'Yoon Seok-yeol's Critic' Lee Seung-hwan Criticizes, "Even Our Puppy Wouldn't Accept That Apology"

Singer Lee Seung-hwan's photo posted regarding former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's 'dog apology' controversy (left). On the 2nd, Lee Seung-hwan put a bandage with the character '왕 (Wang)' on his finger, parodying the '왕 (Wang)' character on Yoon's palm. / Photo by Lee Seung-hwan SNS capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Lee Seung-hwan, a singer known for his pro-liberal stance in the entertainment industry, directly criticized former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's 'apology' controversy, saying, "Even our dog wouldn't accept that kind of apology."

On the 22nd, Lee Seung-hwan posted a photo on his Instagram account showing him offering an apple to his pet dog, tagging it with '#Gwaeralthada'. 'Gwaeralthada' is said to be a combination of the words 'gwaeihada' (bizarre) and 'akralhada' (malicious), or alternatively, a blend involving the slang term 'jiral'.

Earlier, on the 21st, former Prosecutor General Yoon apologized for his 'defense of Jeon Du-hwan' remarks and posted a photo of giving an apple to his pet dog, which sparked controversy. Subsequently, Yoon's dog's Instagram account, 'Toristagram', has been deactivated.

Yoon's camp stated, "The (pet) Tori Instagram account was usually used as a communication tool employing personification and irony. The staff member posted the photo lightly, acknowledged the mistake, and immediately took it down."

They added, "Going forward, the campaign will carefully review each Instagram post and reorganize the system. We deeply apologize for causing controversy."

In response, Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, criticized, "A candidate who treats the people and party members like dogs should resign." The camp of former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min raised their voices, saying, "Telling people to give apologies to dogs, making insincere apologies in front and mocking behind, such a bizarre candidate absolutely lacks the qualifications to be President of the Republic of Korea."

Additionally, former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon sharply commented, "I am speechless whether this is mockery toward the people or insensitivity to the world."

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Lee Seung-hwan has sarcastically parodied former Prosecutor General Yoon. When Yoon was embroiled in controversy for repeatedly appearing with the character '王' (king) written on his palm, Lee posted a photo of a gauze with the '王' character attached to his hand, saying, "The pain at the surgical site has completely disappeared. Effective," targeting Yoon.