Netflix addresses Goodbye Earth release date rumors after Yoo Ah-in scandal

Netflix has addressed Goodbye Earth’s unannounced release date and Yoo Ah-in’s role, coming after the K-drama’s drug use scandal led to his departure from several projects

Yoo is a prolific Korean actor, having starred in K-dramas like Hellbound, Secret Affair, #Alive, and Burning with Steven Yeun. However, his career came to a standstill in 2023 when he was accused of illegal drug use with propofol.

The scandal garnered widespread attention during the police’s investigation, with the actor then testing positive for various drugs. While he received sympathy from fans, he exited many of his upcoming projects and sponsors also dropped him.

Fans have been curious if he’d star in Netflix’s Goodbye Earth, as previously reported. Now, the streaming platform as addressed the K-drama’s supposed release date.

Netflix addresses Goodbye Earth release rumors

In a statement by Netflix, they will make an official announcement regarding the release date of Goodbye Earth and possibly Yoo Ah-in’s role in the K-drama.

According to Naver, “At present, nothing has yet been decided. Once the release date has been decided, we will inform you through an official statement.”

Korean news outlets earlier reported the K-drama would be released on April 26, 2024. The series was originally planned for release in 2023, but many have speculated that it was delayed due to Yoo’s drug scandal.

Goodbye Earth is set to follow a group of people as Earth braces itself for the apocalypse, with a meteor expected to obliterate the planet in just 200 days.

Yoo plays one of the lead roles as Yoon Sang-eun, a researcher at a biotechnology research institute. The character is also the long-term lover of Jin Se-kyung (Ahn Eun-jin), a volunteer at Ungcheon City Hall.

According to Pannatic on X/Twitter, Netflix reportedly won’t edit out Yoo’s scenes from the K-drama, as his character is heavily involved in the main story.

Yoo was also expected to reprise his role as cult leader Jeong Jin-soo in Hellbound Season 2, but following the allegations, he was dropped from the role and replaced by actor Kim Sung-cheol.

Last year, Netflix was also set to release the The Match, a biopic about two real-life notable Go players, Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho. Yoo starred alongside Lee Byung-hun, but the project has been put on hold indefinitely.

Netflix is set to release a long list of K-dramas in 2024, whether Goodbye Earth will be included in the roster is unclear for now.