"Genius Artist Talent Wasted"... Controversy Over Petition Supporting Kim Ho-joong

KBS Viewer Petition Board Debates Expulsion
KBS Temporarily Suspends Kim's Broadcast Appearances

The KBS viewer petition board has become a battleground of sharply divided opinions as extreme pro and con posts have been posted regarding the expulsion of singer Kim Ho-joong, who was sent to the prosecution on charges of drunk hit-and-run.

According to the KBS viewer board on the 2nd, a post titled "Rebuttal to the expulsion of singer Kim Ho-joong from broadcasting - Kim Ho-joong artist's good influence of donating about 10 billion won" was posted on the 26th of last month. The author, A, presumed to be a member of Kim Ho-joong's fan club 'Aris,' argued in a lengthy post that although Kim Ho-joong's crime is detestable, there is a need for generosity to embrace him again after he has paid for his sins.

Singer Kim Ho-jung, who is accused of drunk hit-and-run, is bowing his head as he appears at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 24th of last month for the warrant hearing (pre-arrest suspect interrogation). Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

A said, "A star I truly cherish and like is currently being hammered by the media," adding, "I am not trying to defend his wrongdoing, but he is still a young man in his early 30s, with more days ahead than behind, and an artist born with a voice that comes once in a century." He continued, "Because his genius talent is precious, he should be allowed to reflect and be reborn as a new person," and wrote, "While the law requires cold judgment, society needs tolerance to embrace and support at least once."

A appealed for consideration of Kim Ho-joong's unfortunate childhood and charitable acts. He said, "(Kim Ho-joong) did not receive proper education in an unstable family environment during his childhood, and even as an adult, there was no true adult around him to guide him on the right path," adding, "Although his crime is detestable, it is very unfortunate that there is not a single sincere person by his side to help him with a sense of right and wrong."

He also said, "His long-time fans know that he is a warm-hearted artist," and "The fact that fans have donated and shared nearly 10 billion won over the past four years to help those in need is the good influence of the name Kim carries," repeatedly saying, "Hate the sin, but do not hate the person."

Over 1,300 consents obtained, awaiting response on the KBS Viewer Petition Board post
[Image source=Captured from KBS homepage]

The post had gained the support of about 1,300 people as of 1 p.m. that day. The deadline for this post is the 25th. KBS must respond to petition posts that have received 1,000 or more supporters within 30 days.

On the other hand, among the petition posts also awaiting responses with over 1,000 supporters, there are 12 posts demanding Kim Ho-joong's expulsion. These posts mainly state, "People who commit such crimes (drunk driving and hit-and-run) in the future should not be allowed to appear on broadcasts," and "We request permanent bans on appearances and expulsion from broadcasting."

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, KBS decided on a 'temporary suspension of broadcasting appearances' for Kim Ho-joong. Temporary suspension of broadcasting appearances refers to a broadcaster's independent decision to suspend appearances of a subject who has caused social controversy but has not yet received a legal verdict.

KBS stated, "Although the court's verdict has not yet been made, Kim Ho-joong caused serious social controversy due to repeated lies related to an accident during drunk driving," and "Considering petitions from many viewers requesting a ban on Kim Ho-joong's broadcast appearances, we decided on a temporary suspension of appearances." They added, "We will adjust the level of regulation after the first trial verdict."

KBS conducts broadcast appearance regulation reviews for celebrities or ordinary people who have caused social controversy due to illegal or immoral acts such as sexual violence, drunk driving, and drug crimes. Depending on the severity of the case, regulatory measures such as 'broadcast appearance suspension,' 'temporary appearance regulation,' and 'recommendation to refrain from casting' are taken.

Meanwhile, despite these measures, some viewers are raising issues as some variety programs that Kim appeared in the past are still available for 'replay.'

As of this day, programs featuring Kim that can be replayed include episode 218 of 'New Product Launch Restaurant' aired on March 29 and episode 252 of KBS 2TV variety show 'The Manager Has Donkey Ears' aired on April 7, which can be viewed on the KBS website and the online video service (OTT) 'Wavve.' Also, some episodes of SBS variety show 'My Ugly Duckling,' MBC's 'Omniscient Interfering View,' and MBN's 'Let's Go GO' are still being serviced.