Opinion: South Korean actor’s firing shows cancel culture is a global issue
South Korean actor, Kim Ji Soo, was stripped of his role in a new series, after recent allegations were made about him regarding bullying and sexual harassment.
March 15, 2021
A popular actor faces allegations of bad behavior from his youth and some of his fans say they cannot stand him anymore. It may sound like a story of a Hollywood actor, but it is the case of a Korean actor, Kim Ji Soo, showing that the issue of cancel culture is a global phenomenon.
Ji Soo is a South Korean actor who has played in many K-dramas as a second lead. He had been given the starring role in River Where the Moon Rises, but after online accusations of bullying and sexual harassment in school, a spokesperson from the Korean Broadcasting System has said he will now be replaced.
Ji Soo’s former classmates from middle school had posted on Instagram about him being a “gangster” who bullied and sexually harassed other students. One of his other classmates made a post about Ji Soo being a sexual predator and others then accused him of blackmailing them, saying it was worse than just bullying.
He wrote a long handwritten letter on his Instagram apologizing for all the things he has done to his classmates. His apology seemed a little too late for fans who are not forgiving him; they are disappointed.
Some fans are claiming that he was young, and that people aren’t perfect. But others are saying that he only wrote an apology letter because he got caught; it was not sincere, they say.
It is disappointing that he did harsh things to his classmates. His fans were dedicated to him, and some do not like him anymore. Since he was always the second lead in dramas, it was nice to know he got the main part, but some fans now claim that he does not deserve it.
Although his actions are inexcusable, it is good to remember that no one is perfect and every human makes mistakes, whether they are big or small. He should have apologized earlier, but that is in the past, and mistakes that happened years ago should not define who the person really is now.
A society has to let people grow and become better. Society and social media should not judge others who made mistakes years ago, because they can learn and slowly grow from them.
