"Office Nuna? It's So Provocative" Remarks Draw Fierce Criticism from Opposition
Lee Explains "Raising Issue of Sensationalism"
Netizens Criticize "Defamation of Work's Honor" Through Statement
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, attended the meeting titled 'Meeting Webtoon Artists Who Are Rewriting the History of K-Webtoons' held on the afternoon of the 3rd at the U1 Center in Bucheon Technovalley, Gyeonggi Province, and toured the webtoon workspace. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] "A perfectly fine work is being misunderstood due to a politician's controversial remark."
Recently, controversy over the sensuality of a webtoon arose following Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate's so-called 'Office Nuna' comment, prompting frequent webtoon readers to step up in defense of the work. They issued a statement urging, "Do not damage the honor of the work."
On the afternoon of the 3rd, Lee attended a meeting titled "Meeting Webtoon Artists Rewriting the History of K-Webtoons" held at the U1 Center in Bucheon Techno Valley, Gyeonggi Province.
While touring the exhibition hall, Lee saw a framed work titled "Office Nuna Story" and said, "Office Nuna? The title really grabs attention." In response to Lee's remark, a representative from the webtoon production company replied, "It is not adult content."
The opposition party continued to criticize Lee's morality and gender sensitivity. On the 4th, after the party's Supreme Council meeting, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, told reporters, "There is no expectation regarding Lee Jae-myung's morality, so it is not worth commenting separately," adding, "As a presidential candidate, Lee will likely repeat gaffes or actions that disappoint the public." As the controversy intensified, Lee explained, "I meant to raise the issue that it might be sensual. I was pointing out a problem."
In relation to this, the comment section on the Naver webtoon page for "Office Nuna" is filled with debates between supporters and opponents of Lee. Some comments criticize Lee with remarks such as "A bold title even the governor acknowledges," "I started watching because of candidate Lee Jae-myung, be thankful to him," and "Wow, is this the famous favorite webtoon of Lee Jae-myung?"
Other webtoon fans expressed discomfort over the misunderstanding that the webtoon is inappropriate due to Lee's comment. They said, "It's a really good work, but I'm worried it might be undervalued because of a politician," and "I hate that my favorite work is being dragged into politics. Political discussions should stay in political news, why bring it all here?"
Meanwhile, the webtoon gallery on the online community 'DC Inside' recently issued a statement under the name "All Members of the Webtoon Gallery," claiming, "The honor of the work 'Office Nuna Story' is being seriously damaged by the political sphere."
They emphasized that the webtoon "Office Nuna Story" is an autobiographical story based on the author's real experiences, and that the rights were purchased from Naver Series to produce a novel, webtoon, and even an audio drama.
They added, "This work is simply a mature adult love story, and the author honestly and sincerely expressed the healing emotions experienced through dating, which resonated with many readers," and "We hope that the political sphere refrains from viewing or disparaging the work negatively based solely on its title, thereby damaging the author's honor."
They concluded by urging, "Please promote constructive and firm policies to protect the rights and interests of companies or organizations involved in the webtoon industry and to expand the cultural value of Korean webtoons."
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