Lee Yo-won sparks debate over informal speech toward senior actress

Netizens are divided over actress Lee Yo-won's etiquette following a YouTube video showing her reunion with Kim Young-ran after 26 years. While some view her informal speech as affectionate, others have questioned her manners toward the senior actress.

Actress Lee Yo-won has become embroiled in an unexpected controversy regarding her character following a reunion with senior actress Kim Young-ran after 26 years. As the conversation between the two, who met after a long time, was released, netizens are divided over Lee Yo-won's use of informal speech. While some evaluate it as a friendly and natural attitude, others point out a perceived lack of etiquette toward a senior actress, sparking a debate online.

A video was recently released on the YouTube channel 'Real Actresses' showing Kim Young-ran unexpectedly encountering Lee Yo-won for the first time in 26 years. Upon spotting Lee Yo-won, Kim Young-ran asked, "Isn't that you?" to which Lee Yo-won replied, "It's Lee Yo-won. Lee Yo-won," identifying herself. Following the unexpected meeting, the two naturally began discussing past works and memories.

When Kim Young-ran asked, "Do you remember doing a drama back then?", Lee Yo-won replied, "I don't think I did." Kim Young-ran then mentioned the drama 'Kkokji', saying, "You don't think you did? When you were a rookie, you did it with Won Bin." Only then did Lee Yo-won recall the connection, responding, "Right. Right. I did. I did."

The conversation between the two also led to discussions about Lee Yo-won's marriage and children. Recalling Lee Yo-won when she was a rookie, Kim Young-ran remarked, "When I saw her back then, I thought, 'Why is she getting married so early?'" Lee Yo-won pointed to her daughter and said, "That's why I had this one. It's a really sad story, teacher." When Kim Young-ran asked if it was her daughter, Lee Yo-won gave a short answer, "Oldest daughter."

The sight of the two meeting again after 26 years evoked a sense of joy. When the production crew jokingly suggested that Kim Young-ran should give her some pocket money, Lee Yo-won waved her hands in refusal, saying, "No." Some evaluated that the informal conversation revealed the natural atmosphere between senior and junior actresses meeting after a long time.

However, after the video was released, some netizens questioned Lee Yo-won's tone and attitude. They pointed out that using informal speech with a senior actress she had not seen in a long time, and with whom she was not close, appeared to lack etiquette. Comments such as "Lee Yo-won is certainly not the polite type," "She is a senior actress, but her speech is short and seems somewhat lacking in manners," and "Using informal speech to a senior actress" fueled the controversy.

On the other hand, voices defending Lee Yo-won were also significant. The argument is that in a situation where she approached first to greet and share memories, the speech was simply a natural occurrence and cannot be concluded as being rude. Some netizens countered, "She went to greet her first, so what is the problem? Rather, she looks friendly and affectionate," "They met passing by and are having small talk about memories, so what kind of etiquette is required? It's comfortable and good," and "It seems like she is trying to be affectionate in her own way."

Ultimately, the joyful reunion after 26 years has turned into a debate surrounding speech and etiquette. While it is difficult to judge a person's character based solely on a short conversation in a video, the incident once again reveals the public's scrutiny of even the everyday speech and attitudes of celebrities. This controversy, occurring between the boundaries of friendliness and formality, continues to be a topic of discussion online, regardless of Lee Yo-won's intentions.

Read the original (Korean)