A recent online discussion has ignited a strong debate among Korean netizens. The focus: whether male celebrities are treated more leniently than female celebrities when it comes to controversies. The discussion started after a recent controversy involving Kim Soo Hyun, and netizens are calling for more aggressive boycotts.
Public Reaction and Demands
A post on TheQoo gained significant attention. The original poster argued that public acceptance allows male celebrities to return to their careers after scandals. They suggested that active boycotts and vocal opposition would prevent such comebacks.
“If people keep making a fuss and beating them down every time, then retirement will naturally happen. But if the reaction is like, ‘Oh well, they’ll just come back anyway~’ then they really do shamelessly crawl back out.”
The post received over 80,000 views, sparking a heated discussion. Many netizens agreed that public complacency enables problematic male celebrities to continue working. They emphasized the need for stricter boycotts.
Netizen Comments and Opinions
Some netizens pointed out that the industry’s willingness to cast these actors, coupled with successful projects, leads to the overlooking of past scandals. Others stressed the power of consumers. They believe that refusing to support actors with controversial histories can influence industry decisions.
Here are some of the comments:
“Male celebrities who cause major scandals should never be allowed back in the industry.”
“Instead of saying, ‘Wow, they’ve got some real nerve crawling back out here,’ we should be saying, ‘Are you out of your mind? Do you think the world is that easy? Where do you think you’re crawling back to, you piece of trash?’ and completely tearing them apart.”
“We need to go all out with boycotts, but male actors can easily get roles that suit them, and if their projects do well, they get whitewashed again. The moment they’re even rumored to be in a casting discussion, we need to raise hell.”
“Even if they try to protect each other, if we don’t consume their work, they’ll eventually stop getting cast. The industry isn’t running on thin air. Some people act just because problematic actors appear alongside other actors we like; we have to keep watching out of guilt. But if we stop supporting them, they’ll disappear. It’s not like celebrities are in some boycott-proof field.”
“Stop avoiding the issue like cowards and stop consuming their work. Raise hell instead, seriously. We need to go after those men as viciously as they went after Jun Hyo Seong.”
The discussion also included comparisons to how female celebrities are treated in similar situations. Many are saying that females are treated more harshly then males, and are calling for equal treatment.
Kim Soohyun and every K- Men is pure evil. Especially in the entertainment industry. Senior idols ( women ) always say Male celebrities prey on younger idols but somehow people still treats them like GOD.even on Twitter people still supports thempic.twitter.com/NuOeZVxuAy
The entertainment industry in Korea is abnormal. Female celebrities are quickly canceled for absurd reasons, while male celebrities can return to the industry even after being caught cheating on their pregnant wives, driving under the influence, or visiting prostitution. https://t.co/CQBFqUj7Zt
— Translating misogyny in Korea (@translatingsk) March 11, 2025
Kim Soohyun is probably going to disappear tor 2-3 years and come back to a standing ovation and some awards show 'cause korean male celebrities never fully live with the consequences of their vile actions
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Saikat Nandy is an entertainment news writer who covers the latest trends and stories from the world of showbiz, has a keen eye for spotting the most interesting and relevant topics, and delivers them to his audience with flair and humor. He is also a freelance blogger, content writer, and website designer who loves to explore new technologies and creative ideas.
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