Actress Kim Hye-eun expressed her respect for Seol Nan-young, the spouse of Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, while targeting writer Yoo Si-min. This has led to a heated debate among netizens, but her agency has not released a separate statement.
On the 31st, a representative from Kim Hye-eun's agency, FN Entertainment, stated to Maeil Business Star Today, “We have confirmed the matter, but we do not plan to make a statement at this time.”
On the same day, Kim Hye-eun posted on her social media, “I don’t think I have ever felt ashamed of my education from Seoul National University like I do today. I want to apologize on behalf of those who feel this way.”
She continued, “The academic background and intelligence of a person are nothing but worthless bragging in front of those who speak of life as evidence of a diligent life. Those who casually judge and belittle someone’s life have the most shameful tongues,” she criticized.
She also expressed her support for Seol Nan-young, saying, “I respect mothers like Seol Nan-young, who have dedicated their lives to supporting a man's dreams while taking responsibility for their livelihood and striving to fight for justice as women labor activists. I respect her even more because I feel I could not live that way.”
Kim Hye-eun further mentioned, “Seol Nan-young, who has quietly stood by her husband without ever misusing a company credit card, and Kim Young-ok, who shows her resilience to her juniors, are my true role models that drive my life.”
She emphasized, “I am not a highly educated person, nor am I a rotten intellectual living with a sense of class who belittles high school graduates just because I graduated from Seoul National University. Today, as a woman living in this era, I am truly heartbroken by such cheap and harsh words.”
As Kim Hye-eun released her politically charged post, netizens' attention was drawn. Although she deleted the post, it spread across social media and various online communities.
Kim Hye-eun's post appears to be a targeted response to writer Yoo Si-min, who graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University. Kim Hye-eun is also an alumnus of Seoul National University, having studied vocal music.
Previously, on the 28th, Yoo Si-min appeared on YouTube's “Kim Eo-jun's Das Baeida” and stated, “The position of the spouse of a presidential candidate from a major party is almost unattainable in Seol Nan-young's life. Therefore, this person is now floating in the air. In other words, it means they are not in their right mind.”
He also claimed, “Kim Moon-soo is someone who, in Seol Nan-young's view, is so extraordinary that it does not match her. I can feel elevated through my marriage to such a man. After living a rough life, I became a member of the National Assembly's spouse. I will look up to my husband even more.”
After the controversy arose, Yoo Si-min apologized, saying, “It was my fault that the expression was rough.” He explained that the phrase “not in their right mind” meant “unable to make purposeful and rational judgments.” He added, “What I meant was that Seol Nan-young's actions are undermining her husband's votes.”
As the 21st presidential election is underway, Kim Hye-eun's politically charged post has sparked a debate among netizens.
Some netizens criticized, saying, “Weren't you ashamed during the martial law?”, “Wasn't it embarrassing to be called a Seoul National University coup d'état group?”, “Selective shame”, “I guess you were proud before.” Others responded positively, saying, “I am proud of you”, “I support you”, “You are a great actress”, “Adding a patriotic conservative celebrity”, “A normal person would think this way”, “Finally, a celebrity who can judge wisely.”
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
