On December 8, Kim released a statement via his official account, saying: “I have never visited Ilbe and I didn’t even know the source of the phrase attributed to it.”
He added, “From the moment President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, I have been one of many citizens filled with anger.”
The controversy arose when a netizen asked Kim, “What do you think about martial law? Do you support impeachment? Did you vote for Yoon?” His response included expressions commonly associated with Ilbetriggering a negative reaction.
Critics have questioned his explanation, pointing out that such phrases are widely known to originate Ilbe and they are unlikely to be used unconsciously, especially by a wordsmith whose profession involves careful selection of words.
It was revealed that Kim had previously used terms such as sam-il-han (a derogatory phrase meaning “a woman should be beaten once every three days”) and other expressions such as “left-jiang-myeon” and “hot pot,” which are insults aimed at former President Moon Jae-in.
These past incidents have resurfaced amid ongoing outrage over Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law, leading to a wave of criticism against Kim. In response, he used his official account to clarify his position and deny any intentional association with Ilbe.
Source: Newsen
