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After releasing the poster for The Match on February 17, 2025, the makers have now released the trailer for the film on February 18, 2025. The trailer features Lee Byun-hun, Ko Chang-seok, and Kim Kang-hoon.
Yoo Ah-in, who plays older Lee Chang-ho, is absent from the trailer of The Match. The makers have also refrained from mentioning the actor in the cast lineup in the caption of the trailer. This comes after the actor's reported involvement in a drug abuse case and legal battles thereafter.
Watch the trailer for The Match starring Lee Byung-hun here:
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In the trailer, we see Lee Byung-hun as Cho Hun-hyeon, a legendary baduk player. He trains a young Lee Chang-ho (played by Kim Kang-hoon), a prodigy player who grows up to be his rival in the future. Hun-hyeon loses a pivotal match, which hurts his pride. He makes it his goal to win a match against Chang-ho.
Other cast members of the film include Hyun Bong-sik and Moon Jung-hee. The Match was earlier slated to release on Netflix, but it was put on hold following Yoo Ah-in's drug abuse case. The movie will now be released in the South Korean theaters on March 26, 2025.
Why is Yoo Ah-in missing from the trailer for The Match?
According to Sports Chosun, Yoo Ah-in is currently undergoing legal proceedings following the reported drug abuse case. The issue came to light in 2023, and since then, the actor has been away from the spotlight.
Earlier, he was sentenced to one year in prison following his indictment in October 2024. But on February 18, 2025, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 5 overruled the sentence and issued a new one, sentencing him to one year in prison with a two-year suspension.
In addition to this sentence, Sports Chosun also reported that Yoo Ah-in was ordered to pay a fine of 2 million won, a surcharge of 1.54 million won, perform 80 hours of community service, and attend 40 hours of drug treatment classes.
He was found guilty of drug abuse, abetting, and destruction of evidence after he was reportedly found guilty of smoking marijuana in the US along with some friends. He allegedly asked his friends to smoke with him to cover up the fact as well.
He had reportedly administered narcotics, including propofol, during cosmetic procedures in Seoul hospitals from September 2020 to March 2022. He was also investigated for alleged use of zolpidem, cocaine, and ketamine.
Who is Cho Hun-hyeon from The Match?
Cho Hun-hyeon is a legendary baduk (Go) player from South Korea. He became a professional player in 1963 and has since gathered over 150 titles to his name. In 1982, he reached level 9 dan in the game, becoming the first-ever Korean player to achieve the feat. His achievements in the game of Go led him to have the nickname 'The God of War.'
He ventured into politics in 2016. In 2020, he was elected as the Secretary-General of the Future Korea Party.
For the uninitiated, baduk (Go) is a strategy game played by two players. The goal is to gather as much territory as possible on the game board. Each player chooses a white or black chip to mark their territory on the board.
