Sex-scandal singer's 'Mozart!' role angers fans

Lee Soo from "Mozart!" poster

By Ko Dong-hwan

Singer Lee Soo, who was involved in a sex scandal in 2009, faces an online signature campaign against his lead role in a coming musical.

Lee is scheduled to appear in

EMK Musical Company's production of "Mozart!" that opens in June.

The "Signature campaign demanding singer Lee Soo step down from the musical Mozart!" was posted on Twitter Tuesday.

"Lee Soo, whose charge of indulging in underage prostitution was suspended by the court, has been cast as the musical's male lead," the campaign said. "As to the matter, we welcome all who agree with our initiative and will request the company cancel his role."

The vocalist from rock band MC the Max admitted that in December 2009, while doing mandatory military service, he had sex with a girl, 17, who ran away from home. He paid her 400,000 won ($346) each of the three times they had sex. During an investigation, he told police he did not know that she was underage.

In May 2010, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office suspended the indictment against him and ordered him to complete a sex-education course.

Media reports said Lee was interested in performing in a musical and had asked the company for an audition. The company thought his skills would fit the musical's difficult numbers and, on Tuesday, decided to hire him along with three others for the role, "taking account of his past crime, and willing to face the consequences of hiring the ex-criminal," according to DongA Ilbo.

"Actors and producers have habitually mentioned that a musical stage is holy," the paper said. "It is questionable whether they actually think so (after hiring Lee)."

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