It seems Super Junior (슈퍼주니어) cannot catch a break with the recent backlash one of its members has been facing. Choi Siwon (최시원) recently came under fire for mourning the death of Charlie Kirk, an American political activist known for his outspoken opposition to minority rights, feminism, Covid-19 vaccines and even the notion of empathy.
Prior to this, he faced ongoing criticism for allegedly being a Zionist after posing with an Israeli ambassador at an event and remaining silent on the genocide of Palestinians. Now, the idol is once again under fire for posting on Instagram what many have described as Islamophobic. Here’s what happened:
Last night (Monday, 29 September), Super Junior member Choi Siwon shared a Reel on his Instagram Story that was alleged to incite disharmony between Christians and Muslims. Since then, both K-pop and Super Junior fans have criticised the singer for his post, accusing him once again of hypocrisy. The video showed the aftermath of a church burned down by religious extremists, allegedly Muslims, leading many to question why he had not expressed the same anger towards the Israeli military when churches in Palestine were destroyed.
Some also accused the idol of being Islamophobic for sharing the post, arguing that it does not represent the actual teachings of Islam and creates a negative image for his Muslim fans, who have shown nothing but support for him and the group over the years. Others speculated that Siwon was deliberately trying to sabotage Super Junior’s promotional activities with his controversial political posts, and even urged the other members to remove him. As a result, many have began trending the hashtag #SIWON_OUT on social media.
At the time of writing, neither Siwon, Super Junior, nor their agency has issued a statement regarding the recent backlash. For many, it is understandably upsetting to learn that a K-pop idol they have supported for years is not the person they expected. Whatever the case, it is clear that fans are not afraid to hold their idols accountable when the situation calls for it. What do you think about this issue?
