Super Junior’s Siwon Sparks Backlash With Cryptic Post on Yoon Suk Yeol’s Life Sentence; SM Entertainment Announces Legal Action
Choi Siwon of Super Junior, who is also active as an actor, sparked controversy after posting a message on social media on the same day former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment. His agency SM Entertainment has since announced legal action against malicious commenters.
On the 19th, Choi Siwon posted the phrase “bul-ui-pil-mang, to-bung-wa-hae” (meaning “injustice will inevitably perish, collapse and disintegration”) on Instagram. Earlier, he had uploaded the word “bul-ga-sa-ui” (“inexplicable” or “mysterious”) before deleting it. He then posted “bul-ui-pil-mang” (“injustice will inevitably perish”), later revising it to “bul-ui-pil-mang, to-bung-wa-hae.”
Both phrases combined, the expressions can be interpreted to mean that injustice will ultimately fall apart entirely.
The post was uploaded on the same day as the first trial sentencing of former President Yoon, who had been indicted in connection with the December 3 emergency martial law incident, leading to various interpretations online. However, Choi has not provided a separate statement regarding the intent behind his post.
Last year, he also drew controversy after posting — and later deleting — a tribute to the late Charlie Kirk, known as a close associate of U.S. President Donald Trump and a conservative activist. At the time, Choi wrote, “I mourn the death of Charlie Kirk, one of America’s heroes. He was someone who stood firmly against evil.”
He later explained through a fan communication platform, “He was a Christian, the head of a household, and a husband. Regardless of political inclination, I thought it was tragic that he lost his life in a shooting during a lecture, so I paid tribute.”
On the 20th, SM Entertainment released an official statement through its fan reporting channel “KWANGYA 119,” saying, “We would like to inform you of the progress of our legal response to protect the rights and interests of our artist Choi Siwon.”
SM stated, “We are taking very seriously the continuous and repeated malicious posts, including personal attacks and insults.” Based on materials collected through internal monitoring, the agency has submitted complaints to investigative authorities. It emphasized, “We are continuously securing evidence against acts of spreading false information or posting mocking and contemptuous content on online communities and social media. We plan to gradually expand legal procedures.” The company particularly stressed a zero-tolerance policy, stating it will respond strongly with civil and criminal legal action without any leniency or settlements.
SM’s strong response is interpreted as targeting the surge of malicious comments and political interpretations surrounding Choi Siwon’s recent social media post.
What do you think of Siwon’s post?
