His comment made many uncomfortable.
Actor Gong Yoo he recently became a hot topic in Korean public discourse thanks to his political remarks in a previous interview.
In the interview, the actor was asked who he considered the “truly admirable man”, and he replied with three names: “My father, Michael Jordan and Park Chung Hee.” The third name brought the actor under public scrutiny.
Park Chung Hee was the third president of South Korea from 1962 to 1979. He is a polarizing figure in South Korea’s history, as his presidential term was characterized by both South Korea’s unprecedented economic growth and legacy of the military dictatorship. Park took power through a military coup on May 16, 1961, and carried out a self-coup in 1971, declaring martial law. He also introduced the highly authoritarian Yushin Constitution and periodically suppressed dissent until his assassination in 1979.
Although Gong Yoo’s interview mentioning Park was for the July 2005 issue of Rowinghis comments resurfaced due to South Korea’s current political scenario. On December 3, KST, the current South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, he declared martial law in a televised address, only to withdraw it six hours later due to fierce resistance from citizens and the opposition.
Despite the lifting of martial law, South Korean society is in a state of apprehension and anger, with the majority of citizens calling for the current president’s impeachment. In such a tense situation, Gong Yoo’s resurfaced interview has raised many eyebrows regarding his moral stance. Fans wonder if the actor still admires Park, while some ask the actor for explanations.
Meanwhile, Gong Yoo recently appeared in Netflix thriller series The Trunk, Which was released on November 29, 2024.
