As debate over the girl group Risenn's member Woni's remark "Museopno" continues in political circles as an "Ilbe-style manner of speaking," Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, Woni's hometown, said it is inappropriate to interpret the expression politically.
In a statement released on the 10th, Geoje City said, "The expression ('Museopno') is a dialect and colloquial phrase commonly used in South Gyeongsang, and it is Geoje City's position that interpreting it as containing a particular political intent is inappropriate."
It added, "Risenn's Woni has consistently promoted her hometown of Geoje by introducing the Geoje dialect and everyday scenes on a YouTube channel." It continued, "The indiscriminate spread of information whose facts have not been verified and excessive criticism can cause harm to the person involved," and added, "We ask for cooperation so that a mature culture of communication that considers one another can take root."
Board member Jo Su-jin of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation also apologized on the 9th after pointing out that the dialect word "Museopno," which Risenn leader Woni recently used, was an "Ilbe-style expression." Jo said on Facebook, "It seems I lacked understanding of the language of the younger generation, which contains many omissions in online conversations."
The current "Museopno" controversy began when a producer at a South Gyeongsang regional broadcaster raised the issue on social media. The claim is that the method of adding "no" to the end of a sentence in the expression "Museopno" carries a derogatory meaning toward former President Roh Moo-hyun.
Former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk also joined the debate, saying the expression of mechanically adding "no" to an interrogative sentence is an "Ilbe-style manner of speaking."