Daniel Dae Kim has broken his silence regarding his decision to leave Hawaii Five-O.

Last week, it was reported that Kim and co-star Grace Park, who have been on the show since its first season, would not be returning for the eighth season, which begins production this week. The absence of their characters, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, respectively, will be addressed in the season premiere.

Kim chose to exit the show after failing to reach an agreement with CBS that would grant him equal pay with co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. The network’s final offer to both Kim and Park was believed to have been 10-15% lower than O’Loughlin and Caan’s salaries.

Executive producer Peter Lenkov addressed the subject, recalling first meeting Kim while writing the pilot and, “being certain there was no other actor who I’d want to play Chin Ho Kelly.” As for Park, Lenkov said that her, “presence gave Hawaii Five-O a beauty and serenity to each episode,” adding that she was a “consummate collaborator.”

Read the official statement from CBS’s spokesperson here:

We are so appreciative of Daniel and Grace’s enormous talents, professional excellence and the aloha spirit they brought to each and every one of our 168 episodes. They’ve helped us build an exciting new Hawaii Five-0, and we wish them all the best and much success in their next chapters. Mahalo and a hui hou…

Daniel Dae Kim responds to his exit

Kim shared a statement of his own on his Facebook page, confirming the news. He begins by explaining, “Though I made myself available to come back, CBS and I weren’t able to agree to terms on a new contract.” He describes the choice to exit as “difficult,” but acknowledges that he mostly feels grateful to the cast, crew, and fans for the experience, and for the opportunity, especially as an Asian-American actor. “I know first-hand,” he says, “how difficult it is to find opportunities at all, let alone play a well-developed, three dimensional character like Chin Ho.”

Read the full post here:

What’s next for Daniel Dae Kim?

While his days at Hawaii Five-O may be over, Kim reveals that he has new projects on the way. His production company, 3AD, has its first show, The Good Doctor, set to premiere this fall on ABC.