Super Junior member Choi Siwon is facing intense backlash from fans after posting and deleting a series of cryptic Chinese idioms on Instagram, following the life imprisonment sentencing of former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol. The situation has escalated quickly, with fans blocking and a renewed #Siwon_Out movement trending among supporters who feel the idol is dragging the group’s name into political controversy.
The 39-year-old singer and actor, who has been part of K-pop’s legendary boy band Super Junior since 2005, found himself at the center of a heated online debate on February 19. His social media activity came just hours after a Seoul court handed down a historic life sentence to the impeached former president on insurrection charges related to the December 2024 martial law declaration .
What Did Choi Siwon Post on Instagram?
Immediately following the court’s ruling, Choi Siwon took to his Instagram stories with a Chinese idiom that read “ไธๅฏๆ่ญฐ” (Bul-Ga-Sa-Eui), which translates to “incomprehensible” or “a mystery” . The timing of the post led many to believe he was reacting to Yoon Suk Yeol’s life sentence.
But Siwon didn’t stop there. He quickly deleted that first message and replaced it with a longer, eight-character phrase: “ไธ็พฉๅฟ ไบก, ๅๅดฉ็ฆ่งฃ” (Bul-Eui-Pil-Mang, To-Bung-Wa-Hae). This idiom carries a much heavier meaning. It translates literally to “When unjust, one is fated for ruin; the earth is in turmoil, the roofs collapsing.” More simply, it means that injustice leads to the complete collapse of systems and institutions .
According to Korean media outlet TenAsia, the phrase “๋ถ์ํ๋ง” (injustice will surely perish) combined with “ํ ๋ถ์ํด” (complete breakdown like crumbling earth and shattered tiles) is often used to describe the total failure of an organization or system . Given the context of the former president’s sentencing for attempting to paralyze the National Assembly, many online users saw this as Siwon’s indirect commentary on the verdict.
Why Are Fans So Angy?
The reaction from both Korean and international fans was swift and mostly negative. Many expressed disappointment that Siwon, as a public figure and Hallyu star representing Super Junior, would wade into such a politically charged and sensitive national event.
One fan, who claims Siwon threatened to sue them, shared a lengthy message on social media that captured the frustration many feel.
“Mr. Choi Siwon, since you already mentioned that you plan to sue me, I’m going to say everything I want to say. If you’re over 40 years old, shouldn’t you know that politics is a sensitive topic โ something people usually avoid even in private conversations? Did you really have to openly express it on social media? As an idol? Aren’t you a public figure in popular culture? Is forcing only your own political views onto others really the right attitude for someone in the entertainment industry? Please don’t create a negative image for Super Junior. I sincerely ask you โ please withdraw from the group.”
The core of the anger stems from fans feeling that Siwon is using his platform to push personal political beliefs, which risks alienating a huge portion of Super Junior’s global fanbase. Critics argue that his posts show support for the far-right, pointing to his previous history .
On the same day as the posts, multiple fans reported that Siwon had blocked them on X (formerly Twitter), which only added fuel to the fire and led to renewed calls for his removal from the group through the #Siwon_Out hashtag .
This Isn’t Siwon’s First Political Controversy
For many fans, this latest incident is not an isolated mistake but part of a troubling pattern. The backlash against Siwon’s political expressions has been building for over a year.
In 2025, he faced severe criticism for mourning the death of Charlie Kirk, a controversial right-wing American figure, calling him a “hero” . That post led to accusations of him supporting far-right ideologies. Following that, he was also criticized for social media activity that many perceived as racist and Islamophobic .
Things came to a head again in January 2026, just last month. While arriving at an airport in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, Siwon reportedly told a fan, “I love Muslims, I really love Muslims.” A video of the moment spread online, but instead of earning him praise, it triggered a massive backlash .
Fans and netizens called it a disingenuous “PR move” to clean up his image after his previous controversies. Comments at the time pointed out the contradiction between his airport statement and his past support for figures associated with anti-Muslim rhetoric. One user wrote, “He openly supports Zionist. He said that as a PR move because he was in Malaysiaโฆ but that doesn’t change any fact that he is genocide enabler” .
Now, with his latest Chinese idiom posts directly following a monumental political event in South Korea, fans feel his actions are consistently aligning him with a specific political side, which they believe has no place in K-pop fandom.
What Was the Yoon Suk Yeol Sentencing About?
To understand why Siwon’s posts caused such a stir, it’s important to know the gravity of the news that preceded them. On February 19, the Seoul Central District Court found former President Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of leading an insurrection .
The charges stem from December 3, 2024, when Yoon declared martial law and sent special forces into the National Assembly to arrest political opponents. The court stated that he had pushed South Korean society into extreme conflict . Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, calling it a “self-coup” that threatened the constitutional order .
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment, a decision that has deeply divided the nation. Protests erupted outside the courthouse, with pro-Yoon groups waving American flags and blaring slogans, while anti-Yoon groups chanted for the death penalty .
The political fallout has been massive. The ruling Democratic Party criticized the life sentence as too lenient, while Yoon’s legal team denounced the trial as a “perfunctory show” . It is against this backdrop of national division and tension that Siwon chose to post his messages.
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The Super Junior Fanbase Reacts
The ongoing controversy has created a noticeable rift within the fandom. While some fans continue to defend Siwon’s right to personal expression, the majority of vocal online sentiment appears to be against him this time.
Many long-time ELFs (Super Junior’s official fandom name) are worried about the damage to the group’s legacy. Super Junior, as one of the pioneering groups of the Hallyu wave, has millions of fans across the globe with diverse political backgrounds. When a member appears to endorse a specific political figure or ideology, it puts the entire group’s reputation at risk.
Fans have pointed out that Siwon previously posted in support of Yoon Suk Yeol after he won the 2022 presidential election. They contrast this with his silence when the more liberal Democratic Party won recent elections, suggesting his posts are deliberate political statements rather than random musings .
“The 2022 Korean presidential election where Yoon Suk Yeol (the then-leader of the far-right ultranationalist party) won. The other members didn’t post anything. And when the more liberal democratic party won this year, he said nothing. #SIWON_OUT”
The demand for Siwon to leave Super Junior is now louder than ever, coming from both international and Korean fans .
As of now, Choi Siwon has not issued any further explanation or official statement regarding his Instagram posts. He continues to face criticism online, and the hashtag calling for his exit from the group continues to gain traction. Whether this will lead to any official action from his agency, SM Entertainment, or affect Super Junior’s future group activities remains to be seen.
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