Lee Jun-young's SNS posts vanish, sparking fan concern

Actor Lee Jun-young's social media (SNS) has seen almost all posts from before his military enlistment disappear, leading to a wave of concern and protests from fans. With the mass deletion of past records occurring just about a month after he began his military service, and without prior explanation from his agency, some have speculated that the agency might have unilaterally cleared the posts while managing the account on his behalf.

The controversy intensified on the 24th when it was revealed that most of the existing daily life and activity-related posts on Lee's SNS account had vanished. Currently, it has been confirmed that only a few posts remain, such as content related to the new tvN weekend drama "Four Hands," which is set to premiere on the 29th, and recently released behind-the-scenes photos from the filming set.

Fans' reactions were particularly intense because, beyond simple post deletions, SNS has served as a type of digital archive connecting actors and fans. Photos from past activities, promotional materials for works, and daily records are not just simple content to fans, but are closer to records that share an actor's chronological history. Consequently, fans demanded restoration, reacting with sentiments such as, "He hasn't even been discharged yet, so why did you delete them?" and "Give us back the memories we built together."

Initially, observations were made that Billions, his agency, might have organized the feed to manage his SNS during his military service, coinciding with Lee's enlistment as an active-duty soldier on the 21st of last month. The interpretation was that the subject of account management might have changed during a period when it is difficult for Lee to manage his own SNS. However, contrary to these speculations, the agency explained that this measure was part of a scheduled SNS renewal process.

Billions stated on the 24th, "It is a process of SNS renewal, and they are scheduled to be restored sequentially." They further explained that this work was "something communicated with the artist before enlistment," effectively dismissing the suspicion that the agency unilaterally deleted the posts. Accordingly, there is a high possibility that the temporarily disappeared posts will be made public again in the future.

This incident is also drawing attention because it occurred at a unique timing where Lee's military service and the release of his upcoming work are happening simultaneously. Although Lee enlisted last month, his presence as an actor continues even during his "military hiatus" as works filmed before his enlistment are being released one after another.

In particular, "Four Hands" is one of Lee's last works before his enlistment. Set in an arts high school where musical geniuses gather, the drama, which premieres on the 29th, depicts the friendship, love, competition, and growth of youth. Lee plays the role of Choi Jeong-yo, a rookie pianist who lived having turned away from the piano, which was once a part of his life, only to stand before the keys again.

Lee previously revealed that when choosing the work, he wanted to act alongside actors of his age and was attracted to the subject of music, which he has always been interested in. In particular, he noted that he naturally encountered classical music while preparing for the character and focused on expressing the process of a person who had shunned the piano facing music once again.

Lee debuted in the music industry after joining the group U-KISS in 2014, and began his full-scale acting career following the 2017 tvN drama "Avengers Social Club." Since then, he has expanded his field of activity by crossing the boundaries between singer and actor, and has steadily strengthened his position as a performer, recently appearing in JTBC's "Reborn Rookie."

Ultimately, the atmosphere is settling into the view that this SNS deletion controversy is a case where unnecessary misunderstandings were amplified due to the timing of the individual's enlistment. However, as SNS functions as a digital recording space that accumulates relationships with fandoms beyond being a mere promotional channel for celebrities, fans' interest is expected to continue regarding how the restoration of the posts will be carried out.