K-Pop Star Under Fire Over Misogynistic Outburst During Concert

January 24, 2017

A popular male K-pop boyband member is currently in hot water for allegedly spewing misogynistic remarks during his recent concert.

Female netizens and some concerned K-Pop fans are up in arms over a reported statement by Kim Jae-joong, also known mononymously as Jaejoong from the group JYJ, reported AllKpop. His loyal fans, however, say his message was completely taken out of context.

An audience member watching his concert on Sunday January 22 has claimed she heard the singer/actor give the following statements:

“All you guys [female fan] who just booed probably don’t have boyfriends, right? Currently, the birthrate is low in our country. Pregnancy before marriage is not even a bad thing nowadays. It seems like there are a lot of good male fans here, so get their number and you know? And since this [venue] is near universities, there are a lot [of guys] outside.”

Outraged about the sexist message, a fan vented on social media. Writing her disappointment on the Facebook page, ‘Misogyny in Korea’, the netizen wrote that Jaejoong’s offensive statement angered her

She pointed out how the statement referred to women as a mere tool for making babies. The fan added that women are not to be blamed for Korea’s low birthrate and expressed disgust over the star’s insinuation that one-night stands can help solve the issue.

Fans of the star, however, were quick to defend him, noting that his message must have been lost in translation.

“After all those sayings to tell you the truth accept it or not YOU’LL NEVER FIND SOMEONE WHO LOVES AND “RESPECTS” HIS FANS AS MUCH AS JAEJOONG,” commented one fan.

Another version of the supposed statement surfaced online which dissected the message and provided more context:

If such translation is more accurate, it does convey some pretty sexist tones, although, in the latter part, he appears to have realized the errors in the words he used and apologized. It could have also been taken out of context, as many netizens theorized as it could be an inside joke between the star and his fans.

Jaejoong has yet to comment on the controversy.

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