Comedian Lee Kyung-sil shared her thoughts on the 'small donations by celebrities' controversy.
On the 23rd, Lee Kyung-sil appeared on the YouTube channel 'New Women'.
In the video, comedian Lee Sun-min asked, "Should donations be made secretly or openly?"
In response, Lee Kyung-sil said, "What's wrong with being open about it? Is it wrong to do it?" and Jo Hye-ryun also agreed, saying, "By doing so, it encourages others. Didn't Sean run 81.5 km to raise funds?"
Lee Sun-min expressed his admiration for Sean's fundraising marathon, saying, "Didn't Sean establish the first specialized hospital for ALS in the country? Seeing that made me want to donate when I earn money later."
Lee Kyung-sil mentioned the controversy over small donations by celebrities, saying, "Some people might donate less. But some think that all celebrities should donate a lot. Have those who say that ever donated? They criticize for donating only that much, but did you contribute anything? It's so funny to see those people."
Previously, during disasters like heavy rain and earthquakes, celebrities have participated in donation relays, showcasing their positive influence. However, some netizens have compared the donation amounts of celebrities and criticized those who donated relatively small amounts, leading to controversy.
Actor Lee Si-eon and the group Koyote are representative examples. Lee Si-eon faced criticism for donating 1 million won in 2020 as part of the COVID-19 donation movement, as some deemed the amount too small.
In response, Lee Si-eon appeared on MBC's 'Radio Star' and said, "(Yoo Se-yoon) posted a donation certification photo for 1 million won, so I also donated and posted it on SNS, but people asked, 'Why only 1 million won?' It turned out that Yoo Se-yoon donated 10 million won," adding, "It's true that I misread, but I shouldn't be criticized for donating 1 million won."
Koyote also faced negative comments after donating 30 million won for wildfire recovery. Member Baekga shared on SBS Radio's 'Escape from Two O'Clock Cultwo Show' in May, "Other celebrities donated a lot, and they said, 'Is that all you three donated?' It was very hurtful."
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
