The 19th Busan International Film Festival kicked off in South Korea yesterday on October 2nd, and a host of Asia's hottest stars and filmmakers attended the avent. One famous Korean actor was missing however, which seems odd given his recent Hollywood fame brought from his performance as Storm Shadow in the "G.I. Joe" franchise. Actor Lee Byung Hun was missing from both the red carpets and the opening ceremony, which has caused fans to wonder if he was shunned from the film festival due to his recent scandalous bar encounter.

A year ago, Collider spoke to Lee Byung Hun about the difference between productions in South Korea and productions in the U.S.

"Basically, it's the same. Or similar. But it's real different, I think. The most different thing is that their pre-production is so short and the production is real long. But in America, their pre-production is really long but the production is much shorter," he said.

If one believes the speculation that Lee Byung Hun is hiding out because of his scandal in Korea, it would appear that treatment of film celebrity scandal is also different.

For those unfamiliar with the scandal in question, a few months ago the "G.I. Joe" actor filed a police report against two women (one of which was reported to be a member of K-pop group GLAM) who were attempting to blackmail him with voice recording that allegedly features Lee making sexually explicit remarks.

According to Variety, "online petitions have been launched demanding his ousting from the industry including a ban at BIFF. Lee is the face of a Samsung cell phone advert, an online shopping mall, a casino, as well as Nescafe." They also report that one company, SSG, also removed photos of Lee Byung Hun from advertising of the event since the petitions started.

Perhaps Lee Byung Hun felt pressure to comply with the petition as he did not appear at opening ceremonies, which were hosted by acting legends Ken Watanabe and Moon So-ri. This seems especially true considering that Lee has two upcoming films, "Memories of the Sword" and "The Insiders," that will now get less promotion at the Busan International Film Festival due the actor's absence.

Authorities report that the investigation into the blackmail is still currently ongoing. For fans who still believe in the "Red 2" actor, they can catch him in his next Hollywood film, "Terminator: Genysis"