Celebrities have a love-horror relationship with social media-it's where they build their fanbase, but it can also crucify them before the masses. Several actors of Kdramas have felt the sting of being centered around controversy because of their posts, which have received apology statements, lost opportunities, and online debates. Here are 8 notable instances where Kdrama stars faced significant backlash for their social media activity:
1. Park Sung Hoon in Season 2 of "Squid Game"
Park Sung Hoon, an actor who played a transgender character named Hyun-ju, posted an explicit parody called 'Squirt Game' on his Instagram Stories-an explicit version of "Squid Game," per Koreaboo. The image was nude and had gone viral even after deletion but caused him to be accused of distributing obscene content, being particularly sensitive to underage followers.
The aftermath had him backing out of the soon-to-air drama "The Tyrant's Chef," losing several product endorsements, and doing a tearful public apology over the mistake he committed.
2. Kim Sung Cheol in "Our Beloved Summer"
As reported by Gulf News, Kim Sung Cheol was criticized for participating in a problematic poll and leaving comments on an Instagram account featuring manipulated footage with sexual and explicit content of female K-pop idols. The said account has been called out for accusations of sexual harassment due to its body ranking polls about idols.
The netizens have marked the action as irresponsible and offensive, which later made him apologize for his "careless action" and address the controversy.
3. Kim Min Seok in "Descendants of the Sun"
Actor Kim Min Seok came under fire for his interaction with an Instagram account infamous for upskirt shots and body exposure of female idols, including leaving comments and voting for figures like Kwon Eun Bi per Zapee.
For this, fans and netizens labeled it as sexual harassment and, thus, were very disappointed. He had a press conference for his musical Werther and said that he did not know the whole nature of this account, but he still received continuous criticism.
4. Choo Young Woo in "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call"
Choo Young Woo got into controversy as he was found following an anti-feminist rapper and a hyper-sexual Afreeca BJ on Instagram. The fact that he followed such provocative and controversial accounts raised the disgust of fans after his rise to fame, which made him unfollow and clean up his social media follows.
Another controversy was about his phone case with a disturbing illustration of a young schoolgirl in a setting that was rather suggestive, which added more fuel to the fire of outrage and calls to re-evaluate all the misbehaviors on his part.
5. Lee Si Young in "Good Casting"
Lee Si Young, via Instagram, announced that she is pregnant with her second child through IVF of an embryo from a former marriage and without the consent of her ex-husband. She explained, "I've reached the limit for embryo storage, and instead of disposing of the embryo, I went ahead with implantation."
This news started a hot debate on ethical and lawful grounds. Netizens have come forward to criticize it as parental rights being violated, and such action could impose a fatherly duty upon him. Her ex-husband has confirmed in his response that there was no agreement or talks over this issue. He pledged support in the future but had divided netizens over the issue.
6. Sowon in "My Strange Hero"
Sowon, a member of GFRIEND who has appeared in Kdramas, posted a photo on Instagram posing with a mannequin dressed in a Nazi uniform, captioning it as her "new boyfriend." The post was seen as ignorant and offensive due to Nazi history, leading to swift backlash calling it disgusting and rude. She deleted the photo, but screenshots circulated, and her agency issued an apology expressing profound responsibility for the incident.
7. "My Name" - Han So Hee
She had written a few updates in Instagram during her breakup scandal with Ryu Jun Yeol, letter updates explaining timelines, silencing implied deception. She also cited his ex Hyeri's claims, giving a leg to the drama.
Netizens blamed her for blowing the controversy and being over-emotional; this resulted in the attacks of fans and debates. Eventually, she announced the breakup from her agency, but the posts attracted significant amount of hate regarding the manner of handling the situation.
8. Kim Sae Ron in "Secret Healer"
Kim Sae Ron shared the since-deleted Instagram Story of a close-up selfie taken with actor Kim Soo Hyun, stirring rumors of an alleged past relationship where she was still a minor at the time. The post created rumors of an age-gap romance starting when she was 15 years old and fueled backlash against both of them, with her aunt stating in an interview that it contributed to family problems.
Kim Sae Ron received praise and criticism from netizens, but the said post has been accused of intentionally trying to spark controversy, which simultaneously made many criticize her for being irresponsible.
