Slip of the Tongue Leads to Controversy—Paik Jong-won, Jun Hyun-moo, Han So-hee—Who is Number 1?

We live in an era where a single word can escalate into a controversy. As more stars communicate directly with the public through broadcasts, YouTube, and SNS, remarks that might have passed as one-time incidents in the past now spread instantly online, being consumed alongside their context or sometimes being isolated to become the center of debate. Amidst this, Park Wi, Paik Jong-won, and Jun Hyun-moo were named in an online poll as "stars who invite controversy through slips of the tongue."

According to the results of a poll conducted by DC Inside on the 5th under the theme "Which star invites controversy through slips of the tongue?", Park Wi took first place. He received 4,961 votes, or 17%, out of a total of 29,962 votes. However, as this result is an online poll targeting specific community users, it should not be overinterpreted as the general public opinion or an objective evaluation.

Park Wi is a figure who has communicated with the public through the YouTube channel "WERACLE," using disability and daily life as subject matter. Recently, controversy arose after he released CCTV footage following a wheelchair fall accident on a KTX, after which he deleted the video and apologized, stating he had not sufficiently considered the position of the social service agent who helped him. The core of the incident expanded beyond the accident itself to the question of how far a content creator must consider the balance between raising public interest issues and individual privacy and consideration.

Second place was Paik Jong-won. Paik Jong-won also received 4,960 votes, or 17%, just one vote behind Park Wi. Having established himself as a familiar broadcaster through "Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurants" and "Delicious Rendezvous," he is also a businessman leading Theborn Korea. In recent years, his name has been repeatedly mentioned in various controversies surrounding his broadcasts and business. After reducing his broadcasting activities to focus on company management, he has been expanding his touchpoints with the public again by resuming YouTube activities since this June.

What distinguishes Paik Jong-won's case from other participants is that a broadcaster's single word does not only affect their personal image but can also link to corporate management and brand credibility. As his friendly image formed through broadcasts combines with his activities as a businessman, his remarks are being interpreted in a much wider scope than in the past. This is an example showing that as a celebrity's influence grows, the weight of their words also increases.

Third place was Jun Hyun-moo. He received 3,764 votes, or 13%. Jun Hyun-moo, who has been active as a host on various entertainment programs, reading the flow of broadcasts quickly and showing improvisational wit, has also been exposed to controversies caused by his words several times. In the past, controversy arose when he used inappropriate expressions while mentioning the cause of death of a deceased police officer on the entertainment program "Battle of Fates," after which he apologized to the deceased and the bereaved family through his agency.

Recently, suspicions of broadcast manipulation were even raised regarding the Kazakhstan impromptu trip on "I Live Alone." While the controversy appeared to be settling as the production team explained and apologized regarding the suspicions, this incident once again showed the viewers' sensitive gaze regarding where the boundary lies between entertainment direction and actual situations. In particular, a participant standing at the center of a program like Jun Hyun-moo is evaluated not only on his own words but also on the entire context of the broadcast.

Following them, names such as Kian84, Han So-hee, and NewJeans' MINJI also appeared in the poll. Kian84 is a person famous for his direct way of speaking that seems unvetted on broadcasts. While his unrestrained remarks are sometimes accepted as part of his character, there have been cases where they led to controversy depending on the level of expression or the subject. This is why debates regarding where the boundary between "honesty" and "rudeness" lies are repeated.

Han So-hee also faced criticism when a video was released showing her shouting "Please be quiet" during an interview at a brand event held in Paris, France in the past. While various interpretations emerged regarding the specific situation at the scene and the context before and after the video, the single short scene spread rapidly through the online world, becoming material to evaluate the actress's attitude.

NewJeans' MINJI also received intense criticism from some online users regarding remarks that could be interpreted as her not knowing much about kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) in the past. At the time, criticisms followed that the excessive interpretation and attacks surrounding the remarks online were a bigger problem than the actual meaning of the statement. This is an example showing the current online environment where a single everyday expression from a celebrity can expand into a massive debate.

What ties these cases together is not simply the fact that they "spoke incorrectly." As the boundary between broadcasting and SNS blurs and an era arrives where stars directly produce their own content, a celebrity's remarks are recorded much faster and more extensively than in the past. Improvisational jokes on broadcasts, explanations on YouTube, and short sentences posted on SNS are all searched for and re-edited, being consumed in new contexts.

In particular, recently, how a remark is ultimately perceived by someone often acts as a more important evaluation criterion than the "intention" of the remark. From the star's perspective, it may be thought of as an ordinary word or a momentary mistake, but to the public, that single word can be received as a symbol showing their values or attitude. Combined with the spreading structure of online communities and SNS, controversies can grow much faster than the actual influence of the remark.

The result of this poll, where Park Wi and Paik Jong-won fought a close battle with only a one-vote difference at 17%, followed by Jun Hyun-moo, is also an interesting scene showing these changes of the times. However, the results of an online community poll cannot be seen as an objective "ranking of slips of the tongue." Ultimately, what is required of celebrities is moving closer to an attitude of recognizing the influence of their words and responding responsibly by explaining the context when a problem occurs, rather than perfect language.

Read the original (Korean)