Source: TwitchSBS’ 타짜 (War of Flowers) Gambles with CastingPosted by . X . at 12:39am.
Posted in TV , Asia. 
You’d think things like these happened only on silly, pseudo-"drama vérité” like 온에어 (On Air). After Choi Dong-Hoon’s film version a few years ago, Heo Young-Man’s bestseller manhwa 타짜 (War of Flowers) will get its TV treatment on SBS later this summer, but the bone of contention right now is casting. Most of the casting for the show, which will go against MBC’s blockbuster 에덴의 동쪽 (East of Eden), has been completed, with the real problem being the role of Madam Jung, played by Kim Hye-Soo in the film. Sung Hyun-Ah was cast first, apparently, but yesterday Olive9 announced the casting of Gang Sung-Yeon, who played Jang Nok-Su in 왕의 남자 (The King & The Clown). Was it just a case of the good old switcheroo? Sung Hyun-Ah learned of this all on the net.
Now, who would give justice to the role, that’s up to debate (although both would be just fine). But a sort of war of words started raging today: Sung Hyun-Ah complained on her blog of unfair practices by Olive9, who just abandoned her and her efforts the last few months to cast one of their actors. And of course Gang Sung-Yeon replied on her site that she was originally cast in the role, and when the writer had to change and her role got a little smaller, producers might have misunderstood her intentions and cast someone else in the role. But she never stole anything from anybody, and the role belongs to her.
Although netizens are already casting the blame on one or the other party, the only parties to blame are really the producers Olive9, who allowed this to get out in the open so overtly, and the system itself. With producing companies also playing the part of talent agencies, the practice of what we could call “block casting” has become increasingly popular. Last year’s 고맙습니다 (Thank You) was filled to the brim with actors contracted under producers Sidus HQ, and since containing the spiraling costs of casting has become more and more important, it’s no surprise such practice is on the rise. It wouldn’t be so outrageous, then, if Gang Sung--Yeon (who’s under Olive9’s wings) was chosen over Sung Hyun-Ah for the same exact reason, although who’s feigning and who’s telling the truth is something we can only endlessly speculate.
War of Flowers starts airing in September, ironically right after another drama adapted from a Heo Young-Man manhwa, 식객 (Gourmet).
SOURCES-
Daum News-
Daum News~
Sung Hyun-Ah, Gang Sung-Yeon
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http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/culture/2008/0...2132000005.HTML 
