A Taiwanese female entertainer who experienced a rally calling for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment at Gwanghwamun Square during her trip to Seoul shared photos taken at the rally and her feelings about it on her social media (SNS). This post received criticism from Taiwanese internet users, but this woman noted, "Korea is really a nice place. I will choose Seoul for my next trip."
According to Taiwanese media on the 19th, Huang Qiao-xin (黃喬歆·38), who was a member of the girl group "Hey Girl" and is now active as an actress and model, shared several photos taken at the rally calling for President Yoon's impeachment on her Instagram on the 15th, stating that she visited the rally in Gwanghwamun Square during her trip to Seoul. The photos showed her eating tteokbokki, hot dogs, and churros at the rally.
Huang Qiao-xin said, "It was my first time experiencing a democratic rally in Korea, and I was really surprised," adding, "It was no different from a massive festival." She continued, "There were chairs and food trucks, and all kinds of food were free. Even though they knew I was a foreigner, people kindly approached me and told me to 'eat a lot.' They also voluntarily picked up the garbage after eating."
She also mentioned, "The unity of Koreans cannot be underestimated. It was truly a special experience," and wrote "thank you" in Korean. She also said, "It's really cool."
Earlier, major foreign media outlets such as The New York Times (NYT), Agence France-Presse (AFP), and BBC had described the rally calling for impeachment as "a festival where K-pop music flows and people of all ages mingle and dance."
However, Taiwanese internet users criticized Huang Qiao-xin's post as "reckless." They pointed out that she lightly consumed the serious political situation of a neighboring country from a foreign perspective. Comments on her post included, "Do you know what this rally means to Koreans?" and "Demeaning the rally of a neighboring country as a festival shows a low awareness of democracy."
Huang Qiao-xin's post also became a target for internet users shouting "anti-China." One Korean internet user captured Huang Qiao-xin's post and claimed, "The game that Chinese people are currently playing is experiencing a rally in support of impeachment in Korea." This user referred to her as "a Taiwanese influencer's SNS" and criticized her for seemingly not understanding the sensitive relationship between China and Taiwan by labeling her as "Chinese."
As the controversy arose, Huang posted again the following day photos taken at the rally in support of impeachment and her impressions on Instagram. She stated, "I just shared what I saw and heard as a tourist on SNS; I have no special stance on Korea's political situation," adding, "Even though people knew I was a foreigner, they gestured to me and shared warm drinks, and when the rally ended, they picked up all the garbage. We have much to learn."
Additionally, she said, "After posting, I also received insults, curses, and threats from some internet users in Korea. Knowing that everyone has different viewpoints, I don't care about it," and added, "Korea is still a place I love. The refreshing weather, beautiful streets, hip cafes, and kind 'uncles' and 'aunts'... Of course, I will come to Seoul again on my next trip."