While South Korea today holds its presidential elections, the entertainment industry has entered a phase of increased caution to avoid accusations of political prejudices.
From the wardrobe choices to the delivery gestures, the celebrities are taking care more to ensure that their public apparitions and voting photos are not misunderstood as expressions of political support.
Common poses such as the “V-Sign” or “Cheek poke” staples in the photographic sessions of Idolo are avoided due to their visual similarity with the numbers associated with specific candidates.
This change in behavior was considerably seen during a recent fans’ signature by Boy Group Rhizewhere the members instinctively modified the gestures of the hands to avoid potential incorrect interpretations.
Even social media posts have become more calculated. J-Hope of BTS He shared a voting photo taken at the Oksu-Dong Community Center, wearing an all-black dress and avoiding any visible hands of hand.
Likewise, Iu He published his early vote selfie in neutral clothing e Kim Go-Eun He chose to share only an image of the direction of direction of the position of the survey that deliberately winds from color or symbolic signals.
Moderation derives from recent disputes involving public figures. Rapper Impostor I faced a repercussions after publishing a photo in red clothes during the first period of vote, pushing him to release apologies. Likewise, Karina di Aespa He was criticized for uploading a photo in a red dress with the number “2”, clarified later that he had no politicians and sorry for the misunderstanding.
On the other hand, some celebrities have openly expressed political preferences. Actor Kim Eui-Sung and singer Lee Seung-HwanFor example, he published voting images in blue, a color associated with the Democratic Party, reporting more assertive positions.
With the electoral season of South Korea in full swing, the world of entertainment is traveling a subtle line between public commitment and political neutrality, revealing the growing complexity of the influence of celebrities in the digital era.
