Actress Lee Min-jung (42) became embroiled in controversy after photos taken in Venice, Italy, showed her posing at an altar, prompting her to clarify that it was 'not a church but a hotel restaurant.'
On the 4th, Lee Min-jung stated on her social media (SNS), 'This is not a church; it is a place that preserves the walls of the church building from hundreds of years ago and operates as a hotel event venue and restaurant.' She apologized, saying, 'I am not a Catholic, but if you felt uncomfortable taking a photo in front of the altar, I am sorry. I will be more cautious in the future.'
Earlier, Lee Min-jung attended the Venice International Film Festival with her husband Lee Byung-hun. This picture was taken after she toured the city with actress Son Ye-jin. The photo shows Lee Min-jung posing with a luxury bag in front of an altar featuring a statue of Jesus. Some internet users criticized her for 'using a sacred space like a photo shoot,' calling it 'reckless.'
As the controversy spread, Lee Min-jung quickly posted an explanation, and public opinion largely tilted toward the view that 'this is not a problem.' Netizens reacted by saying, 'If it is a hotel restaurant, it is not blasphemy,' 'If it was a prohibited shooting location, they would have intervened,' and 'Since it is an old church building, tourists are free to take photos there.'
Meanwhile, the film 'No Way Out,' starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, was invited to the institutional sector competition of the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and premiered as a world premiere. Some overseas media outlets gave it high praise with top reviews, and the film was also selected as Korea's representative for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards next year.