Kim Dong-wan of Shinhwa (left) and Choi Si-won of Super Junior. Photo courtesy of|Yonhap News. SM Entertainment
Is banning them from the internet the right answer? Kim Dong-wan of Shinhwa and Choi Si-won of Super Junior voiced their convictions on social media without a filter and are now facing a barrage of criticism. Many are also scoffing that, had they stayed quiet, no one would have known, accusing them of courting controversy.
On the 17th, he wrote, “Trying to eliminate red-light districts is turning the entire country into one” and “Looking at red-light districts in front of churches, in front of schools, in front of police substations, one cannot help but question it.” He argued, “We need to acknowledge it and manage it” and “With single-person households increasing, we should not move on with the logic that covering it up is enough.” He also added in a comment, “The reason I believe it should be legalized is that there are people who cannot do it without paying. That is also true from a disease-control standpoint.”
As criticism of his remarks about legalizing prostitution mounted, Kim briefly closed his social media, then reopened it on the 20th to explain. He stressed, “What I am concerned about are the inflow of minors, the absence of disease control, and exploitation within illegal structures” and “A posture of turning away from reality without protection and regulation can, while speaking of morality, be a way to evade responsibility.”
The response, however, was icy. Online users poured out strong rebukes such as, “You do not know the reality of countries where prostitution is legal. My wife, my daughter engage in prostitution. Even then, the father, the husband should acknowledge that. Because it is a job. Because it is a side job. Mr. Kim Dong-wan, would you accept it even if your own family were doing that?” “You can say that only because you never imagine you could be the one being sexually exploited. Can you please stop with the conviction talk?” “That is not a natural right, so stop whining.” Some long-time Shinhwa fans also called it disrespectful, saying, “Do not ruin my memories” and “Could you live a little more quietly, oppa,” expressing that their affection had cooled. In addition, on home-shopping sites, more people are requesting a suspension of sales of the pork cutlet product he promotes.
Choi Si-won Instagram capture.
Choi Si-won is also in hot water over a social media post. On the 19th, he posted the phrase “Bul-ui pilmang, Tobung wa-hae, ” on social media. ‘Bul-ui pilmang’ means that if one is not righteous, one will surely collapse, and ‘Tobung wa-hae’ refers to a state in which earth collapses and roof tiles shatter, meaning something is completely ruined.
That day was when former President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection related to the 12·3 emergency martial law, which gave rise to talk that Choi was stating a position on the matter. Since last year he had shared a memorial message mourning the late Charlie Kirk, a close associate of U.S. President Donald Trump and a conservative activist, prompting questions about his political leanings, the view that this post was about the verdict for former President Yoon gained even more weight. At the time, he posted a tribute reading, “We mourn the death of one of the heroes of America, Charlie Kirk. He was a resolute man who stood up to evil. Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk,” then deleted it.
As the suspicions grew louder, his agency, SM Entertainment, pulled out the ‘legal action’ card. Through its online reporting center ‘Kwangya119’, SM Entertainment said, “We are providing an update on the progress of legal action to protect the rights and interests of our artist Choi Si-won” and “We have confirmed that malicious posts attacking and insulting our artist have been created and posted persistently and repeatedly in recent days, and we take the gravity of this very seriously.”
It continued, “Based on materials collected through our own monitoring, we closely reviewed the content of the posts and attached images, and for the criminal acts we confirmed, together with Law Firm (Limited) Sejong we filed a complaint with the investigative authorities.”
The agency stated that it is continuously securing evidence against those who generate and spread false information and those who post mocking and contemptuous writings, adding, “After reviewing the relevant posts, we will expand the filing of complaints in stages,” and emphasized that, to protect the rights and interests of the artist, it will respond strongly with civil·criminal legal measures without leniency or settlement.
