South Korean actor Song Joong-ki is currently in hot water with K-Drama fans following a statement he had said in an interview with YouTube channel Alien Mandarin, where he commented that in the Korean acting industry, male actors “lose out on jobs” when they get married or when they become a father.
This comment comes after the birth of his first child with Katy Louise Sanders, where the latter had given birth in Rome, Italy. Song Joong-ki’s agency, High Zium Studio had announced the news last June 14, 2023, and the “Vincenzo” actor later on shared a letter to his fans on his official fancafe.
Korean and international fans were not pleased after seeing the clipped video of his comments about male actors in the Korean entertainment industry. Others called him sexist and said that he’s been using the victim card since his divorce from his former wife and fellow “Descendants of the Sun” lead, Song Hye-kyo.
Song Joongki receives criticism for claiming that male actors lose their job over getting married and having kidshttps://t.co/NMsZFHNnUQ pic.twitter.com/urKAMFMLcr
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) June 16, 2023
[ notpannchoa ] Song Joongki receives criticism for claiming that male actors lose their job over getting married and having kids pic.twitter.com/dVIEMs2uAA
— notpannchoa (@notpannchoa2) June 16, 2023
When the game is to make everything about yourself and your opponent is Song Joong Ki https://t.co/lNATXTqOZz pic.twitter.com/hmMWq2qNbl
— Jisoooya ♭ (@sooyaserene) June 16, 2023
I might stop watching any Song Joong Ki shows or movies in the future. I've had enough of this guy. https://t.co/UbpvFIuYRQ
— Dianne (@the____yan) June 16, 2023
the more i know about song joong ki the more im glad song hye kyo got out of that tragic marriage https://t.co/voEvRBbSDm
— ying👑 (@xyh1227) June 16, 2023
Song Joong Ki achieved his superstar status because of Song Hye Kyo. You could argue that he is somewhat famous but u cant deny he only achieved worldwide famous because of his ex wife. HE USED HER and now has the audacity to say this. You cant change my mind. https://t.co/5X9hbXLcRd
— namelessdude999 (@namelessdude999) June 17, 2023
song joong ki would sneeze and netizens would say he sneezed so loudly that he didn't care about any woman in vicinity. look at him enjoying his male privilege and being a mysoginist cuz woman could never think of sneezing like that.
— Noor (@weevoowii) June 16, 2023
Koreans are criticizing Song Joong Ki because his baby was born in Italy instead of Korea, that's funny, they made it personal 😭😭
— سيري (@iinewjs) June 16, 2023
Shut your mouth.
Male actors always (mostly) get away from everything (look at Lee Byung Hun, Song Joong Ki and male actors had dui).Till this day SHK always get hate from the divorced you did it first, she knew it from media. https://t.co/vRSpfGlUFY
— 𝖆𝖐𝖚𝖓 𝖋𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑 𝖍𝖆𝖍𝖆𝖍𝖎𝖍𝖎 (@mau_kaya_) June 16, 2023
People in Korea are upset with actor Song Joong Ki about an interview. But the video is heavily (and badly) edited by a chinese journalist making it sound like he say something, he might not have said. #SongJoongKi #KDramaStars @highziumstudio https://t.co/XHjqXjzGCS
— Camilla Fuhr (@CamillaFuhr) June 16, 2023
This was my last straw to you Song Joong Ki. There are still male actors who were able to keep their job despite having a family like Rain, Hyun Bin, Jang Dong Gun etc. https://t.co/8olJsbvYId
— 𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚡 ⑰✵ 𝐓𝟓 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 & 𝐒𝐕𝐓 𝐎𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐛 (@kdramaramapop20) June 16, 2023
However, the video and statement made by Song Joong-ki may have been exaggerated and was clipped without context. The question asked by the interviewer from Alien Mandarin to Song Joong-ki was, “Here in China we have a saying, ‘career and family both bring good harvest.’ What do you think is the relationship between these two?”
Song Joong-ki’s answer may have included that problematic point-of-view, but afterwards he had said that it was a case-to-case thing and that he isn’t afraid of it. “For me, family is always much important than work. But I love my job and then I do my effort always for myself and for my family. But I can be a good human, as a father and as a husband…and as a son of my parents.”
Perhaps this whole controversy may have just been the consequence of bad editing and video clipping. Whatever the case is, Korean celebrities hiding their relationships from the limelight has been going on for quite some time now, and it’s not healthy.
Of course, we can’t say for sure how this is actually happening in their society as we are just mere spectators from the outside. There are some sensibilities in societies that not every person can understand, and we should respect that.
Though, we can’t also deny how insensitive the first part of SJK’s comment was. Like, take a look at some well-known and famous Korean male actors and singers who are married with children. They are quite a lot, but the reason why these personalities hide their relationships from the public is boiled down to this: the fear of their popularity dwindling down.
It may seem petty, but it’s a huge thing for people working in the entertainment industry—not just in South Korea, but all around the world.
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