Choi Jun-hee, daughter of the late Choi Jin-sil, explained the controversy over the wedding photo shoot location and expressed anger over the unauthorized leak.
On the 18th, Choi Jun-hee posted on her social account, "I never uploaded these photos anywhere, so I don't know where you got them; reporter, you uploaded them without permission... please stop bothering them," she vented.
On the 17th, Choi Jun-hee announced she will marry in May. The groom-to-be is known to be a man 11 years her senior with whom she has been in a long-term relationship. During this process, wedding photos of Choi Jun-hee and the groom-to-be spread, and some criticized that the wedding photo shoot location was inappropriate.
The photo shoot was taken in Tokyo, Japan, and the couple in tuxedo and wedding dress was captured in front of Tokyo Tower. But another photo showed Choi Jun-hee and the groom-to-be smiling in front of a space densely filled with statues that appear to be mizuko jizo, drawing attention.
Mizuko refers to fetuses that were not born due to miscarriage, abortion or stillbirth, or babies who died in infancy, and mizuko jizo refers to Jizo statues wrapped with red cloth at Jizo Bosatsu statues to ward off evil spirits. It is known to have originated from the custom of draping bibs and aprons used by a child over Jizo Bosatsu to pray for the child's repose after a child had died.
In particular, some argued that a space where mizuko jizo are gathered looks like a place for offerings to memorialize children who were miscarried or stillborn, which sparked controversy.
In response, to a netizen's comment asking, "Didn't anyone tell you?" Choi Jun-hee replied, "A Korean photographer who often shoots in Japan designated and photographed it, so how would I have known in such a big Tokyo? The last region I went to was Osaka when I was in kindergarten," and added, "That photo was never officially released in the first place; it's just one of the photos the reporter took without permission and used. I have done more than nine wedding shoots as sponsorships, so how could I have recognized just that one photo? I had no idea," she said, expressing her grievance.
She attached the conversation exchanged with the photographer at the time of the shoot, replying "right" to a comment saying, "The photographer should take responsibility for this." In the conversation, the photographer said, "I will plan the shooting route and organize neighborhood information and send it to you within this week," selecting and sharing shooting locations around Tokyo, and Choi Jun-hee responded, "Sounds good." She reiterated, "How would I have known. I had no idea," stating she did not recognize what significance the location held.
To comments such as "It might be better not to use that photo at the wedding" and "You should delete that photo," she again protested, "I never used it in the first place. Deleting or whatever, I never uploaded it." She added, "I'm sorry I didn't know about Japanese culture because I'm a U.S. fanatic."
Meanwhile, on the 16th, Choi Jun-hee said, "I am getting married! Family has never been an easy word for me, right? After a childhood that was only sad, I long resolved in my heart that one day I would create my own warm shelter. Now I want to live a firmer and warmer life not as someone's daughter but as a wife and as my own new family I will build." She added, "Thank you so much to everyone who sent warm blessings and support despite the sudden news. This matter shook me for a moment, but in the end I chose love and decided to be happy! I will tend to my future more warmly myself."
[Photo] Choi Jun-hee SNS, online community
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