[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] The cast and crew of the recently concluded tvN Wednesday-Thursday drama 'True Beauty' have become embroiled in an unexpected 'no-mask controversy' over a group photo commemorating the end of filming.
On the 5th, Cha Eun-woo posted several photos on his social media (SNS) along with the message, "To all the staff, actors, and production team of 'True Beauty,' thank you all for your hard work. Thank you to everyone who supported and loved Suho (character name)."
Among them, the group photo showed most of the cast, including Cha Eun-woo, and the production team standing close together without wearing masks. Fewer than ten people were wearing masks.
Netizens who saw the photo criticized it as inappropriate behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. They pointed out that it violates the government's social distancing policies, which currently prohibit private gatherings of five or more people and regulate operating hours of multi-use facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
One netizen expressed frustration, saying, "Students can't even have graduation ceremonies because of COVID, so do celebrities really think they are above the law?" Another netizen also criticized, "How can they claim to be following quarantine rules while doing this? I really hate these showy statements."
Some also pointed out that it was even more reckless to post the group photo on Cha Eun-woo's personal SNS account, which has over 16 million followers.
Cha Eun-woo's side has not yet released an official statement regarding the controversy.
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