Ock Joo-hyun sparks backlash with 'anyone can sing' remark

Singer and musical actress Ock Joo-hyun is fueling a growing debate within the entertainment industry through her intense criticism of auto-tune and post-production culture, while also revisiting her past 'Ok-jang-pan' controversy. Her blunt remarks targeting the music industry have garnered sympathy from some, while others criticize the severity of her expression and the appropriateness of her public delivery, placing her once again at the center of public opinion.

In the early hours of the 7th, Ock conveyed her views on the recent music broadcast and performance environment through a long message on the fan communication platform Bubble.

She began by saying, "Nowadays, no matter how poorly someone sings, they use excessive auto-tune for post-production. From the perspective of someone who pursues a completely live performance, it doesn't feel good. In live performances, there is skill and there are shortcomings, and there should be a process of learning and developing through that."

She continued with strong criticism, stating, "Stages that felt 'absolutely impossible to broadcast' at the time of recording are all leveled to a similar standard after post-production. Honestly, I am angry. I don't want to share a table with such performances."

In particular, she fueled the controversy by expressing, "I know this may sound extremely rude, but it is the truth. Nowadays, it is such a bizarre world that I feel like 'anyone and everyone can come out and sing' because of auto-tune."

When fans expressed concern that "the expression seems too strong," Ock stood her ground, saying, "We must not instill the wrong perception that one can have a singing profession even if they are not good at singing. Such false dreams must be nipped in the bud."

She also claimed that it is not just idols, but many general singers and musical actors who utilize excessive post-production.

"Singers use it a lot, and there are cases where musical actors use heavy post-production in broadcasts," she said. "If it were at a moderate level, it might be fine, but if it is too excessive, it becomes obvious immediately."

She added, "Since I have worked as both a singer and a musical actor, I am in a position to see both fields. There are cases where singers are surprised to see musical actors' broadcast stages and realize they aren't as good at singing as expected."

She also expressed concern regarding musical education.

Ock pointed out, "I heard that even recordings of academy recitals for students dreaming of becoming musical actors are excessively post-produced these days. It causes both parents and children to be deluded."

While stating she is not denying post-production itself, she argued, "Moderate correction is necessary, but if it crosses the line, it is no different from fraud."

She also revealed her performance philosophy.

Ock emphasized, "I have never performed with lip-syncing in any production," while explaining that in some works, pre-recorded audio is utilized in certain scenes due to the production environment.

Specifically mentioning certain scenes from the musical "The Phantom of the Opera," she added that original productions sometimes use pre-recordings due to stage movement and acoustic environments.

However, as her unrestrained remarks continued, some fans expressed concern, saying, "This seems like a dangerous topic," and "It would be better not to mention this further."

To this, Ock responded, "Why are you scared? Those who need to know already know, even if I don't say it. It seems like you are changing the subject because you are afraid I might say something even scarier, but I will say what I need to say."

In this process, she also revisited the so-called 'Ok-jang-pan' controversy that arose during a musical casting dispute in 2022.

Ock claimed, "I heard the explanation that the expression 'Ok-jang-pan' was a post uploaded to promote a friend's father's floor mats. However, I have never received a proper apology to this day."

Recalling the situation, she said, "I heard words of thanks for withdrawing the lawsuit, but at the same time, I was told, 'I never intended to target you, Noona.'"

She revealed that due to the controversy, a diet probiotic advertisement she was modeling for was halted just five days after airing, and she had to visit the headquarters to deal with the issue to resolve matters with the advertiser.

Ock explained, "If I hadn't been able to prove it wasn't my fault, I would have been in a situation where I had to pay nearly three times the penalty. There was no way to prove my position other than filing a lawsuit."

She further lamented, "In the end, I withdrew the lawsuit through the mediation of several seniors, but the advertisement was halted and the company also suffered great damage. After that incident, the most difficult part has been having the term 'Ok-jang-pan' follow my name to this day."

Ock's remarks are spreading rapidly across online communities and SNS, drawing diverse reactions. While some believe she is pointing out the harsh realities of the music industry based on her 20-year career, others criticize her "anyone can sing" comment as an overgeneralization that disparages hardworking artists. Furthermore, some point out the contradiction in her expressing personal hurt over past remarks while using such intense language toward the general public.