5 Korean Actors Who Faced Massive Backlash For Their Actions Or Statements

While Korean actors try to be as noncontroversial as possible, there have been plenty of times when they’ve gotten backlash due to their actions or statements. Here are 5 Korean actors who ran into this kind of situation.

1. Kim Ji Hoon

In 2013, Kim Ji Hoon was asked if he had any guilty pleasures, and he gave quite a controversial answer. He revealed that his guilty pleasure is breaking traffic laws, as it gives him thrills.

I might be a bit of a reckless driver… I hope this is okay to share. I mean, I’m not harming anyone so I’ll be honest. Like… When my friends ride in my car, they’re caught off guard. They say I’m good at maneuvering the car. I know how to ignore the signals and take short cuts to get to the destination quickly. Sometimes I go straight on a left turn signal… Sometimes I turn left on a straight signal. It thrills me when I can do 30-minute rides in 10 minutes.

— Kim Ji Hoon

The interviewer made sure to let him know that his guilty pleasure was illegal, and asked him if he wanted to clarify his statement. However, Kim Ji Hoon continued by talking about how he finds it exciting when he breaks traffic laws and doesn’t get caught.

It’s the thrill of not being caught by the police or by the traffic enforcement cameras. I’m like, ‘Yay! I didn’t get ticketed, I’m not losing money!’ I guess that’s my guilty pleasure if you can call it a guilty pleasure.

— Kim Ji Hoon

Many netizens weren’t too fond of his comments, and they chose to criticize him for his selfish actions.

2. Kang Sung Jin

Kang Sung Jin and his wife received major backlash after their appearance on Normal Family. Kang Sung Jin and his wife decided to throw a “coming-of-age” party for their son. They decided to do this because he had his first wet dream. However, many viewers criticized them for this, as their son looked uncomfortable throughout the whole party.

Many also grew concerned that their son would get teased about this at his school, as his experience was being broadcasted on television.

3. Han Ji Sun

Actress Han Ji Sun made headlines in 2019 when it was revealed that she had gotten drunk and physically assaulted a taxi driver by hitting his head with a thermos. When she was taken to the police station, she started to assault some police officers as well, such as biting them, slapping their arms, and kicking their legs.

Han Ji Sun’s image went spiraling down after this scandal, and she faced major backlash from not only netizens but the entertainment industry. Ever since the scandal, Han Ji Sun hasn’t been offered any acting roles.

4. Park Si Hoo

During a press conference for the K-Drama The Wind, Cloud, And Rain, Park Si Hoo faced a lot of backlash from netizens for his comments towards Go Sung Hee.

When the cast members were asked if there was a scene to anticipate from the show, Park Si Hoo gave a controversial answer, where he said that there was a scene where Go Sung Hee “revealed some skin”.

It’s racy and sexy — and definitely something to look forward to.

— Park Si Hoo

Netizens weren’t too fond of his comments, and he faced major backlash for his inappropriate comments. Park Si Hoo was also once involved in an alleged rape scandal in 2013, which made netizens even more upset about his comments.

5. Kim Yoo Bin

Child actor Kim Yoo Bin faced backlash when he shared a post regarding the “Nth Room“.

What about guys, you XXXXers? Did I go into the Nth Room? You XXXXers. They’re saying there are 270,000 XXXXXes in Korea. Are you one of them, too? If I’m a perpetrator, you’re a XXXXX. All guys who haven’t seen the Nth Room?

– Kim Yoo Bin

He faced criticism as it looked like he was trying to defend the perpetrators involved in the “Nth Room”. He soon issued an explanation behind his post.

I’m sorry to those who felt insulted after seeing the story I posted without thinking it through. The story was targeted towards the people who asked me if I had ever been inside the Nth Room before and those who treat all Korean men like they’re criminals. I did it out of anger.

– Kim Yoo Bin

However, he faced more controversy when it was revealed that he was following a Twitter account for deepfake pornography. After the backlash, Kim Yoo Bin turned his social media accounts to private and has remained relatively quiet.