Jin Jung-kwon, a professor at Dongyang University, criticized the controversy over girl group LAYSHA member Woni's remark "Museopno," saying it was excessive collective condemnation.
On the 5th, Jin wrote on his Facebook, "Whether it's throwing a collective fit over a finger gesture or going into a group frenzy over adding a single letter at the end of a word, the only difference is direction; it is certain the two groups are the 'one' people who share the same DNA."
Jin also said, "Will you only be satisfied after seizing a still-young idol star and offering the person to the May 18 altar?" and asked, "Is that truly the country the May 18 spirits wanted?"
He added, "The mentalité is becoming more and more doctrinaire, and the sensibilité is becoming increasingly violent and aggressive," noting, "With only extremes left, the whole country is becoming violently childish." Mentalité means way of thinking, and sensibilité means sensibility in French.
The controversy began with a video posted on the YouTube channel "HelloThisIsWoniNiceToMeetYou" on the 28th. The video showed LAYSHA's Woni, who is from Geoje, South Gyeongsang, visiting the hometown home of Japanese member Minami.
In the video, after stepping into the house and sensing an awkward mood, Woni said, "Wairano" ("What's going on?" in the Gyeongsang dialect). Then, while moving toward Minami's sibling's room, where the lights were off, the PD filming first said, "Museopno" ("That's scary" in the dialect), and Woni chimed in, "Museopno, even the lighting is scary."
The expression became a controversy when PD Kim Hyun-ji, who directed the documentary film "Adult Kim Jang-ha," raised the issue on social media on the 1st. Kim argued that the "Museopno" expression used by Woni and the production staff was "an Ilbe-style hate expression."
Afterward, fans of LAYSHA pushed back, saying it was "an overinterpretation of the Gyeongsang Province dialect." Since Woni is from Geoje, South Gyeongsang, the point was that the regional way of speaking should not be labeled as hate speech.
Kim then issued an additional position, saying, "Even though Gyeongsang dialect researchers have repeatedly pointed out that this usage does not conform to grammar, young people are naturally using the nonstandard 'no,'" and added, "I feel more alarmed because I do not think they intentionally used it out of Ilbe-style thinking."