Kdrama 'River Where The Moon Rises' drops actor Ji Soo amid bullying allegations

South Korean actor Ji Soo, star of "River Where The Moon Rises," is the latest celebrity embroiled in bullying allegations. The actor has since issued an apology and with it came the decision to replace him on the KBS show.

A KBS spokesperson announced on Friday that the studio ultimately came to the decision to let the actor go because of the controversy. He "will be stepping down" from the show and plans are in place to find a replacement.

"We are currently in discussions with the production company about our next steps," the spokesperson said in a statement published by Soompi.

Na In Woo ("Mr. Queen," "Cinderella and the Four Knights") is said to be in talks to replace the actor in "River Where The Moon Rises." However, KBS has yet to make the official announcement about the new lead actor.

Filming for the series halted on March 4 following the release of the allegations. Those who claimed to have been Ji Soo's classmates in middle school (2006-2008) accused him of being a perpetrator of school violence. He was reportedly part of a gang that picked on the weaker students. He allegedly physically and verbally assaulted others in the school.

Several of his victims came forward after one student posted about the bullying experience in an online forum. The person called the actor a delinquent who acted on all sorts of bad deeds. Afterwards, several others came forward with their own experiences of bullying from the actor. Another accused him of being a "womaniser" or a sexual predator who had intercourse with a student in the bathroom.

In response to the accusations, KBS decided to approach the "issue cautiously." They had a "serious internal discussion regarding Ji Soo's continued appearance in "The River Where The Moon Rises." The actor's agency, KeyEast Entertainment, also stated that they will open an investigation into the bullying claims in order to "verify the facts."

However, the 27-year old "Strong Girl Bong-Soon" star may have confirmed the bullying allegations in a lengthy apology letter he posted on Instagram. In it, he asked for forgiveness from those whom he has hurt in the past as he wrote, "I sincerely apologise to the people who suffered because of me. There is no excuse for my past misconduct. They were things that cannot be forgiven." He also apologised to his co-stars in "River Where The Moon Rises" for any problems that his past behaviour might now cause them.

Discussions are still on-going whether KBS will release two upcoming episodes on "River Where The Moon Rises" with Ji-Soo still in it on March 8 and 9. The show has already filmed 18 out of the 20 episodes of the drama.