Horan Appears on 'King of Mask Singer'... Announces Full-Scale Comeback
"Why Is the Production Team Helping Her Return?" Viewers Flood with Criticism
Terrestrial broadcaster MBC is facing backlash for featuring singer Horan (43, Choi Su-jin), who was caught driving under the influence three times in 2004, 2007, and 2016, on a variety show.
Horan appeared as the eliminated contestant 'Funky Fox' in the third round of MBC's variety program 'King of Mask Singer,' which aired on the 9th.
'King of Mask Singer' is a program where contestants wear masks to conceal their identities while competing in singing contests, and the singer's identity remains unknown until the mask is removed after elimination.
After being eliminated in the third round and having her mask removed, Horan said, "Thanks to the warm support, I had the courage to stand until the end," and added, "I plan to release a new single (album) soon." She also said, "I was happy singing. I will greet you with a performance soon." The production team inserted the caption, "See you again on stage with the vocal queen Horan."
Viewers who watched the broadcast criticized Horan's appearance on online bulletin boards and social media platforms. Some viewers commented, "Distinguish between the courage to drink and drive and the courage to appear on a program," "A broadcast that helps a criminal return," and "Why is there such leniency toward drunk driving?"
Previously, Horan was caught driving under the influence three times. On September 29, 2016, at around 5:40 a.m., she was driving under the influence near the southern end of Seongsu Bridge and collided with a Seongdong-gu Office cleaning vehicle parked on the roadside of a three-lane road. It is known that a sanitation worker sitting in the driver's seat of the cleaning vehicle suffered injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment. At the time, Horan's blood alcohol concentration was 0.101%, which is above the license cancellation threshold.
Due to this accident, Horan's driver's license was restricted for two years under the three-strike drunk driving law, and she received a summary indictment with a fine of 7 million won. Horan had also been fined for drunk driving in 2004 and 2007.
There is a growing social call for stronger punishment for drunk driving accidents.
On the afternoon of the 8th, near Tanbang Middle School in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, a vehicle driven by a man in his 60s crossed the road curb and rushed onto the sidewalk within a children's protection zone at an intersection. Four children were seriously injured and taken to the hospital, but a 9-year-old elementary school student died during treatment. The driver's blood alcohol concentration was at the license cancellation level.
On the same day, MBC reported the incident in its 8 p.m. news broadcast following 'King of Mask Singer.' Some viewers pointed out the irony of this.
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