Singer and actor Yang Dong-geun expressed his intense feelings after facing criticism for participating in an event hosted by a pastor who voiced support for former President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law. Reactions online range from disappointment to questioning the true meaning of the intense language Yang used.
The controversy began with a video Yang Dong-geun posted on his social media account on the 1st. The photo he shared along with the caption 'Wash it whiter than snow' features Yang performing on stage at an event.
This video was from a youth camp hosted by Pastor Son Hyun-bo at Busan's Segyero Church on the 30th of last month. The controversy arose due to the host's identity. Pastor Son Hyun-bo is known for his strong conservative Christian views and has previously voiced support for former President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law and appeared to believe in conspiracy theories regarding electoral fraud. After last year's emergency martial law situation, he led the 'Save Korea' rally early this year.
Since Yang Dong-geun had not displayed any political inclination before, some netizens criticized him for revealing a political stance in favor of martial law. Some defended him, stating, 'It's a religious activity; what's the problem?' and 'It's just an expression of faith,' while others reacted with, 'Working with Pastor Son Hyun-bo is no different from expressing a political stance,' and 'I'm disappointed.'
In response, his agency stated, 'Yang Dong-geun only has thoughts about the Lord. He is a person with a pure faith who can attend any gathering that praises God. We hope there are no misunderstandings about any political intentions.'
However, Yang Dong-geun ignited tensions with his intense statements. On the morning of the 2nd, a day later, he said on his social media account, 'Believing in you makes me XX. Guys, be disappointed to your heart's content and curse to your heart's content. You have the freedom to do that. Making an extreme choice is a bit much, don't you think?'
Along with this, Yang Dong-geun posted a photo of himself playing with a child, in which he wrote 'XX' on his forehead with a white marker and used a sign indicating a vulgar gesture on his cheeks. The mention of 'extreme choice' particularly shocked many.
Reactions from netizens to Yang Dong-geun's intense emotional outburst were mixed. There are still expressions of disappointment, along with comments such as, 'Who did you believe in?' 'Were you deceived by the pastor?' and 'Was it all a deception?'
Meanwhile, Yang Dong-geun, who started as a child actor, rose to fame through the drama 'Do It Your Way' and has recently appeared in Netflix's 'Squid Game' seasons 2 and 3.
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