"One Must Remember She Is a Celebrity's Wife"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Professor Seomin from Dankook University expressed regret on the 10th regarding Kim Minji, former SBS announcer and wife of professional soccer player Park Jisung, saying, "I wish she had briefly considered that she is a celebrity's wife before being a private individual."
In a post on his blog that day, Professor Seo pointed out, "I felt heartbroken after seeing Kim Minji's SNS post. I can easily guess her intention in writing this post, but I regret that she did not consider whether this post would actually help Park Jisung."
Earlier, Park Jisung faced harsh criticism from some netizens for not attending the funeral of the late Yoo Sangchul, former Incheon United coach. Yoo, who passed away after battling pancreatic cancer, was also a former national team player. Netizens criticized Park for not participating in the mourning while other soccer community members were paying their respects.
However, Park Jisung and former announcer Kim currently reside in London, UK. Due to travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, anyone entering Korea from abroad must undergo a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine, making it difficult to visit the funeral home.
Given this situation, Kim posted a lengthy message on her YouTube channel urging netizens to refrain from witch-hunting, asking, "Are you demanding proof of grief? What kind of world are you living in?"
Regarding this, Professor Seo said, "Park Jisung must have suffered emotionally from unreasonable demands and baseless rumors, and some twisted fans are using Yoo Sangchul's tragic death to criticize Park. If they truly feel sorrow for Yoo's passing, they should visit the funeral home themselves instead of summoning Park, who is in the UK, to be the scapegoat," criticizing the netizens who condemned Park.
However, Professor Seo pointed out shortcomings in Kim Minji's response. He said, "Suddenly, Kim Minji posted a message. I can easily guess her intention, but I regret that she did not consider whether it would help Park Jisung."
He continued, "The best response Kim Minji could have made would have been to persuade Park Jisung to send condolence money and flowers and to have him clarify his position. Her response was an expression of anger with no sign of mourning."
He added, "If she disliked both options, remaining silent while sending condolence money would have been another way. If it later became known that condolence money was sent, those who eagerly criticized Park would have felt embarrassed."
Professor Seo concluded, "I wish she had briefly considered that she is a celebrity's wife before being a private individual. I am also a semi-celebrity, so I try hard to act kindly," he added.
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