Ikeda Honoka, a Japanese influencer known in Korea for looking like NewJeans' Minji, is rumored to have disappeared to start a career in the Korean entertainment industry.

On August 6, the Japanese Chinese restaurant where Honoka worked as a manager, posted a long message in Korean on its official social media. The message said, "As of July 24, 2024, manager Ikeda Honoka has left the restaurant. We apologize to everyone who supported us for this sudden betrayal."

The restaurant added, "Due to Ikeda Honoka's repeated lies, she has been cut off from her parents. She used to apologize and work hard at the restaurant, but now she has joined an agency. The agency wants to promote her in Korea and mentioned a big event on July 28th. While we wanted her to reconcile with her parents, the agency seemed to prioritize her work in Korea. "

They added, "Since July 24, we have lost all contact with Honoka. The agency claimed they would send her to apologize to us, but that was a lie. We tried to talk to her several times, but it didn't happen. Honoka also sent me DMs, but they were not like her usual messages."

The post continued, "Even though Honoka is an adult, we believe the agency's actions, causing gaps in our schedule and not explaining things to us, are wrong. On July 29, she contacted her parents from an unofficial number, thanking them for raising her but saying she needed her passport to work hard on her own. Her manager said they would get it, but it sounded like they were reading from a script. When her parents asked about college or her future, Honoka only talked about the passport and insisted they keep everything secret to protect her celebrity career. As long as her parents had the passport, it seems she never gave up on her dream of going to Korea."

The restaurant concluded, "If she can work in Korea, she might either get her passport reissued or take it while her parents were working. Honoka couldn't do this alone, but we are powerless and worried, unable to meet or talk to her. However, we must respect her decision. It's very unfortunate, but we have decided to let her go. Though Honoka is no longer with us, our restaurant will continue to operate. We are determined to keep the restaurant running until we can work together again. We ask for your understanding and support."

Previously, Ikeda Honoka posted on her personal social media, "Due to certain circumstances, I had to quit the restaurant. I have worked hard in both the restaurant business and my entertainment activities. While I wanted to continue working at my beloved restaurant, I had to make this unfortunate decision. I deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to the staff who supported me."

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Lee Jun Young recently opened up about the emotional toll of playing a villain—and how one powerful scene made him break down in tears behind the scenes.

On the May 1st episode of KBS 2TV’s variety show Problem Child in House, Lee Jun Young appeared alongside co-star Jung Eun Ji to promote their new KBS drama Pump Up the Healthy Love.

During the show, Lee Jun Young was asked about the most unforgettable villain he’s played. He chose his role as Han Su Gang in the film Brave Citizen.

He explained, “It was really tough to film. I had to act like I was leading school violence, and there was even a scene where I bullied a grandmother.”

The hosts were surprised, pointing out how kind and gentle he seems in real life. Lee Jun Young shared how he transforms for such roles.

“I try to act as bad as I can, but sometimes the director says, ‘You still look too nice.’ Then I focus even harder and adjust right away.”

He also revealed that filming one particular scene hit him hard emotionally. “My real grandmother was sick at the time,” he said.

“In one scene, there’s a grandma selling gimbap, and I ad-libbed by stubbing a cigarette out on the gimbap. I was really into character, but after filming, I just broke down. So many thoughts came to me and I started crying.”

Fans praised his dedication to acting but also felt moved by how deeply the role affected him. Lee Jun Young’s honesty gave a raw look at how even fictional roles can hit close to home.

Source: [1]