What drives Kim Yu-na`s critics?

Since Kim Yu-na began captivating the world over with her charismatic performances from a few years ago, she has received unprecedented attention both at home and abroad. However, her long-awaited world championship victory last month seems to have also triggered a ripple of unexpected hostile reaction in her home country.

So-called "anti-fans" in cyberspace are not new to society. And it is not difficult to imagine that there would be some who would hold a grudge against the 19-year-old figure skating sensation for her enormous popularity and fortune. Such is human nature.



To date, about 10 "anti-Kim" communities have shown up on the Web.

One of them, which claims to be the first official anti-fan cafe devoted to smear campaigns against the figure skater, presents unflattering photos of Kim or "photoshopped" images that distort her face and body. It has over 3,000 registered members -- a pretty large group even when considering those who may have joined simply out of curiosity.

What has Kim Yu-na done to deserve this? Among the arguments is that Kim has neglected her duty as an athlete by filming too many commercials.

Experts say the "anti" syndrome is not a matter of right or wrong but more about the channel, which is cyberspace.

"We don`t have the right to criticize (Kim`s) detractors just because they have different opinions. But we do need to take a note of the fact that it is cyberspace where the detractors come out vocally," Yonsei University professor Whang Sang-min told The Korea Herald.

"When there is a mainstream, there is always an anti-stream, just like a thesis and an antithesis. So if you have a complaint that goes against the mainstream in the off-line world, it will be recognized as your personal opinion. But in cyberspace, your personal opinions and complaints are often mistakenly viewed as some social phenomenon that is as big as the mainstream," he said.

In Korean society, where modernization has taken place under the banner of "national advancement," people often identify themselves in association with a certain group. And if they can`t find the right group, they form one where they can belong, the psychologist said.

Then, why are people angry at the young figure star?

Taking an example of actress Moon Geun-young, who was once condemned by some far rightists for allegedly donating money to only charities in a certain region, Whang says a minority will more likely be hostile toward another minority.

"It is easy to assume that members of a minority group, who are not recognized by the majority, would sympathize with those from other minority groups. But the truth is that they become even more antagonistic toward other minorities."

So, he says, Kim Yu-na`s detractors are more likely to be male "grumblers," and with Moon Geun-young, who found herself in an ideological dispute, they will most likely be conservative "grumblers."

"Rules that apply to a modern world -- for example, it is deemed inappropriate (for Michelle Obama) to put her hand on the Queen`s shoulder in the real world -- are no longer valid in a post-modern space like the internet," Whang said.

So would it be too "modern" to discuss countermeasures to stop these "post-modern" online critics? The psychologist thinks so. Rather, he says people just need to realize it is one facet of this internet-savvy society and encourage Kim not to pay attention to the malicious postings on the Web.

As far as Kim`s own reaction goes, it seems clear that the teenage figure skater already has a good grasp of the intricacies of the situation. According to her agency, Kim is not particularly upset or depressed about the detractors, knowing not everyone can like her.

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By Ahn Hyo-lim



(iamhyol@heraldm.com