Korean reactions to mourning celebrities have been unforgiving, unapologetic, and unreasonably hateful.
For his excellent performing in Taxi Driver, actor Lee Je Hoon took house one of many two shared Grand Prize (daesang) awards on the “2023 SBS Drama Awards” on December 29, 2023 (KST).
Throughout his acceptance speech, Lee grieved the lack of the late Lee Solar Kyun—calling him a “function mannequin” although the 2 by no means started working on a sequence collectively. Lee even devoted the Grand Prize to the late actor.
Whereas Lee Solar Kyun’s identify was not talked about, it was apparent that Lee Je Hoon was speaking about his late sunbae.
Having the ability to movie a second season of Taxi Driver was honorable sufficient for me, and I used to be grateful for the possibility. However now that I’ve been given such a prestigious award for the function, I don’t know methods to react.
I gave Taxi Driver all that I had as a result of I needed to be of assist and comfort to the victims who survived the incidents illustrated within the present. Even after I felt like I wasn’t sufficient and I lacked what it took, I had such great director, scriptwriter, co-stars, and manufacturing workers members supporting me and pushing me by it. With out them, I’d not be right here receiving this award…
…Right now has been additional painful. I by no means acquired to cross paths with him on a present, and I solely acquired to spend a break up second with him right here and there. However I watched him construct his profession, and I dreamed of turning into an actor to stroll the trail he walked. I’ve at all times considered him as a job mannequin, and I wish to observe in his footsteps. So I’d wish to share this award with him.
Could he relaxation in peace.
— Lee Je Hoon
The speech has since gone viral, and as anticipated, reactions stemming from Korea are unforgiving, unapologetic, and unreasonably hateful.
Whereas most of his fellow celebrities and worldwide followers are mourning Lee’s passing and the lack of a star on the planet of performing, loads of Koreans stay on the fence about Lee—clenching on to the piece of knowledge that he was a VIP at an grownup leisure bar and utilizing it to carry him to a a lot greater ethical customary as a result of he was a “public determine.”
Shamelessly dubbing the late actor an “adulterous addict” regardless of the shortage of stable proof, Koreans have expressed their disgust with Lee Je Hoon for trying as much as Lee Solar Kyun.
- “That is what males consider grownup leisure bars. There’s nothing incorrect with going to these institutions. Haha. Non-celeb dudes suppose the identical. It’s stunning to ladies as a result of ladies are much less into prostitution. However keep in mind Korea has extra grownup institutions than it has espresso outlets.”
- “A job mannequin out of a person who had an adulterous affair with a prostitute? And sharing the prize with somebody who offed himself out of disgrace for getting caught? As an alternative of sharing it with the manufacturing workers of Taxi Driver? Man, celebrities are so out of contact. These actors do not know what’s happening, huh? It’s as if Lee Solar Kyun died an honorable dying, serving his nation. Or one thing.”
- “I used to be ready for Taxi Driver 3. However I don’t suppose I’ll watch it.”
- “Taxi Driver 2 had episodes devoted to victims of crimes like drug dealing and prostitution… Lee Je Hoon ought to’ve saved these ideas to himself. I don’t perceive why he even talked about Lee Solar Kyun, particularly when he himself mentioned the 2 of them didn’t actually know one another.”
- “Did Lee Je Hoon not watch the information? He should not learn about all of the issues that Lee Solar Kyun did. Like, this entire speech is blowing my thoughts proper now.”
- “The leisure enterprise won’t ever stop to amaze me… LOL. I do know, now, that it’s a world the place a married man can frequent an grownup institution and that’s thought-about OK.”
Some even criticized Lee Je Hoon for “overlooking the essence of the Taxi Driver function he was awarded for,” mentioning that character Kim Do Gi was an icon of righteousness—combating in opposition to medication and prostitution.
The correlation (if any) Lee Je Hoon’s win for his portrayal of Taxi Driver‘s Kim Do Gi and the speech dedicating the award to the late actor all contributed to the flood of feedback.
- “This goes to point out that Lee Je Hoon starred on Taxi Driver for the money and fame, not as a result of he had particular emotions and intentions about what the present stands for. I’m so bitter.”
- “Ha.”
- “At this level, I really feel just like the world is pranking me. He’s going to share his Taxi Driver grand prize with who now…?”
- “?”
- “That is ridiculous. LOL.”
- “It’s as much as him to look as much as a sunbae actor. What’s incorrect with a few of these feedback?”
- “Maybe Lee Solar Kyun was a job mannequin ever since Lee Je Hoon was younger and aspiring to change into an actor. What’s incorrect with that?”
- “A job mannequin, huh?”
- “I heard the speech, even the half when Lee Je Hoon talked concerning the late Lee Solar Kyun. And when he mentioned the entire function mannequin factor, I understood it as Lee Je Hoon trying as much as Lee Solar Kyun as an actor. Not for a second did I believe it was Lee Je Hoon commenting on Lee Solar Kyun’s non-public life and what has occurred due to his private selections. A few of these feedback are wild.”
- “Oh, c’mon. After all, Lee Je Hoon meant that he seems as much as Lee Solar Kyun as a job mannequin within the subject, for the profession that Lee Solar Kyun had. Who’s decoding this in any other case? Nobody is speaking about Lee Solar Kyun’s private selections. Additionally, it’s Lee Je Hoon’s daesang. Let him share it with whoever his coronary heart wishes.”
- “However individuals. Taxi Driver was actually ABOUT the Burning Solar scandal and drug crimes. Do you all not see the place the irony lies?”
A whole bunch of feedback, beneath a number of posts concerning the speech, throughout Korea’s a number of on-line communities have accrued. When a number of Koreans tried to defend Lee Je Hoon and even name out the poisonous nature of the feedback being made, the backlash grew fiercer.
On-line communities like theqoo and Nate Pann have been breeding grounds for merciless feedback concerning the late actor. Lee Gyu Tag, a professor of cultural research at George Mason College Korea, shared through CNN that this “intense on-line tradition” is, clearly, unsafe.
I consider that the web can also be having an affect in imposing stricter ethical requirements on actors and singers in Korea. Whether or not they did medication or dedicated unlawful crimes, if it isn’t a critical mistake, they need to be punished by legislation, and that’s it. However the public appear to suppose that folks within the leisure enterprise deserve criticism or shameful feedback on the web.
— Lee Gyu Tag
Learn extra about 2023 SBS Drama Awards right here.
“2023 SBS Drama Awards” Face Backlash For The Lineup of “Questionable” Winners
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