knetz are starting to dig up info on political leanings of celebrities now.
Lim Young-woong, Kim Eana, Gong Yoo… Stars Undergoing Ideological Investigation Amid Impeachment
Amid the controversy over Yoon Seok-yeol’s martial law, stars are undergoing ideological scrutiny. Even Lim Young-woong, who was loved by the nation and called the “nation’s son-in-law,” is being criticized, and the sparks are flying to a harsh place.
On the 7th, Lim Young-woong posted a birthday photo of his pet dog, Siwol, on his SNS. While citizens who were angry at President Yoon Seok-yeol’s declaration of martial law gathered in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun to protest and demand his impeachment, netizens’ response to his upload of a photo of his peaceful daily life, no different from usual, was cold.
One netizen posted the contents of a DM conversation with Lim Young-woong on an online community, and in response to the post, another netizen sent a sharp DM (direct message) asking, “What are you doing in these times?” Lim Young-woong’s official account replied, “What?”
The netizen said, “The entire nation is gathered to impeach the president who declared martial law unconstitutionally, and I don’t expect you to speak up, but you are really insensitive. He criticized, saying,
“Aren’t people your age who experienced martial law your main consumers?” To this, Lim Young-woong responded, “Am I a politician? Why am I raising my voice?” After this, a heated debate erupted online. Lim Young-woong was criticized with comments such as, “I thought you were an upright young man, but this is disappointing” and “You lack historical awareness.” Some people even argued that celebrities should not be forced to speak out on political issues, saying, “Silence is also freedom.” There were also opinions that the post in question seemed to have been fabricated, and that celebrities would not be able to check their DMs one by one.
Meanwhile, lyricist and broadcaster Kim Eana also had to explain the Ilbe (Ilbe Storage, an extreme right-wing internet community) controversy after being ideologically verified by netizens.
On the 8th, Kim Eana wrote in a comment on her official SNS account, “I have never been on Ilbe, and I still don’t know if the source is Ilbe,” and “I am also one of the citizens who have been angry since the moment (President Yoon Seok-yeol) declared martial law.” When
the People Power Party lawmakers walked out en masse to reject the impeachment bill for President Yoon Seok-yeol, public anger reached its peak, and people flocked to Kim Eana’s SNS, who was embroiled in suspicions that she had been a member of Ilbe (Ilbe), and asked questions such as, “What do you think about martial law?”, “Do you support impeachment?”, and “Are you a 2-jik (slang for those who voted for the People Power Party or Yoon Seok-yeol)?”
Kim Eana was in the news after it was revealed that she used words frequently used by Ilbe members in internet broadcast chat rooms, such as "samilhan" (a slang term meaning that women should be beaten once every three days) and "jwajangmyeon" (a derogatory term for former President Moon Jae-in).
Meanwhile, actor Gong Yoo was embarrassed when an interview from 20 years ago was brought up.
On the 4th, the day after President Yoon Seok-yeol declared martial law, Gong Yoo's past interview in which he chose former President Park Chung-hee as "the man I think is the coolest" was brought up again by netizens.
Netizens criticized Gong Yoo's historical awareness, and Gong Yoo, who was scheduled to be interviewed by reporters as the lead actor of the Netflix drama "Trunk," explained this in front of the reporters.
Gong Yoo told Sports Kyunghyang, "This is an interview from 20 years ago, but it's been mentioned again whenever there's a political issue or situation, so I felt like it was being used politically." He continued, "I've never said my intentions or thoughts on my YouTube channel, but various interpretations have been added. That's not really how I feel. I've been in this entertainment industry for over 20 years, and I've been through many situations, but honestly, as a human being, there have been times when I've felt skeptical."
He continued, “I didn’t live like that, and (my political inclination) isn’t like that,” and “To be exact, 20 years ago, when I was in my early to mid-20s, I was more short-sighted and less prudent than I am now,” and confessed, “There was room for misunderstanding that could make some people feel uncomfortable. It should have been a wording that required caution,” but emphasized, “I didn’t live with a wrong ethical or historical awareness.”
He added, “I also watched the December 3 Incident with an angry and frustrated heart.”
