong Man-ok, the owner of a dumpling restaurant. The family-run business encounters various obstacles when his son makes the life-altering career choice to become a monk, and step aside from his father’s legacy. Other than Lee Soon-jae, the multi-starrer ensemble features renowned actors such as Kim Yun-seok, Lee Seung-gi, and Kang Han-na.

The sudden change in the cast comes in the wake of a prior controversy surrounding O Yeong-su traced back to November 2022, wherein a woman accused the actor of engaging in inappropriate physical contact. Despite strongly denying the charges put against him during the trials, recent updates indicate that the prosecution has sought a one-year prison sentence for the 79-year-old actor on the grounds of sexual assault. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 15.

O Yeong-su garnered acclaim for his memorable, impactful role in the survival series ‘Squid Game,’ in which he skillfully portrayed the character Oh Il-nam, more popularly known as Player 001. His exceptional performance not only was loved by audiences but also earned him the Best Supporting Actor Award in the TV Category at the 2022 Golden Globe Awards.