South Korean entertainers are extremely cautious about making political comments, a result of decades-old collective learning. Even a benign political satire, if it happens to be about a sitting president, could invite a police investigation, if not a merciless defamation suit.

Against this backdrop, singer-songwriter Lee Seung-hwan’s comments on social media are surprisingly bold and candid, especially given that he touched on hot-button domestic issues including, inevitably, the Park Guen-hye administration.

As expected, the singer’s Facebook post went viral in the past couple of weeks, attracting 33,105 likes and was shared 2,347 times as of Monday.

Lee’s criticism generated both admiration and concern. First, it’s rare for a well-known South Korean singer to speak up against a president on social media. In his post, Lee claimed Park turned a blind eye to the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry sinking, despite the families’ continued requests to meet her.

He also criticized the administration’s flawed personnel selection practice such as the hiring of a former personal health trainer as a high-ranking official at Cheong Wa Dae. Lee said the trainer-turned-official would help Park to stay fit for promoting what he called “fashion diplomacy.”

Lee also gave his opinion on the control of local broadcasters and the public outcry against former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Chun Doo-hwan.

The post apparently came from Lee’s grief over the death of his friend and rocker Shin Hae-cheol. “I am writing this post since it is lamentable to see right-minded people passing away. I hope they rest in peace.”

While some Facebook users sided with Lee’s view, others were concerned about his political comments at a time when negative reports about the government have quickly faced defamation charges.

A Japanese reporter is awaiting trial on defamation charges involving the rumored whereabouts of President Park the day the ferry sank in April.

Lee, 50, is well known for his active use of social media to communicate with his fans. He is now holding a concert tour across the nation.

By Kim Da-sol, Intern reporter
(dasolkim@heraldcorp.com)