Berry Good's Shin Jee-won addresses controversy over premiere outfit

Actress Shin Jee-won has spoken out regarding the unexpected controversy surrounding the outfit she wore at a film premiere. Online, reactions spread claiming that her ultra-tight knit dress, combined with the venue's lighting, caused certain parts of her body to appear excessively emphasized. However, Shin expressed her own confusion, stating, “I also looked at myself and thought, ‘What is that?’”

On the 22nd, Shin posted photos from the film's stage greeting on her SNS, writing, “I found out about the articles late. But seeing the articles that were posted made me very upset. I also looked at myself and thought, ‘What is that?’” She continued, “It was a shadow that wasn't visible when the lights were off, so I wonder why such a strange shadow appeared in that dark spot. Is my body shape strange? I'm just upset.” In doing so, she drew a line against interpretations suggesting she intentionally chose the outfit to emphasize specific body parts.

The controversy began at the VIP premiere for the film 'Karlovy Vary' held on the 26th of last month at MEGABOX COEX in Seoul. At the time, Shin appeared for the stage greeting wearing a burgundy, form-fitting ribbed knit long dress. Due to the combination of intense lighting and the fabric of the dress, footage was captured where the silhouette of a specific area appeared prominent, and the video and photos quickly spread through online communities and SNS. While some netizens reacted by asking, “Is the stylist an anti-fan?”, others argued that it was merely a phenomenon caused by clothing wrinkles or lighting and that one should not over-interpret her body. The exact cause has not been confirmed.

Shin also handled the controversy with her characteristic self-deprecating humor. After asking for interest in the film by saying, “Still, there is nothing wrong with our 'Karlovy Vary.' Please love it a lot,” she added, “My life. Why am I living. Following Myeongryun Jinsa Galbi, another sudden protrusion. Another funny episode has been archived.” While the unexpected topic was upsetting to her, she also showed an attitude of trying to brush it off with laughter rather than blowing it up into a serious controversy.

This incident is drawing even more attention because Shin is in the process of expanding her career from her former girl group image into acting. Having debuted in 2016 as Johyun, a member of Berry Good, she has continued her acting career under her real name, Shin Jee-won, following the group's conclusion in 2021. She is building her filmography as an actress through appearances in dramas such as 'School Strange Tales: The Child Who Never Comes', 'Cherry Blossoms After Winter', and 'Walking on Thin Ice', as well as films like 'Dragon Inn Part 1 : The City of Sadness' and 'The Hypnosis'.

In particular, this controversy reflects a facet of recent entertainment content, where specific scenes and outfits in short videos are consumed before the actor's actual work. As Shin emphasized, while various speculations poured in regarding the silhouette created by the lighting and fabric, her actual film and her steps as an actress were relatively pushed to the background. Her plea for interest in the film, saying “'Karlovy Vary' is not at fault,” can ultimately be read as a message asking people to shift their focus toward the work and her acting rather than consuming this happening as a personal 'humiliating photo' of the actress. 'Karlovy Vary' is a comedy film directed by Lee Yong-seok, in which Shin plays the role of cinematographer Kang Ha-na.