Broadcaster Hong Jin Kyung has become the center of controversy regarding political color with a single SNS photo posted a day before the 21st presidential election. As the controversy spread, Hong Jin Kyung posted a handwritten apology, but discussions about the sincerity of her apology continue online. In particular, some netizens are paying attention to the 'reason why only Hong Jin Kyung is receiving criticism.'

Why is Hong Jin Kyung facing particular criticism for the political color controversy?

The controversy began on the 2nd when Hong Jin Kyung posted a photo of herself wearing a red sweater taken at a store in Stockholm, Sweden, on SNS. Given the sensitive timing ahead of the election, suspicions arose regarding whether there was a political intent, as red is recognized as the party color symbolizing the People Power Party.

Despite other celebrities experiencing similar situations around the same time, Hong Jin Kyung faced particularly fierce criticism. It appears that her interview videos with politicians on her YouTube channel 'Study King Genius' played a significant role in this.

On the 28th of last month, before the presidential election, Hong Jin Kyung released videos in which she interviewed three major presidential candidates: Lee Jae-myung (Democratic Party of Korea), Kim Moon-soo (People Power Party), and Lee Jun-seok (Reform Party). Although the content was not classified as election-related, it drew attention since she was uniquely able to interact directly with the presidential candidates through YouTube. This fueled the political color controversy even more.

Some netizens expressed skepticism, saying, "The circumstances are questionable to regard it as a simple issue of clothing color." Comments included, "I am very disappointed. I will unsubscribe," "There’s no way she posted this without knowing," and "It seems intentional."

“Can’t one even wear a certain color?”… Concerns over excessive criticism

On the other hand, there were also voices supporting Hong Jin Kyung. They expressed concerns about the atmosphere that presumes political intent based solely on the color of her outfit, arguing, "Can’t entertainers support a specific party?" "It could be an unintentional mistake," and "It’s excessive to take it this far over a clothing color."

In particular, Hong Jin Kyung's handwritten apology, in which she mentioned being 'insensitive to domestic sentiments while staying abroad' and 'lacking consideration for the color of the clothing she wore,' resonated with some netizens.

There are also those who raise caution. Opinions such as, "It's too early to jump to conclusions," "Continuing to criticize after she has clarified is excessive," and "I want to believe it was a mistake" reflect concerns about applying excessive standards to public figures.

Can public figures be entirely free from political color?

The case of Hong Jin Kyung vividly illustrates how a single SNS post can lead to political interpretations under various contexts. Especially when a public figure and content creator engages with election-related content, it reaffirms that all actions can be interpreted as 'political gestures,' regardless of intent.

In her apology, Hong Jin Kyung bowed her head and said, "I apologize once again for confusing your minds during this sensitive time." Nevertheless, this controversy has become a complex question regarding the boundaries of public expression and the SNS era.

[OSEN]