Actor Kim Jung-hyun is to quit his role in MBC drama “Time” due to health concerns.

Kim, who has been starring in the Wednesday-Thursday drama series “Time,” decided to step down from his role, according to network MBC and his agency O& Entertainment on Sunday.

O& Entertainment issued a statement saying that Kim has been unable to eat or sleep properly. 

“Kim has been shooting the drama while receiving treatment, with the determination to not trouble the production. The production team has been taking necessary measures, adjusting the shooting schedules, respecting the actor’s desire to complete the work,” the statement read.

The statement continued that Kim’s doctor recently advised that the actor needed “psychological, physical rest” and upon multiple consultations with the crew, Kim decided to leave the cast.

As there will be no replacement for Kim, the production crew is working on revising the script for Kim’s character to naturally fall out of the story.

“Kim is still working on some remaining scenes. We hope that Kim will recover soon and that we will meet him again in good condition,” MBC’s announcement read.

Kim’s participation in “Time” had been troubled from the start. During a press conference held in July, the actor was unenthusiastic, answering questions curtly without much expression, in contrast with other actors present at the press conference.

At the time, the agency explained that the actor was immersed in his role as a terminally ill patient.

Sixteen episodes of the 32-part drama series has aired, garnering an average viewership share of 3.7 percent.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)